Swap pumpkins for projections this October half term at Chichester Cathedral
Spectacular Light Experience comes to Chichester this October half term
Families looking for something a little different to do this October half term are invited to experience an extraordinary after-dark adventure as the Chichester Cathedral Light Experience returns from 23 - 31 October 2026.
This years experience presents Illuminating Art by Luxmuralis, the internationally acclaimed artistic collaboration between artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper, transforming the 950-year-old Cathedral into an extraordinary world of moving images, colour, light and music.
Forget standing quietly in front of paintings. During Illuminating Art, the artwork comes to you. Huge projections sweep across the Cathedral's ancient walls and architecture, images shift and move, colours change around you and an original musical score fills the building as families make their way through the experience.
Along the way, children and grown-ups will travel through hundreds of years of creativity, from paintings and portraits to the invention of photography and the first moving images. Familiar ideas are blown up to monumental proportions, while light, sound and animation turn the Cathedral itself into part of the artwork.
There are no screens to stare at, no headphones to put on and no need to know anything about art before you arrive. Illuminating Art is designed to be experienced together looking up, looking around and discovering what appears next.
Following the success of last year's inaugural Chichester Light Experience, which welcomed more than 14,500 visitors, the event returns this autumn as an annual fixture in the Cathedral's calendar and a memorable shared experience for families during the school holidays.
Rebecca Lewry-Gray, Visitor Experience Manager at Chichester Cathedral, said:
"There's something very special about coming into Chichester as the evening draws in and then stepping inside the Cathedral to find this ancient building looking completely different.
"Children don't need to know anything about art to enjoy this years Light Experience. It's about looking up, being surrounded by colour, images and music and experiencing it together. We welcomed many families last year and hope it will become one of those half term traditions they look forward to returning to each autumn."
MAKE AN EVENING OF IT
With sessions running throughout the early evening, families can make the Chichester Light Experience the centrepiece of an autumn evening in Chichester, heading into the city for an early supper or hot chocolate at one of the many eateries within walking distance before stepping inside the Cathedral as darkness falls.
The experience also provides a spectacular finale to a year in which the Cathedral has celebrated colour and creativity to mark the 60th anniversary of John Piper's iconic High Altar Tapestry, including its vibrant Summer of Colour programme.
As one of Chichester Cathedral's principal fundraising events, the Chichester Cathedral Light Experience raises vital funds to support the care, conservation and ongoing life of the Cathedral.
Chichester Cathedral Light Experience: Illuminating Art runs from 23 - 31 October 2026. Tickets cost £13 per adult, £8 per child and £36 for a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children). Tickets are available at ChichesterCathedral.org.uk or by calling 0333 666 3366.