The highly acclaimed Lightopia Festival, that showcases artistic craftsmanship through the medium of light, is taking place in London for the first time since its inception in 2019.
Running for a period of roughly one and a half months, from November 19 to January 2 at Crystal Palace Park in South London, the festival promises to be a visual treat and features many handmade installations by both experienced and new artists.
A colourful Lion ready to pounce was one of many displays at Lightopia
“It is a world built upon captivating experiences, there is no ordinary at Lightopia” said Ian Xiang, the founder and creative director of Lightopia.
With 3D displays, video projections and water shows, the festival adds a surreal flavour to mainstream Christmas lights and has achieved five Gold awards for being one of the best pop up events at this year’s Global Eventex Award ceremony, where it was up against 561 similar events from across the globe.
Some of the popular installations at the festival includes a mystical Guardian gate, a colorful Butterfly field and a visual history of the Crystal Palace itself. “It’s the most enchanted place on earth”, one excited festivalgoer commented.
A lit-up representation of Crystal Palace featured at the festival
Londoners looking for a perfect weekend getaway with families, can head to festival’s interactive floor and enjoy the festive spirit in the Christmas Zone: “Lightopia is a festival with family at its heart,” said Debbie Aberson, one of the managers of the event.
However, unfortunately, the festival is not free to all, unlike many other free Christmas showcases at Covent Garden, the Southbank Centre and Kew Gardens. Londoners hoping to catch a glimpse of this wonder will have to shell out anything between 16 to 25 pounds.
A field of glowing flowers at Lightopia
While this visual extravaganza is restricted to London and Manchester this year, the organisers anticipate spreading it to more cities in the coming years.