Last-minute preparations are under way for the return this week of Lumiere which is all set to bring a welcome blast of colour to these cold, dark evenings.

The light festival, which is free, will be back in Durham from Thursday for a four-night run and is expected to attract thousands of people to the city centre and beyond. The biennial festival, commissioned by Durham County Council and created by arts producer Artichoke, first took place in Durham 14 years ago - with an art trail of installations illuminating streets and buildings - and has returned every other year since, spreading its wings in recent years.

This year's festival will extend to Bishop Auckland for the first time, with the town hosting four installations from a total of 40 standout artworks which have been created by a mix of local, national and international artists. World-renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer are among those taking part in the new November 16-19 event which promises to be the biggest yet.

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Whether you've been a regular over the years or a newcomer, Lumiere will be offering something new. Durham Cathedral - often seen as a centrepiece of the festival - is always a huge draw for visitors and this time it will be hosting work by Weiwei in its Chapter House while its Cloisters and the main building will be in the limelight too,

Here is a round-up of what to expect at Lumiere this year and some tips for helping to plan your visit.

What and where

Lumiere is said to be the UK's biggest light festival and one of the first, having made its debut in Durham in 2009. It has since triggered others, including Lumiere London.

The festival is focused upon Durham city centre but extends now to other areas across the county.

Dates and times

Lumiere runs this year from November 16-19. Over the years, organisers have worked to tackle crowds and queues so has introduced tickets - which are free - in order to access the city centre attractions during peak times. Lumiere runs in Durham from 4.30pm until 11pm, with last entry to the cathedral being at 10.30pm, and peak times - which require a ticket only for the city centre attractions - are 4.30pm until 7.30pm each night.

Bishop Auckland's illuminations will be open from 5pm-10pm.

Tickets

Those peak-time tickets are in high demand and best availability at present is said to be at 4.30pm on Friday, November 17: book here.

Otherwise, outside those times, tickets are not required, so if you don't have children to worry about and can go later in the evening then that's your best time to explore.

The artworks

A highlight installation this year is set to be the Illuminated Bottle Rack by Ai Weiwei in The Chapter House of Durham Cathedral and, because of its expected popularity, this is to have extended opening hours, from 10am-3.30pm, although entry still cannot be guaranteed.

There are 40 attractions in all. Outside the central ticketed zone there still will be 27 artworks to track down. These include:

Sacral by artist Edoardo Tresoldi - St Mary’s College

Universal Loom by Daniel Canogar - The Ogden Centre

Parallels by Architecture Social Club - Prince Bishops’ loading bay

Constellations by Joanie Lemercier - Baths Bridge

How to find them

A printed programme is available to buy for £3 from the Lumiere Visitor Hub in Millennium Place which is open from 11am-4pm until Tuesday and then from Wednesday until Sunday it will extend its opening hours until 11pm.

The programme includes information to help plan a visit plus a fold-out map showing artwork installations. The price of it be invested in Lumiere.

A new Lumiere Durham app with interactive maps and live updates is also available to download on Google Play and the App Store. It's free and location should be enabled for the best experience.

Lumiere volunteers also will be around and about in their luminous pink hi-vis vests so will be able to point you in the right direction if you're looking for something specific.

Forget the brolly

Whatever the weather, visitors are advised to leave umbrellas - along with pets and buggies - at home as they will only get in the way. If rain looks likely, wear waterproofs - as well as warm clothing and sensible footwear.

If you've booked e-tickets, ensure that your phone is fully charged to show them.

Transport and parking

There's a focus upon reducing the festival's environmental impact and visitors are asked to do their bit too, by using public transport if possible - or, even better, travelling by bike or foot - or else leave the car at one of the council's park-and-ride sites, which will have regular shuttle buses running until 11.30pm, with trips costing £2. For more travel and transport tips see here.

For those going to Bishop Auckland, the town is a 30-minute car ride from Durham or a bus or train ride. National Rail will have information on how to plan a journey from Durham Station or Darlington Station to Bishop Auckland station and from there it's about a 15-minute walk to the Market Place.

Other requests from environmentally-conscious festival organisers are to bring a reusable cup to buy drinks and to take all litter home for recycling. For more about the festival see its website here.