Phillip Phillips to perform at Light Up Night

Highmark Light Up Night is returning to Downtown Pittsburgh for the 62nd year on Saturday, Nov. 18.

American Idol winner Phillip Phillips will be headlining the main stage along Fort Duquesne Boulevard.

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The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced the headliner and the details of this year’s event at a press conference Wednesday morning.

In addition to the music, tree lightings and fireworks, Pittsburgh’s iconic Sister bridges will be shining at night.

“This is a dream project for me,” said Artist and Lighting Designer Rob Long. “I grew up coming to the City, seeing the bridges, going to the Pirates games at Three Rivers Stadium so for me to have a creative part in people’s nighttime experience of the city and of these iconic structures. It’s just an amazing opportunity for me to have.

And soon — we will all get to see these bridges in a new light. Rob Long’s design is called “Overserving Light.” He explored the banks of all three rivers with his camera and captured reflections to emulate on the bridges.

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“Watery reflections are the source as well as the inspiration of the lighting design for the Sister bridges,” Long said.

Last week, Channel 11 got a preview of the lighting system which includes more than 600,000 LED lights.

“We won’t be lighting it up tomorrow night for the Steelers game, but in the future, we’ll be able to do that,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

On Light Up Night, the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson bridges will be lit.

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“This is really going to be something to show off the beauty of our rivers,” Fitzgerald said. “The beauty of these beautiful bridges.”

The beauty of the season is taking shape with the Christmas Tree and ice rink in PPG Place and the Peoples Gas Holiday Market.

“I’m excited to take him to the rink,” said Keya Brown. “He was seeing that, and he was like yeah I want to go over there.”

“This is our favorite time of the year,” said Il Pizzaiolo Primo General Manager Alyssa Goldsberry.

And Light Up Night is their busiest day of the year.

“Light Up Night is the one night that you’re running around like crazy and at the end of the night you get to take that deep breath and you’re like we did it,” Goldsberry said. “It’s Christmas time. We’re ready to go.”

Also ready to go is the Light Up Night entertainment. Headlining the main stage along Fort Duquesne Boulevard is American Idol winner Phillip Phillips followed by a Zambelli Fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. A block party at Stanwix Street and Penn Avenue return too.

“He’s waiting to see the lights and everything,” Brown said. “So that’s going to be exciting.”

“I live downtown,” Goldsberry said. “I work downtown. I live right next to the jail and Second Ave Commons. Like I see it every single day. The police downtown, now that we have our dedicated force downtown this year do a great job. I’m on a very close basis with a lot of them. Know them by name. They come in and check in on us. They’re here every day. There’s still problems obviously. There’s problems in every city. It’s been a tough year for everybody. It’s going to be tougher on the people that have already had a tough time. You’re going to have the problems either way, and if people are focusing on that problem, you’re going to see it more, but I don’t think anyone should be afraid of coming downtown. I think it’s perfectly safe.”

Pittsburgh Public Safety has not yet announced its safety plan for Light Up Night.

The 62nd Annual Highmark Light Up Night kicks off at 3 pm on Saturday, Nov. 18.

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