Bristol Light Festival is back and illuminating the city more brightly than ever before. On Friday 2nd February, ten illuminations across nine sites, in some of Bristol’s best known locations, shone brightly as people flocked to the city to be among the first to see the artworks.
The free event, now in its fifth year of operation, welcomed visitors to the centre of Bristol to walk amongst giant, iridescent bubbles, tunnels of pulsating light, an untethered astronaut floating through space, and many other beautiful illuminations.
Curated by Creative Director Katherine Jewkes, Bristol Light Festival was founded by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and is presented in partnership with Redcliffe & Temple BID. The festival’s Artwork Partners are Broadmead BID and Cabot Circus. Visit Bristol, Visit West’s consumer channel for Bristol, is this year’s media partner. A partnership with Bristol’s Left Handed Giant see’s the local brewery providing the official festival beer for the event, the aptly named ‘Vivid Beams’.
Katherine Jewkes, Creative Director of Bristol Light Festival, said, “Opening night always feels a bit like watching a friend open a present; seeing people explore the installations for the first time is so special.
“I loved watching families play with the projected penguins at WildLight, taking a peaceful moment in Temple Church listening to Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra’s gorgeous music set to light, escaping into an imaginary intergalactic world at Studio McGuire’s Ascendance, dancing under giant bubbles at Evanescent and through tunnels of light at Pulse. Dave Buonaguidi’s immortal words hold true; Bristol is Always a Good idea.”
Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, added, “As February can be a quieter time for footfall in the city centre, Bristol Light Festival draws people into the city and gives businesses a much-needed midwinter boost. We hope that more people continue to not only visit the installations before the festival ends on Sunday 11th February, but to continue supporting the surrounding businesses who have so much to offer.”
The 2024 edition of Bristol Light Festival will run until 11 February, with installations setting the city aglow between 5-10pm every evening. Those heading to the festival with children are encouraged to visit between 5-7pm on weekdays, for a quieter experience.
Visitors to the festival are also encouraged to see the three projection-based installations – Ascendance at St Stephens Church, WildLight at Finzels Reach and The Unfolding at Temple Church – when it is fully dark, for the best visual experience. One installation – Pulse at Lloyds Amphitheatre – features flashing lights.