A guide to Bristol Light Festival 2023

A guide to Bristol Light Festival 2023

by Dan Martin

Bristol Light Festival has returned for 2023!

The event follows previous festivals in 2020 and 2022 which saw amazing art installations installed across the city. It is a brilliant way to explore Bristol.

Taking place on 3 – 12 February, Bristol Light Festival is bigger and better than ever!

We took a tour of the 2023 installations on opening night. See our Twitter thread and Instagram stories for videos and images.

The installations are brightening up the winter evenings from dusk until 10pm every day until 12 February.

See a map of the Bristol Light Festival 2023 installation locations here.

Bristol Light Festival 2023 installations

Scream the House Down by Marcus Lyall

This interactive installation is created by internationally renowned artist Marcus Lyall, known for experimental film and interactive moving-image projects, including award-winning stage visuals for The Chemical Brothers and a Metallica feature film.  

Created during lockdown, this large-scale work is activated by people’s voices to illuminate a whole building according to the sound. On display at The Corn Exchange, visitors have the chance to light up a building in a sea of colour. The louder and longer the outburst, the bigger the response from the venue.

Scream the House Down by Marcus Lyall

Sirens by Davy and Kristin McGuire, Studio McGuire

This is a stunning holographic projection that transforms the harbourside into a mythical underwater world inhabited by supernatural sea creatures and mysterious mermaids.

Created to signify the impact of climate change, Sirens suggests how even fairy-tale creatures could be affected by the climate crisis, as mermaids travel closer inland in an attempt to survive. These unexpected visitors will swim through the water and interacting with sea creatures in this stunning piece.

Davy and Kristin McGuire are residents of Bristol’s Pervasive Media Studio, located on Bristol’s harbourside.

Continuum by Illumaphonium

This is a fun, captivating installation that invites visitors to walk between 25 mirrored monoliths, exploring a maze of reflection and light. It is located at the historic Temple Church which has been closed to the public for many years.

Illumaphonium is a duo of artists based in the South West that specialise in large scale interactive installations that transform public spaces into a place for music and discovery.

Continuum by Illumaphonium

Trumpet Flowers by Amigo and Amigo

Feel like you are shrinking as you approach these super-sized trumpet flowers and tentatively step inside an unseen giant’s musical garden, becoming surrounded by an explosive and immersive jungle of light, colour and sound. Moving in and around the flower forest, interactive keys allow visitors to play each flower as a 2-6m towering musical and light instrument.

Located at Quakers Friars in Cabot Circus, Trumpet Flowers delivers a spectacular floral symphony of sound and light plus scheduled animated musical scores throughout the evening. Inspired by vintage gramophones, the installation will periodically burst to life.

Trumpet Flowers was created by Sydney-based design studio Amigo and Amigo, with a piece composed and played by Otis Studio together with some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians.

Trumpet Flowers by Amigo and Amigo

Beam by Pytch

This new artwork, designed by Bristol-based creatives Pytch, features at Castle Bridge. It uses lasers and haze to create a beautiful, ever-changing light sculpture that offers different viewing dimensions.

Visitors can become fully immersed as they cross the bridge, enveloped in haze whilst looking up at the lasers crossing in the air above as ambient music forms part of the experience. It can also be viewed from afar to enjoy Redcliffe and Temple harbourside illuminated.

Beam by Pytch

Overheard in Bristol

Previous commissions of iconic Bristolian phrases form part of this year’s content with ‘Alrig’t my Luvver’ in Queen Square and ‘Cheers Drive’ which is permanently installed in Bristol Bus and Coach Station.

Alrig't my luvver - Bristol Light Festival


Let Us Shine by Morag Myerscough

Internationally acclaimed artist Morag Myerscough has created a new piece for Bristol Light Festival 2023 that is on display outside Bristol Old Vic on King Street.

Morag’s brightly coloured, bold and eye-catching pieces have been displayed around the world so it is a big coup for Bristol Light Festival to have a bespoke piece created for the event.

Let Us Shine by Morag Myerscough at Bristol Light Festival 2023

Ophelia by Davy and Kristin McGuire

Ophelia is a stunning life-size hologram of Shakespeare’s famous character. It references Millais’ famous painting of the drowning Ophelia, recreating the scene with intense colour, gentle movement, air bubbles and swimming fish.

The installation is set up in the stunning surroundings of St Mary Redcliffe Church which gives visitors a rare opportunity to enter the historic venue at night. Queen Elizabeth I referred to St Mary Redcliffe as “the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England” during her 1574 visit to Bristol.

Bristol Light Festival 2023
Image credit: Electic Egg

Halo by Illumaphonium

This installation is a dynamic and interactive work that lights up and plays music in response to touch. Visitors will be able to enjoy a sensory experience making music and an ever-evolving pattern of light as they interact with the piece. Halo is installed at The Podium in Broadmead.

Swing Song

A big hit at last year’s Bristol Light Festival, Swing Song returns in 2023, bringing childhood fun and playfulness to those that hop on.

Head to College Green to relive your playground memories as you swing back and forth on the light-up, musical swings. Little ones can also experience swings with a difference as they watch the colours change and hear the music play whilst swinging their legs high into the air.

Other things to do during Bristol Light Festival

In celebration of the festival, many city centre businesses have created special offers and one-off events. Here are some of the exciting additional benefits and experiences you can enjoy:

  • Left Hand Giant Brewpub has created a limited edition ‘Bright Beams’ pale ale, brewed exclusively to celebrate Bristol Light Festival 2023.
  • St Nicholas Market has extended opening hours with the indoor and outdoor markets trading until 9pm on Saturday 4 and 11 February for shopping and food.
  • Hey Dude Bar on King Street has a special offer on Bristol Beer Factory’s Laser Juice from 5-8pm during the duration of the festival.
  • St George’s Bristol has created ‘The Lumen’, a Bristol Light Festival inspired cocktail which will be available throughout the festival in the venue’s bar.
  • For those looking to carry on their evening after a visit to the festival, PRYZM Bristol has got you covered! Reach for the lasers at FIX Fridays: Laser Rave on Friday 10 February or on Saturday 11 February, LYFECODE Saturdays: All of the Lights will fill three rooms with music.

Bristol Light Festival, curated by creative director Katherine Jewkes, is presented by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District and supported by Redcliffe & Temple BID and Broadmead BID.

The festival is also supported by Bristol’s City Centre & High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme, which is funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England’s Combined Authority’s Love our High Streets project.

Stay updated with Bristol Light Festival 2023

We’ll keep this post updated with the latest information on Bristol Light Festival 2023.

You can also visit the festival website, follow the festival on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Top image credit: Swing Song at Bristol Light Festival 2022, by Andre Pattenden.

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