Floating Earth to leave Wigan earlier than planned

The globe-like installation by Luke Jerram had been scheduled to be on show at Pennington Flash until Sunday November 28.

However, with the borough expecting gale force winds over the weekend, Wigan Council has made the decision to end the spectacle earlier than planned.

The cancelling of the event also relates to safety concerns for visitors.

Disappointed visitors to Pennington Flash found the world being deflated and packed away.

A spokesperson for the culture team said: "For anyone booked on to see this beautiful piece of art from Thursday November 25 onward, we are afraid this will no longer be possible. To clarify, the work is now closed with immediate effect.

"We are very sorry not to be able to accommodate everyone booked on for the remaining four days, there will however still be an opportunity to see the work from December 3 to 11 at Salford Quays as part of the Lightwaves programme – no tickets required."

Floating Earth is a 10m diameter replica of planet Earth, projected with imagery taken directly from NASA and had been floating on Pennington Flash, giving spectators a unique experience to view the Earth as though it has impossibly fallen from the sky.

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