Free – Citywide Light Festival

Portsmouth is set to glow this November as ‘We Shine Community’ brings three days of free light, art and performance to communities across the city. The free city-wide light festival, launched by Portsmouth Creates in 2021, returns from 19th – 21st November 2026.

The popular bi-annual We Shine light festival has been reimagined for 2026 to celebrate 100 years of Portsmouth being awarded City status; with four Portsmouth organisations joining forces to deliver ‘We Shine Community,’ putting local organisations and artists at the heart of the festival in an ambitious and diverse programme of creative activity in different parts of the city.

The programme will bring together light installations, visual art, performance, exhibitions and participation opportunities – offering local people and visitors the chance to experience something unexpected and magical in familiar places and view them in a new light.

Portsmouth Creates, building upon the popularity of the previous three We Shine festivals, will be bringing a collection of light installations and artworks to Cosham Park, extending the festival into the north of the city, turning a local park into playful and magical hub of activity.

The organisation behind LOOKUP Portsmouth, Art Up (Portsmouth) CIC, will take over Victoria Park, transforming it into an exciting new experience combining light, performance and visual art. The programme will explore what happens when different art forms collide, creating an immersive experience for audiences of all ages.

Boathouse 5, located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, will be transformed into an exhibition of immersive, interactive and digital artworks by artists from Portsmouth and around the world. Delivered by Play Office, audiences can explore VR, moving image, sound, installation and creative technology in a large-scale exhibition exploring memory, place and connection. The programme forms part of the forthcoming Memory Library.

Fratton Together CIC will present the celebrations in Fratton, delivering the much-loved lantern parade alongside the astonishing STRETCH at St Mary’s Church, creating an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate a combination of a much-loved event and an incredible new interactive art experience.

More information announced soon…