Taking place at Heaton Park, Manchester’s largest historic park and Europe’s largest municipal park, Lightopia is a brand new, immersive and visually-dramatic lantern and light festival, that promises to fuse beautiful art installations with human experience.
The very first of its kind in the UK and Europe, Lightopia is an exploration of light, movement and form, beautifully captivating the senses with unique interactive and immersive lights, lanterns, installations and incredible lasers with water-screen multimedia shows, destined to create unforgettable memories and provide alternative family fun throughout the festival season.
Guests will be welcomed to the enchanting world of Lightopia, an otherworldly experience of light, harmony and festivity, through six key interactive installations. Each installation is universally communicable, all united with the theme of harmony. As guests travel through the festival, they will be fully immersed into the Lightopia narrative, exploring nature and human experiences through each design, transporting eventgoers into a spiritual society through careful artistic intervention.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”3″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]Transporting guests to new worlds of expression and emotion, the installations throughout are designed by critically acclaimed Ava Moradi, a contemporary artist who has exhibited and created art and installations revolving around light and design internationally for over ten years.
Installations include, The Love Gate, Tree of Life, Elysian Field, S-Harmony, The Flower Road, Happy Valley, Two Moons Eagle and many more, symbolising various experiences throughout life and humanity. An iconic Manchester Light Bees installation symbolises community, brightness and personal power, representing the amazing sense of unity and solidarity within Manchester. Guests can follow the bee to discover further destinations.
Lightopia will open to the public from the 21 November to the 31 December 2019. The ticketed event will also include live entertainment, such as acrobatic performances, local musicians and family rides available to enjoy every night. There will also be a host of food and refreshment options available for all taste-buds to enjoy.
Guests will be led on a breath-taking journey of discovery through the park, guided by beautiful light trails. Educational elements shine through, as visitors can explore the values behind spirituality, inclusivity, togetherness and the importance of positive energy, through each installation.
Ian Xiang, Founder and Creative Director of Lightopia, says: “Lightopia Festival aims to revive and reinterpret the senses, carrying the audience into a different world of expression and emotion through beautiful light designs and interactive installations. It is a world built upon captivating experiences, there is no ordinary at Lightopia!
“We are incredibly excited to introduce the festival, not just to the community of Manchester, but to the UK, and hope the values learnt throughout the journey are carried forward into the everyday lives of each of our visitors. See the light and join us at Lightopia.”
Lightopia is open to the public from 21 November to 31 December. The event is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except during school holidays. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are closed. Opening times are between 17:00 to 22:00. Last entry is 20:30 daily.
Advance adult tickets cost £18. Adult tickets on the day cost £20. Advance child tickets (aged between 3-16) cost £11. Child tickets on the day cost £13. Advance family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) cost £54. Family tickets on the day cost £62. Children under 3 go free.
Costs for adults with an advance TFGM all zone off-peak ticket bundle is £21. Costs for adults with a TFGM all zone off-peak ticket on the day is £23. Costs for a family with an advance TFGM all zone off-peak ticket bundle is £58. Costs for a family with a TFGM all zone off-peak ticket on the day is £66.
Heaton Park Tram-stop is the closest transport link from Manchester city centre. For further information and ticket bookings, please visit www.lightopiafestival.com
