What's Happening at Nottingham Light Night 2019?

Words: Bridie Squires
Friday 08 February 2019
reading time: min, words

What'll you be gerrin' up to tonight?

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Dizzy Ink x Quasar Elite: Pop-up Laser Quest

You heard. Your favourite local Risograph print specialists have recently taken over the space at Nottingham Writers’ Studio and are turning it into a new venue: The Carousel. The boggers aren’t doing things by halves in their new-home endeavours and are hosting a massive game of bleddy laser quest together with Quasar Elite. Games are in the basement, on the hour and half past the hour, from 6pm; it’s sudden death on all games, and there’ll be a winners’ match at 9pm to find Nottingham’s ultimate laser champion. Upstairs, there’ll be print and drawing workshops with the lads at Dizzy Ink, tea and coffee from Gently Stirred, and the chance to have a general nosey at the in-progress building transformation.

Where? The Carousel, 25 Hockley
(The old Nottingham Writers’ Studio building)
When? 6pm – 10pm

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Museum of the Moon

We’re sure you’ve heard all about this one already, but Royal Concert Hall will be lit up with an installation by artist Luke Jerram. Cast your tin foil hat aside for an eve, and celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo and the first man on the moon with a henche cheeseball hanging up inside the venue. Looks proper. It has actual NASA imagery of the lunar surface imprinted on it, and there’s surround-sound music by composer Dan Jones to accompany the bogger.

Where? Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square
When? Friday 8 February, 5pm – 10pm
Saturday 9 February, 10am – 4pm


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Sneinton Market Frollicks

Get your butt down to LeftLion ends, for umpteen luminous tricks. A load of the shops are open, there’s food and booze to quaff, a craft market, live music, UV face painting, a silent disco, and creative magic from City Arts; the big bird puppets are out, there’s an illuminated musical installation, plus that big white dome is making another appearance and it’s packed with UK Young Artists as part of the City Takeover. If that weren’t enough, Stonebridge City Farm are bringing some furry friends to pet, and are accepting donations for their fundraiser. Save the farm, and get a cuteness dose while you’re at it.

Where? Sneinton Market
When? 5pm – 10pm

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UKYA City Takeover

The next week will see the city’s venues packed with arty folk from all over the world. The best part? All festival events are completely free, so be sure to check out their programme for summat that’ll tickle your pickle and get it booked. On Light Night, there are installations and performances at Sneinton Market as mentioned above, as well as an international charity initiative and art installation called The Light by Zhou Shiyan, that’ll see artists carrying 100 glowing balls around the city. Peepers peeled.

Where? All over the city
When? 5pm – 10pm

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Enchanted Water

There’s the chance to explore the Victorian heritage of the canal down at the canal basin, where there’ll be storytelling, projections and installations. Take a historic walking tour, hop on a barge, or even check out some mystical experiments from Nottingham University’s Physics Buskers. There’s also the Victorian Magic Parlour, where you can watch a thirty-minute magic show on a canal boat. Make sure you book for that one.

Where? Off Carrington Street
When? 6pm – 8.30pm

Other Stuff Out and About The City

  • Celestial Sound Cloud at St Mary’s Church
    Move beneath the cloud structure hanging in the trees to activate sound and light

  • Light Field in Lace Market Square
    Pick up and play with a sound-emitting lantern

  • Planetary Parade all over the city
    Find the puppet carnival down Sneinton Market, and dance troupe Can Samba in the city centre

  • Nott, the Moon-Carrying Fortune Teller at Theatre Royal
    Find out your future from a glowing, illustrating puppet woman

  • Alien Invaders at the Castle Quarter
    Two extra-terrestrial beings have come to our planet to mess with your bonce

  • The Disco Time Forgot at Trinity Square
    Retro tunes for all from 7pm to 9.30pm

  • Urban Astronaut at Old Market Square
    A thirty-minute dance performance exploring the solutions to environmental disaster

  • Cosmic Art Installations at St Peter’s Square and Robin Hood Statue
    Space is the theme of this year’s Light Night, so expect some cosmic magic going down

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