Bristol Light Festival: More showstopping installations revealed

Bristol Light Festival is returning to bring colour and play to the dark winter nights from Friday 31 January to Sunday 9 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.

Our Beating Heart by Studio Vertigo

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.

A heart-shaped disco ball shimmering in a dark room, spotlights of different colours directed at it.

C-Scales by Bruce Munro

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.

A dark room with columns at the end, an alley borded by plants and light reflected on the floor, giving the impression to be in a jungle or on the Amazon.

Swing Song by Bristol Light Festival

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.

Lightening up swings on College green, Bristol, with a motion blur effect.

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.