Canary Wharf’s Illuminating Winter Lights Festival returns

The outdoor immersive light exhibition will feature 22 installations from UK and international artists. Including a floating earth, life-sized mammoths and a fibre optic light tunnel.

Image: Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival, Matt Alexander/PA

Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights festival returns to London, bringing with it 22 spectacular light installations to help beat the January blues.

Returning after a two-year hiatus, the enthralling exhibition will be open to visitors from 17 - 27 January and is London’s largest free to attend light display. Visitors are invited to walk the trail of unique and mesmerising installations, which includes 9 pieces never previously displayed in the UK, whilst taking the time to reflect upon this year’s topical themes of togetherness, climate-change and the transfer of data in the modern world.

Image: Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival, Matt Alexander/PA

Key works include Floating Earth, a magical globe by esteemed artist Luke Jerram which will float in the water of Middle Dock whilst in Wood Wharf, Anima by ELISAVA is an immersive tunnel of fibre-optic lights which represents our data-driven world. Tom Lambert presents Out of the Dark, a multi-sensory, audio-visual installation which provides space for self-reflection whilst artist Fisheye displays Permafrost – Sleeping Giants, a riverside resurrection of three, ancient, life-sized, mammoths animated through light.

Those looking for a bite to eat whilst exploring the festival can tuck into tasty treats from a number of pop-up food trucks serving delicious street food and hot drinks.

Image: Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival, Matt Alexander/PA

Winter Lights forms part of Canary Wharf Group’s wider arts and events programme which makes art accessible to all and encompasses London’s largest free to visit public art collection which features over 100 art pieces across the Estate year-round.

Location: Canary Wharf. Click here to download the winter lights map. Date: 17 - 27 January 2024 and is open daily from 5pm-10pm. Price: Free.