Bolton‘s free winter light art festival, Put Big Light On, returns this November, transforming the town centre into an illuminated showcase of contemporary art, world-class installations, and street entertainment.
Centrepiece: Loom of Light in Victoria Square
Taking centre stage this year is Loom of Light by dbnAudile. Drawing inspiration from Bolton’s historic textile heritage, the installation transforms Victoria Square into a walk-through environment built from woven strands of light and colour. The glowing structures shift and evolve across the square, offering a dynamic backdrop for exploration and photography.
Put Big Light On 2026 artworks
- Helios by Luke Jerram: A six-metre illuminated sculpture depicting the sun, created using high-resolution solar observation imagery of Earth’s closest star. Location: Bolton Central Library
- DUNDU: Internationally acclaimed, towering illuminated giant puppets roaming accompanied by live music to deliver a large-scale outdoor performance. Location: Le Mans Crescent
- Event Horizon by Circus Lumineszenz: A walk-through sensory tunnel using light and reflective surfaces to produce disorienting, shifting visual perspectives. Location: Newport Street
- Kaleido by Paul Alty: An immersive sensory space blending refracted lighting, laser beams, and bespoke soundscapes to turn the venue into a life-size kaleidoscope. Location: Octagon Theatre
- Flux & Hula Hoop by Collectif Scale: A pair of kinetic light installations employing motorised motion and geometric illumination to generate optical illusions and rhythmic patterns. Locations: Elizabeth Park (Flux) and Newport Street (Hula Hoop)
- Happy as the Day is Long by Stellar Creates: A mirrored centrepiece paired with an open-air silent disco, inviting crowds to celebrate music and dance together. Location: Le Mans Crescent
- The Wishing Dress by Cabasa Carnival Arts: An illuminated community textile sculpture that visitors can contribute written hopes and wishes to, evolving continuously across the four nights. Location: Elizabeth Park
- Celestial Sound Cloud by Pif Paf: An interactive, cosmos-inspired structure that responds dynamically to visitor touch and movement by emitting bursts of light and sound. Location: Victoria Square
- Street Aquarium by Marge Bradshaw: Commissioned jointly by Put Big Light On and Light Up Lancaster, this stop-motion piece uses hundreds of hand-printed cyanotype frames inspired by Bolton Museum’s 1940s aquarium to turn architecture into an underwater world. Location: Octagon Court
Roaming street entertainment
- Billy, the Meandering Goat (Eye of Newt Theatre): A gentle, illuminated beast exploring town and welcoming festivalgoers into a world of folk whimsy and dance.
- Spark!: A high-energy drumming troupe wearing dynamic light suits and performing synchronised rhythmic routines through the pedestrian zones.
- Sashimi: Giant, glowing jellyfish stilt-walkers drifting smoothly through town centre streets.
- Show Globes: Roaming glass-style snow globes containing performers and interactive characters, including the Mystic Mirror Ball and Sea Sphere.
- Star Bears: Giant gentle illuminated puppet bears, Ursa Mama and Little Bear, roaming under the stars to ambient music.
Dates, times & accessibility
Put Big Light On 2026 runs across four evenings from Thursday, 19 November to Sunday, 22 November 2026, between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM each night.
The festival is completely free and un-ticketed. Organisers note that Thursday evening is typically the quietest session, making it the most suitable night for visitors with SEND or anyone looking for a more relaxed, sensory-friendly experience.
