This autumn, families and friends who visit the award-winning WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes will have the opportunity to experience magical giant light sculptures of wetland wildlife, interspersed with playful interactive activities and enchanting immersive lighting installations.
ILLUMINATURE, running from 4 pm - 9 pm from 22nd October 2021 to 9th January 2022, offers visitors something original and captivating - an interactive ‘wild’ experience of London set under the stars.
What to expect
Visitors will wander past huge beautifully illuminated models, including floating swans, a family of otters, a flock of flamingos and Winifred the owl, amongst many others.
In between, they will be encouraged to dance under rainfall lights, skip along with fireflies, play in the blue waters of the immersive light tunnel, hop on the responsive lily pads, and create colourful shadow animals.
Many photo opportunities along the way will provide adults and children alike with the chance to capture treasured mementoes of their visit.
Set within the beautiful reed beds, lagoons, and grazing marsh of London Wetland Centre, with the sights and sounds of night-time nature playing out in the background, ILLUMINATURE is a feast for all the senses.
Tickets are priced at £17.50 for adults and £12.50 per child and must be pre-booked online at wwt.org.uk/illuminature.
Details
- ILLUMINATURE will run in the evening from Friday 22nd October – Sunday 9th January, 4-9 pm*, on Thursdays to Sundays, apart from the following dates where the event is daily: Friday 22nd October – Sunday 31st October, Monday 19th December – Sunday 9th January.
- Please note that in October, the event starts at 5.30 pm. All available booking slots can be found through wwt.org.uk/illuminature
- The costs are £17.50 for adults and £12.50 for each child, with children under four and essential helpers or carers assisting disabled visitors free of charge. Pre-booking is essential.
- The closest tube stop is Hammersmith (on the District, Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines), overground stations are Barnes and Barnes Bridge stations, and the closest bus stop is a five-minute walk. Please note that Hammersmith bridge is closed for refurbishment works. For the latest updates and travel advice please visit the Transport For London website.
- Quieter times. If you are looking for a less busy slot then we would recommend booking Thursdays after 7 pm, Friday and Saturdays after 8 pm or Sundays after 6 pm. For enquiries on this email info.london@wwt.org.uk.
Lisa Woodward, Centre Manager at London Wetland Centre, said, “ILLUMINATURE is the first event of its kind that WWT, in partnership with Lumagica and MK Experience, has run. We are really excited to showcase our amazing wetland wildlife in a totally new way to visitors - new and old - through this experience. We hope the trail creates a real buzz and encourages people to learn more about the amazing wetlands and animals we have here on our reserve. It’s fantastic that while people are having fun, they can also feel good about supporting conservation.”
Adele Hodson from Lumagica/MK Experience commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with WWT and London Wetland Centre in putting on this fabulous experience for everyone who loves wildlife or simply wants a fun night out under the stars experiencing something a little different. We have 25 years of experience in engaging indoor and outdoor events. We are proud to support WWT’s conservation work and are pleased to be part of an event which helps support this.”
WWT London Wetland Centre is an international award-winning visitor attraction and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is home to a wide range of wildlife species, some rare, including birds, water voles, bats and amphibians. It was the first urban wetland centre of its kind when it opened in 2000 and is one of ten wetland sites run by the conservation charity the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT).
‘ILLUMINATURE’ is hosted by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Lumagica, in association with MK Experience.
For more information on the event and planning your visit please visit wwt.org.uk/illuminature
