THOUSANDS of people have been turning up for a dazzling spectacle that is lighting up the Royal Pavilion.

The Dr Blighty event remembers Indian soldiers who fought during the First World War and ended up at the pavilion while it was a military hospital.

One hundred years on, their stories are being told as part of Brighton Festival's 2016 programme, which ends this weekend.

On Thursday evening, interest in the live video projections reached fever pitch as thousands filled the Royal Pavilion Gardens and spilled out on to Old Steine, with some standing on bus shelters to get a good view of the projections on the building.

Finn Hopson, 37, said: "The crowd is getting bigger and bigger every night.

"The first night I went down there were a few hundred people and the second night it was pretty packed in the gardens.

"A friend said it was absolutely heaving with people on Thursday.

"It's one of those things that has really caught people's imagination. I have nothing but praise for it. It was fantastic."

Mr Hopson, who lives in Lyminster Avenue in Brighton, also runs Brighton Photography and is involved in The Brighton and Hove Calendar. He hopes to include one of the Pavilion pictures in the calendar, which has been running for 16 years.

Laura McBride, of Cambridge Grove, Hove, said she had never seen the Pavilion looking so good.

The 34-year-old said: "It was a stunning show. The combination of lights and Indian music was really evocative and the packed gardens had a real festival feel."

Kate Parkin, who also lives in Hove, added: "It was just beautiful, one of the best things I have ever seen at the Festival over many years.

"I'm in awe of the creative mind that conceived it. My favourite part was the lotus flower opening on the main dome."

Called projection mapping, the technique involved laser-scanning the Pavilion to create computer segments that were then assigned to different projectors linked together.

Paul Wigfield, the projection expert, said it felt "absolutely amazing" to see it realised.

He said: "I managed to resist the temptation to see it before the opening night.

"It's the culmination of many months of hard work and of many years waiting for the opportunity to arise."

Ajay Chhabra, the artistic director of Nutkhut, which devised the show, said: “The overwhelming emotional connection and love that Brighton has shown gives me great pride and joy.

"Seeing people of different ages and from different walks of life, who in many cases are coming to see a show of this type for the first time, and feeling so closely attached to this story, is very special. This is a story about Brighton and for Brighton, and is a satisfying tribute to those young, innocent, Indian soldiers.”

The Pavilion show is only one part of Dr Blighty, which also features theatrical performances in the gardens.