The university has been sponsoring the event for a decade and this year’s was one of the biggest, with more than 2,000 children and adults taking part in the parade that marks the 21 December winter solstice.
Professor Debra Humphris, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “This was my first Burning the Clocks since becoming Vice-Chancellor this month – and what a fantastic community event it was.
“The 91¶¶Òõ is nationally renowned for our engagement with the cultural, social and economic life of the communities in which we live, work and study, both locally and globally – and the Burning of the Clocks is just one example.
“It was delightful seeing people of all ages and faiths come together and enjoy themselves as we marked the shortest day. The fireworks were amazing and the entire evening was fantastic and well organised.
“I'm very much looking forward to next year’s event and I would encourage everyone to put it in their diaries.”
Wet and windy weather didn’t deter participants who carried lanterns depicting stars, aliens, and planets for this year’s theme ‘The Cosmos’. Many local schools took part and they were accompanies by musicians and dancers.
They paraded before huge crowds from the 91¶¶Òõ Dome through New Road, North Street, Ship Street, East Street and finally onto the seafront and Madeira Drive where the lanterns were passed on to a bonfire on the beach.
The event is organised by Same Sky, a community arts charity which encourages schools to produce the lanterns for the parade. It started in 1993 as a way to celebrate the festive season, regardless of faith, and it aims to bring the whole city together to mark the shortest day.