Dusk Til Dark returns to Weymouth for its sixth year, but this time with a twist
For the next three days, people in Weymouth can experience laser shows, dance acts and artistic installations spread across the town
Weymouth is set to become an open-air gallery of light and sound as Dusk Til Dark returns for its sixth year.
Presented by We Are Weymouth, this year’s festival will move away from a single central show, instead creating “a trail of installations” that visitors can explore at their own pace.
The centrepiece will be WAVE, an internationally touring installation by artists Squidsoup, produced with Dorset-based Activate Performing Arts.
500 interconnected glowing orbs will hang above Westham Bridge in the shape of a breaking ocean wave.
Each orb contains LED lights, a speaker, microcomputer, movement sensors and wireless connectivity, allowing the installation to constantly change as people move through it.
It will be illuminated from 6pm to 10pm over the next three evenings and is expected to provide one of the most striking visual spectacles staged in Weymouth in recent years.
But the festival will also stretch across much of the town.
Visitors will be able to see laser light shows on Weymouth Beach, while sound bath sessions and yoga will take place beneath the main installation.
A drawing workshop will offer another way into the event, while artwork created by Coastland College students will illuminate the balcony of the New Vic Hotel.
In St Alban Street, Voices in the Forest will add another multimedia installation to the trail.
Dawn Rondeau-Irvine, CEO of We Are Weymouth BID, said the new format was intended to make visitors participants rather than spectators.
“We are thrilled to be delivering our sixth Dusk ’til Dark event in partnership with Activate Performing Arts,” she said.
“With multiple sound, light and interactive installations across the town, attendees will be immersed in a cultural journey that showcases Weymouth at its most creative.”
All Dusk Til Dark events are free and suitable for all ages. The Friday drawing workshop and Saturday yoga session are ticketed because spaces are limited.
Organisers say the festival is intended to create a sense of wonder and connection while offering residents and visitors a different way to experience Weymouth after dark.