There will be a chance to leave a special message for the light of your life in celebration of Valentine’s Day this week.

As part of the City of Lights festival, which will bring a number of stunning works of artistic illumination to the city, there will be a special chance to have a message of love projected onto the walls of Carlisle Castle.

On Valentine’s Day, which falls this Friday, messages of love will be displayed across the walls of the castle, between 6pm and 9pm.

Anyone who would like to have a message displayed should email their greeting of affection to love.carlisle@cumbria.gov.uk.

The centrepiece of the City of Lights festival will be an awe-inspiring display of light and sound at Carlisle Cathedral, which starts today and runs until Friday.

Called The Great Exhibition - SPACE: God, the Universe and Everything, the event is inspired by the 1969 moon landings.

Created by the award-winning Luxmuralis artistic collaboration, more than 3,000 tickets have been sold so far for the event.

Tickets for all sessions must be bought in advance from Carlisle Tourist Information Centre at the Old Town Hall or from discovercarlisle.co.uk.

Prices are £5 for adults and £4 for children under 16.

The festival is a collaboration between Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council and a range of local partners includig the Railway Heritage Trust.

Deborah Earl, County Council cabinet member for public health and local communities, said:

“I am beyond excited to see our city to life brought to life through the SPACE event at the Cathedral - a first for the city - and the various lighting installations in the city centre. The City of Lights project is a fantastic opportunity to showcase and celebrate our city, and I am looking forward to seeing all the projections at the Castle and the illuminations throughout the city centre.”

Stephen Higgs, Carlisle City Council portfolio holder for culture, heritage and leisure, said: “The SPACE event at Carlisle Cathedral will be the first time the award-winning Luxmuralis exhibition has been staged in the north and will be a spectacular and unmissable experience.”