St George’s Church Gardens

BREATHE is a large-scale light and sound installation exploring the connection between light and life.

A glowing geodesic dome is animated in harmony with an ambient soundscape, presenting a sound and light performance every 30 minutes.

At its centre, a softly illuminated core creates a calm focal point, offering moments of stillness and reflection within the energy of the Light & Life Festival.

Travelling up and down the High Street

A magnificent and unforgettable presence at Gravesham Light Festival, The Fire Bird is a high-impact giant metal puppet that brings fire, light and movement to the winter night.

Towering up to five metres tall, this striking creature stalks, bends, pecks and rears as it moves through the streets. From its beak, a dramatic fountain of sparks bursts into the air, creating moments of awe and shared excitement for audiences of all ages.

Designed for both day and night appearances, The Fire Bird features integrated lighting and a fully immersive sound system, accompanied by a powerful and atmospheric soundtrack. Whether encountered up close or glimpsed from afar, the experience is bold, theatrical and unforgettable.

As part of the festival’s roaming programme, The Fire Bird transforms public spaces into a moving spectacle of fire, sound and light - inviting communities to gather, pause and experience something extraordinary together.

Undercroft at The Old Town Hall

Experience a journey through the memories and tides of Gravesend, woven from water, time, and light.

Step beneath the Old Town Hall into an immersive world where the river’s stories come alive. Wander through glows of shimmering ripples of light, listen to whispers from the past, and follow the gentle glow of a lantern as it guides you through centuries of Gravesend’s heritage.

Meet the Ferryman, the Spirit of the Thames - who moves through the space, sharing tales of sailors, ferries, and local legends. Each step you take brings the river to life, reflecting the town’s history, its people, and the ever-changing dance of light and water.

A magical, family-friendly experience for all ages, The Hidden Crossing invites you to discover the heart of Gravesend in a whole new way.

St Andrew’s Arts Centre

Step into a glowing landscape where light responds to life. Bioluminescent Garden is an interactive installation of illuminated flower sculptures, each one created together with local residents in community workshops. As visitors speak, sing or whisper to the blooms, they brighten, pulse and shift with responsive light. Featuring community-made artwork and sound-activated technology, the garden becomes a living organism that grows more vibrant through shared presence, creativity and connection. 

Hannah Whittaker is a performance maker and installation artist, creating interactive installations, one on one encounters and digital performances. The form of her work may fluctuate from high-tech digital installations to very basic one to one encounters, but her focus is always on creating an experience for the audience. She concentrates on using interactivity as a means to facilitate dialogues that explore topics around the human condition. 

www.hannahwhittaker.com

St Andrew’s Quayside

lIluminating Stories is an immersive light installation celebrating the history of Gravesham through stained glass, sculpture, and storytelling. Five two-metre-high, stone-like totems form a circle around a glowing central “fire,” each containing illuminated stained-glass panels depicting key local stories and figures.

Accompanied by live and recorded storytelling, music, and subtle sensory elements, the installation invites visitors to pause, sit, and experience Gravesham’s heritage through light, sound, and atmosphere — a contemporary storytelling circle rooted in place and shared history.

Town Pier Square

From the shimmering depths of the lost city of Atlantis come two radiant mermaids astride their magnificent seahorse stallions. These wave-riding wanderers bring currents of curiosity and joy wherever they go, gliding gracefully as they encourage fun and play with their World Aquarium Games! Full of fantastical charm, Mermaids Tales enchants audiences of all ages. Expect moments of pure magic as these mythical beings resurface to celebrate life on land.

Enter Edem is a collective of multi skilled artists who create imaginative and engaging work for family audiences. The company has grown from a grassroots collective into a versatile creative team that creates outdoor and indoor touring shows, walkabout acts, immersive experiences, themed entertainment, community projects, and heritage inspired work.

Storytelling and play sit at the heart of Enter Edem’s practice. The company draws on a wide range of creative art forms and performance styles to spark curiosity and break down barriers between performers and audiences. Their work encourages participation, celebrates imagination, and invites people of all ages to explore worlds filled with colour, humour, and character.

High Street & Town Pier Square

The Light Gliders spin elegantly into view, glowing like lanterns and full of mischief and grace. Standing only four feet tall, these tiny performers move magically around the audience, their choreographed colour-changing lights creating a dazzling spectacle.

Part fairy, part dancer, the Light Gliders twirl, whirl, and dance between viewers, delighting everyone as they are spun around and released to whizz off at speed.

A perfect mix of playful energy and visual beauty, the Light Gliders bring intimacy, wonder, and motion to every corner of Gravesham Light Festival, transforming public spaces into magical performance areas where audiences become part of the show.

Gravesend Town Pier

Rise of the River Creatures is a vibrant neon light exhibition created by local young people, celebrating imagination, collaboration and connection to the river.

