Swing when you’re winning

Bristol Light Festival is returning to bring colour and play to the dark winter nights from Friday 31st January to Sunday 9th February - with another three installations announced today. Joining a dazzling lineup that already consists of a flock of 1000 flamingoes, a piece that intricately combines music and light, and three soulful robotic creatures are: a nostalgic exploration of water inspired by Sydney Harbour, a heart-shaped disco ball which blankets the audience in dapples of light, and the return of musical installation Swing Song which has been redeveloped to premier at this year's festival.

Bristol Light Festival 2025 will host the South West premiere of visual spectacle, Our Beating Heart by Studio Vertigo, a multidisciplinary design and fabrication studio led by artists Lucy McDonnell and Stephen Newby. Symbolising togetherness, shared love and the multifaceted aspects of the human experience, the piece comprises a giant discoball composed of more than 11,000 mirrored tiles. Visitors to the festival will be able to revel in the refracted light, enjoying a moment of joy and festivity together as they see themselves reflected in the impressive structure. The piece is made sustainably using glass and jesmonite and only requires 4 LED spotlights to bring it to life. Coinciding with the arrival of Our Beating Heart, disco balls around the city will have a colour wash to match the artwork at nearby locations such as Four Wise Monkeys Mr Wolfs, Mothers Ruin and the Clayton Hotel.

Lucy McDonnell, artist, said: “Our Beating Heart is inspired by the idea of shared love and the disco ball’s ability to bring people together. The multi-faceted mirrored surface reflects the diversity of the crowd, creating a sense of unity and shared experience. Bristol is such a cultural hub, with a nightlife scene that is as inclusive and diverse as it gets, so this work feels like the perfect piece to showcase at Bristol Light Festival.”

C-Scales is the second installation coming to Bristol Light Festival 2025 from Bruce Munro Studio. A screen made up of 1,849 CDs and DVDs, in its simplest form it tells the story of light. Initially designed for Sydney Harbour, the artwork serves as an exploration of how water absorbs and reflects light, creating something as abstract as it is beautiful. The audio track accompanying the artwork is inspired by Barangaroo in central Sydney, reflecting the shoreline sounds of the plantlife, people, trade, shipping, commerce, buildings and day to day life of the Antipodean region.

Bruce Munro, artist, said: “Both Sydney and Bristol have such strong connections to water, so it feels very natural that this artwork should get its first large-scale viewing at Bristol Light Festival. For the Bristol iteration, an array of animations will be projected onto a suspended façade of CDs and DVDs, giving the effect of a sea shedding scales of light into the location. The resulting reflections paint both the architecture and visitors with shimmering skeins of light, resulting in a subtly immersive installation. It is a joy to bring this work to Bristol; simply said it’s a post Christmas winter warmer from the Antipodes.”

A Bristol Light Festival favourite, Swing Song is back for more immersive musical play and this edition it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. Due to popular demand, the Bristol Light Festival team have been busy fabricating two new sets of swings for audiences to enjoy which will be unveiled at their home festival before embarking on a tour. Swing Song uses tracks that were produced especially for the festival, with each swing controlling a different musical element. Users have a choice of percussion, bassline and melody, and each movement contributes to the music generated by the swinging - swing low for chill beats and high for a dramatic crescendo. All this combines with a dynamic light show to double the sensory pleasure. 

Katherine Jewkes, Creative Director of Bristol Light Festival, said: “We’ve been blown away by how popular and well loved Swing Song has been for the last two years of the festival, so much so that we have invested in rebuilding the swings so that they can become a permanent fixture in the festival programme. With its playful immersion into colour, sound and light, it is a firm favourite for adults and children alike. We are excited to be unveiling the new swings in our fifth edition, before they then head out on tour, bringing a taste of Bristol Light Festival to different areas and showing what our creative industry in the city has to offer.” 

Vicky Lee, Director of Bristol City Centre BID, said: “All of the newly announced installations are set to bring an enhanced sense of togetherness to the festival as people explore the city. It’s especially great to be presenting our new swings and additional capacity to the artwork giving us the opportunity to immerse more people at once in the magic of the work.  We are also considering a fast track ticket this year - there’s more to come on this as we get closer to the festival dates.”

Steve Bluff, Director of Redcliffe & Temple BID, said: “There’s a real variety to the way people can enjoy Bristol Light Festival this year. Whether people are working together to create songs, contemplating water and movement, or just enjoying being under the glow of a huge disco ball, each new installation brings another dimension of sensory experience to our visitors.”

Bristol Light Festival is founded by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and delivered 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. The festival is curated by multi award-winning Creative Director, Katherine Jewkes.

Bristol Light Festival is a free event and will run from Friday 31 January - Sunday 9 February 2025. An award-winning festival, guests travelling from further afield can bolster their visit with an overnight stay in one of the city centre’s award-winning hotels, enjoying all that Bristol has to offer.