Bristol Light Festival returns larger than life for 2027

A field of 100 glowing flowers, larger-than-life inflatable art, interactive light and sound and a monumental illuminated figure among the first artworks announced

Offering the first glimpse of the festival’s seventh edition, which runs from Thursday 18 to Saturday 27 February 2027, the initial line-up brings together spectacular international installations and playful interactive experiences, set to transform familiar corners of the city and light up Bristol once again.

Making its Bristol Light Festival debut is Crocus Field by Jigantics, which will see 100 giant illuminated crocus flowers create a spectacular lawn of light in Bristol’s Old City. Standing at almost two metres tall, the flowers will shift and change throughout the evening as waves of light travel across the installation.

Adding another larger-than-life spectacle to the programme will be the world premiere of Fired Up by Bristol-based Designs in Air, the pioneering inflatable design company whose work has appeared everywhere from the 2012 Olympics to the Eden Project, Lollapalooza and Fuji Rock.

Fired Up is a giant campfire that allows visitors to interact with the installation to make the flames glow brighter as they interact with the artwork. Produced especially for Bristol Light Festival, the artwork will make its debut at the event. Known for bringing surreal, oversized sculptures into unexpected urban settings, Designs in Air has spent more than 20 years pushing the possibilities of inflatable art.

Now a staple of Bristol Light Festival, Swing Song is set to return for a fourth time in 2027. The interactive installation invites visitors to become part of the artwork, with every swing helping to create an evolving display of light and sound. Swing Song returns once again to give festival-goers of all ages the chance to play, connect and create their own illuminated symphony.

Completing the first wave of installations is Colossus by internationally acclaimed Louxor Spectacle, making its UK debut at Bristol Light Festival. Monumental in scale, the illuminated human figure will create one of the festival’s most striking encounters, appearing alongside one of Bristol’s most recognisable icons. Its location is being kept under wraps for now, with the full reveal set to follow in the coming months.

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Katherine Jewkes, Creative Director of Bristol Light Festival, said:

“One of the things I love most about Bristol Light Festival is bringing internationally acclaimed artists to the UK and setting their work alongside the incredible makers we have right here in Bristol. We’re proud to champion two brilliant local companies: Designs in Air, who are debuting a brand new interactive artwork and Jigantics, who are bringing their much-loved Crocus Field to the city for the first time. Colossus by Louxor Spectacle adds another extraordinary international dimension to this year’s programme. That mix is what the festival is about: celebrating the culture, history and creativity that make Bristol what it is, and inviting everyone to get closer, play, and see the city differently after dark."

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Vicky Lee, Director of Place at Bristol BID, said:

“Bristol Light Festival has become one of the city’s most anticipated winter events, bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the city centre and creating a real buzz across our streets and neighbourhoods at a time of year when that extra footfall is so important. What makes the festival particularly special is the way it encourages people to explore the city differently. From discovering new places and businesses to experiencing extraordinary art in familiar spaces, there’s a real sense of adventure to Bristol Light Festival. We’re delighted to see the 2027 programme take that spirit even further, with ambitious international work alongside brilliant local creative talent, giving people even more reasons to come into Bristol, stay a little longer and make an evening of it.”

Founded by Bristol BID and curated by multi-award-winning Creative Director Katherine Jewkes, Bristol Light Festival is delivered in partnership with organisations across the city to create free, high-quality cultural experiences in public space.

Returning for its seventh edition, the festival has become one of the UK’s leading free light festivals, transforming familiar streets, spaces and landmarks through ambitious public art and encouraging visitors to experience the city from a completely different perspective. The 2026 festival welcomed an estimated 200,000 visitors across ten days and generated an economic impact in excess of £11 million.

Bristol Light Festival 2027 will take place from Thursday 18 to Saturday 27 February 2027. Admission is free and open to all. Further installations, locations and programme details will be announced over the coming months. For more information, visit www.bristollightfestival.org and follow @bristol_light_fest on Instagram and Facebook.