Working with families in Northfleet, young participants were invited to design their own fantasy river monsters - inspired by stories, memories and ideas connected to the water that runs through their community. These imaginative designs were then brought to life as glowing light artworks, shaped and realised with the support of Blueprint Arts’ Youth Advisory Board.

The result is a playful and powerful exhibition that transforms young people’s ideas into bold, illuminated forms, filling the festival with colour and character. Each creature tells a story of creativity, teamwork and pride of place.

Rise of the River Creatures is a celebration of young voices and local creativity; inviting audiences to see the river, and the community around it, in a new light.

Gravesend Town Pier
5:30-8:30pm

Create your own cosy and cool colourful light catchers! Fun for all the family, a take home tissue paper treasure for you to make at the Pier.

Lanterns of Life Workshop
by Nadia Perrotta 

St George's Shopping Centre,
5:30-8:30pm 

A free, drop in, quick make workshop designed to be accessible, intuitive, and enjoyable for families with children of all ages.

High Street & Quadrant

A captivating show of LED Juggling and amazing Pixel Poi performance.

Jury Street & St George’s Gardens

Throughout the festival, the streets of Gravesham will come alive with a vibrant programme of walkabout performances, inviting audiences to encounter light, movement and surprise at every turn.

From dazzling LED hula hoopers and jugglers, to fire performers and elegant giant swans, these roaming artists weave through public spaces, creating moments of wonder, play and shared delight. Appearing unexpectedly and interacting with their surroundings, the performers transform familiar streets into lively, glowing stages.

Designed to be enjoyed by all ages, the walkabout performances encourage visitors to pause, follow, and explore — making the festival a dynamic, welcoming experience for families, friends and communities coming together.

Whether discovered up close or glimpsed from afar, these performances add energy, warmth and imagination to the winter nights, ensuring there is always something magical just around the corner.

St Andrew’s Quayside

Throughout the festival, the streets of Gravesham will come alive with a vibrant programme of walkabout performances, inviting audiences to encounter light, movement and surprise at every turn.

From dazzling LED hula hoopers and jugglers, to fire performers and elegant giant swans, these roaming artists weave through public spaces, creating moments of wonder, play and shared delight. Appearing unexpectedly and interacting with their surroundings, the performers transform familiar streets into lively, glowing stages.

Designed to be enjoyed by all ages, the walkabout performances encourage visitors to pause, follow, and explore — making the festival a dynamic, welcoming experience for families, friends and communities coming together.

Whether discovered up close or glimpsed from afar, these performances add energy, warmth and imagination to the winter nights, ensuring there is always something magical just around the corner.

St George’s Arts Centre

Get ready to groove with a Silent Disco like no other! Taking over St George’s Arts Centre, this unique experience lets you choose your own soundtrack and dance the night away under the glow of the festival lights.

Slip on the headphones, pick your channel, and join other festival-goers as the space transforms into a glowing, immersive dance floor. Whether you’re a silent dancing pro or a first-timer, this is your chance to move, laugh, and celebrate winter evenings in a magical, music-filled setting.

St George’s Arts Centre

Join us at the St George’s Arts Centre for a vibrant exhibition celebrating the festival theme of Light & Life.

St George’s Shopping Centre

Light Guardians is a family-friendly workshop where participants create glowing characters inspired by natural elements. Concept and design by Olivia Hinds.

Gravesend Town Pier
6.30pm-7.15pm

Take a moment to pause and soak up the atmosphere at the Pop-Up Café on Gravesend Pier. Returning for this year’s festival, the café combines hot drinks, food, live music, and immersive installations - all set against the historic backdrop of the world’s oldest cast iron pier.

Whether you want to rest your feet, enjoy the music, or simply take in the glowing festival lights reflecting across the water, the pop-up café is the perfect spot to relax and recharge.

Live music times will be announced soon.

Photo by Jason Arthur

St Andrew’s Arts Centre

Enjoy a locally brewed beer from Iron Pier Brewery whilst enjoying the atmospheric installation Bioluminescent Garden by Hannah Whittaker.

Various locations

Bring your ears and your curiosity - the streets of Gravesham will be alive with busking-style music from talented local musicians during the Gravesham Light Festival.

Catch performances at three locations throughout the town, offering a mix of live music that adds warmth, energy, and atmosphere to the festival evenings:

St George’s Shopping Centre
(Outside Arts Centre)
5:45pm – 6:30pm
7:15pm – 8:00pm

Corner of Jury Street / High Street
6:00pm – 6:45pm
7:00pm – 7:45pm

Gravesend Town Pier
(Inside the Pier)
6:30pm – 7:15pm

Enjoy wandering between locations, discovering different sounds and styles, and soaking up the lively atmosphere of a festival that celebrates creativity, community, and winter light.