The festive lights may be getting turned off but January isn’t going to be a dark one
The long January nights are being put to good use in Canary Wharf with the return of the Winter Lights Festival. For twelve nights, a host of luminous installations by internationally-renowned artists scattered across the neighbourhood will be making the darkness a bit easier to bear.
The tenth anniversary edition of the festival will have the theme ‘Dreamscape’, so you can expect some surreal and ethereal installations. The line-up for the 2026 festival includes a hand formed from floating light; an installation that brings the solar system into the treetops; an interactive light sculpture made from recycled plastic milk bottles; and a ‘dreaming pond’ created by illuminated obelisks and mirrored orbs around a fountain.
The light works will be displayed alongside Canary Wharf’s permanent illuminated artworks, like Camille Walala’s tunnel, the red circular structure around the Cubitt Steps Bridge, and Julius Popp’s changing cascade of words. You can get right up close and personal to the installations as many of them are interactive, and best of all, it’s totally FREE. With the Canary Wharf ice rink also open, you can brave the cold and enjoy those January nights.
Key Information
Dates | Tues 20th – Sat 31st January 2026, 5pm – 10pm
Address | Canary Wharf, London, E14
For more information | canarywharf.com
