Wembley Park’s free winter light event, Winterfest, will be returning on Thursday 25th November 2021, with a special launch event starting at 4:30pm that will see its spectrum of light displays, installations, and London’s tallest LED, lit-up in spectacular fashion at 7pm.
London’s most exciting new neighbourhood will be putting on a thrilling open-air show to mark the occasion, with live performances, street theatre and family-friendly entertainment throughout the evening.
Entertainment on the night will include:
· An explosive visual stage act from Halo Glow performing with illuminated hula hoops and juggling clubs.
· Captivating performance art stilt walkers, Calvos, performing a surreal twist on circus-style entertainment.
· Drum Works, a community programme that teaches musical and technical skills to young people across London, will lead a drum procession down Wembley Park Boulevard.
· Live performances by London-based musicians Jenny & David and The Laura Holland Duo, who were discovered through the Wembley Park Live Academy.
· Illuminated roller skaters will perform dance sets down Wembley Park Boulevard and the iconic Olympic Way.
· Panto performers at London Designer Outlet will meet and greet shoppers spreading Christmas cheer to guests of all ages.
London’s tallest LED tree, which stands at 25-metres high and features 100,000 kinetic lights, will be switched on at 7pm, giving visitors a first look at the specially created ‘City Lights’ artwork by Brent-based artist Yoni Alter, which will adorn the tree. City Lights is a digital artwork which pulses to different rhythms to evoke the vibrancy and pace of a cityscape. Spectators can immerse themselves in the light display by walking through the tree.
Winterfest’s light Switch On event will also mark the world premiere of ‘Reunion’, a unique light display from Kumquat Lab, which celebrates the joy of coming together again after last Christmas was spent apart. The installation features a series of light arches which form ‘tunnels’ of different shapes, representing the range of our individual experiences during the pandemic, culminating in a space for friends and family to interact.
A new, permanent outdoor gallery will launch on Olympic Way with ‘United in Light’, a new photography exhibition running from 25th November 2021 to 27th February 2022. This debut exhibition will feature 12 UK-based photographers, ranging from recent graduates to award-winning artists, including former winner of the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize David Stewart, photographer Dougie Wallace, who won a Magnum Photography Prize and recent London College of Communication graduate Tami Aftab. The images will be displayed across 16 light boxes, specially designed by Toy and Robin, to create uplifting scenes of togetherness, tenderness, and intimacy.
Opening later in the Winterfest programme, on Thursday 9th December, ‘Reflections of the Future’ will be a large-scale installation, covering half the length of Olympic Way at 100m long, with the iconic National Stadium arch as a backdrop. ‘Reflections of the Future’ is a newly commissioned light installation by Lucid Creates, which uses optical illusion, light and sound through a mirrored walkway to immerse guests in light, images and sound.
These new commissions will add to the existing collection of public art currently on display on the Wembley Park Art Trail, including permanent light installations such as ‘Shadow Wall’ by renowned multi-disciplinary artist Jason Bruges, and on Bobby Moore Bridge, revamped by Dixon Jones Architects with lighting design by Spiers & Major and Light Lab.
In and amongst the entertainment, Wembley Park has a variety of places for guests to enjoy some food and drink, including the newly opened Masalchi from two Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar and BOXPARK’s line-up of street-food traders. BOXPARK also boasts a range of fun leisure activities for all to enjoy as part of the festive celebrations such as the luminescent Pop Golf, the world’s biggest urban axe throwing, Bad Axe, virtual reality experience Meetspace VR, and a ‘Playbox’ area home to shuffleboard, table tennis, pool and table football. Family-friendly pub, The White Horse, will be serving its traditional ales, and London’s largest Bread Ahead serves hot drinks and stone-baked pizzas. For authentic Italian dishes, guests can enjoy a meal at Pasta Remoli, and for luxury desserts visitors can dine at the beautiful Haute Dolci, with their eye-catching, Instagrammable pink tree.
For those looking to combine their visit with some Christmas shopping, Wembley Park Market is home to a curation of artisanal, sustainable designers and makers across fashion, jewellery, accessories, home wear and unique gifts. For big-name brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Converse, London Designer Outlet will be running exclusive Black Friday offers on the 25 November and throughout the week.
Josh McNorton, Cultural Director at Wembley Park, says: “We are thrilled to be bringing Winterfest back for a second year, and can’t wait to celebrate with our communities and visitors at this special event on Thursday 25 November. After an extremely challenging time for many of us, this free event is about bringing some seasonal cheer to our local area. Wembley Park’s recently transformed Olympic Way is the perfect space to host a promenade of art and entertainment, and the surrounding neighbourhood, from our independent bars and eateries to our market of artisans, just adds to the experience, and is what makes Wembley Park one of London’s greatest spots to celebrate this festive season.”
The Winterfest launch event will start from 4.30pm culminating in the light Switch On at 7pm on Wembley Park Boulevard. Performances throughout Wembley Park will be running from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.
