The inaugural Bristol Light Festival was a huge success as thousands descended on Bristol city centre over a wintry weekend.

From Thursday 27^th February to Sunday 1^st March approximately 100,000 visitors followed a blazing trail of light through the city, visiting a collection of nine installations by internationally and locally renowned artists.

The Light festival launched with the unveiling of Neighbours, a specially commissioned piece for the event to pay homage to the city’s graffiti culture. Projected over Banksy’s famous piece ‘Well Hung Lover’ on Park Street, the piece featured artwork from four local artists Inkie, Jasmine Thompson, Parys Gardener, Zoe Power.

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Other popular installations included Pink Enchantment by former UWE student Tine Bech across Castle Bridge. Frame Perspective, which transformed Millennium Square into a photographer’s dream, with a 30-metre-long luminous installation of repeating frames and LEDs by French visual artist, Olivier Ratsi and more.

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Despite wet and wintry conditions, attendance exceeded expectation as individuals, couples, families and groups worked their way around the centre, experiencing and interacting with the artistic pieces that adorned the city. Many of those families and couples were drawn into the city centre by the Bristol Light Festival and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience with many taking the opportunity to also treat themselves to great food and drink on offer.

The four-day event was the first of a three-year series by Bristol City Centre BID (Business Improvement District), programmed by creative directors, Katherine Jewkes and Vashti Waite in partnership with Bristol City Council and the University of the West of England.

We are looking forward to next year’s luminous event!