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Festival of Light
29 September – 4 November 2018, 6-10pm
Electric Woods, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight
Diwali, the Hindu festival light, is set to take over Electric Woods for the Isle of Wight’s Festival of Light. The festival will run through evenings from tonight until 4 November.
Nestled in Robin Hill Country Park (20 minutes by drive from the ferry port at West Cowes) the ancient woodland will come to life with glowing installations, live performances and award-winning Indian street food, including Brighton’s award-winning Curry Squad.
The fifth year of the festival features illuminated displays by expert light designers and is one of the largest Diwali celebrations in the UK.
The Holi Powder Arena, the Woodlands Ponds water projections and the Taj Mahal Garden are just some of the attractions to visit – suitable for the whole family.
This year, the festival also launches its brand new Neon Jungle and Robin Hill’s Jungle Heights adventure zone among the trees. Guests can take part in the activities up to six-storeys high on net towers, bridges and maze, against the gorgeous backdrop of the Diwali lights.
On Fridays and Saturdays, visitors can also get creative with Rangoli Art and Lantern Decorating workshops.
During the half-term holidays (20-28 October), the festival ramps up the activities with Bollywood dancing, Chakra yoga workshops, live DJ entertainment and the Electro-Light Circus show. Electro-Light Circus is an original choreographic spectacular set in the park’s amiptheatre, and featuring ‘Brightsparks’ fire performers and jugglers, circus acts, acrobatics, dancing and special lighting effects.
More information
Tickets start from £16.50 per person and can be purchased online at electricwoods.co.uk.
Ferries can be booked with either WightLink, Red Funnel or Hover Travel.
About Electric Woods and Robin Hill Country Park
Festival of Light is part of Electric Woods, a series of stunning evening events featuring a spectacle of themed light, colour, sound and entertainment at Robin Hill Country Park.
Owned by Vectis Ventures, Robin Hill boasts 88-acres of ancient woodlands popular with everyone from families and children to discerning couples, wildlife enthusiasts and gardeners such as Alan Titchmarsh. Beautiful English gardens offer a tantalising mix of planted clearings, specimen trees, streams, ponds, sculptures and unusual and international plants and trees.
Popular family attractions include falconry shows with birds of prey, a 4D cinema, a giant wooden maze and rides and slides such as Cows Express, the Colossus Swinging Galleon and Hilly Billy Snakes & Ladders. Adventure playgrounds include the new tree-top Jungle Heights, Squirrel Tower and Run, Duckdown Play Village and the Canopy Sky Walk.
What is Diwali?
Also known as Deepavali, meaning ‘rows of lighted lamps’, Diwali is a worldwide festival of lights celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains worldwide. The event in early November celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and is often marked in Indian culture by lighting up homes and public places with earthenware oil lamps called ‘diyas’.
