Crawley new town’s 75th anniversary to culminate with three-day light festival - including Christmas light switch-on

Crawley Borough Council has joined forces with Crawley Town Centre Business Improvement District and Creative Crawley to organise Light Up Crawley, which takes place from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 November.

This free and exciting new event will have fantastic activities for all ages, including:

Lights in Memorial Gardens

Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20, dusk until 9pm

Wonder through the beautiful town centre park and discover the beautiful lanterns created by https://samesky.co.uk/, a community-led arts organisation in that took part in the Platinum Jubilee parade in London, and look out for the ‘Celestial Sound Cloud’, an interactive digital sound and light sculpture inspired by cosmic clouds and nebulas.

‘Tales of Crawley’, 49-51 High Street (former ASK building)

Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November19, 4.30-9pm

Take a trip through time and experience Crawley through the ages! Led by the ghost of the old Nightwatchman, meet various characters from Crawley's past and hear their stories as you journey through one of the High Street's oldest buildings.

Produced by Half-Time Orange Theatre with Crawley Borough Council and in association with The Hawth. To book your free slot, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tales-of-crawley-tickets-440509083527?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1.

Silent disco walkabout, Bandstand, Memorial Gardens

Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 from 4pm

Get those headphones on and bring your best dance moves for a dance party around the streets of Crawley to the sound and beats of your favourite pop classics!

Family entertainment, Memorial Gardens

Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 from 4.30pm

There will be poetry, music and street performances at the bandstand and around the park.

Give it a Go: Projection

Saturday 19 November, 12 noon until 3pm, 49-51 High St (former ASK building)

Join Maggie and Sam for this free workshop where you can get a beginner's guide to projection mapping. Projection mapping is the process of transforming static objects (like buildings) into painted canvases for video, bringing them to life by adding movement and extra dimensions while playing with visual effects and optical illusions.

Creative Crawley presents 'Night Watch' by https://videoclub.org.uk/

Saturday 19 November, 5pm and 6.30pm

See Crawley in a new way as part of an outdoor film trail! Watch short films projected onto the streets of Crawley as part of videoclub’s Night Watch film trail.

Saturday, November 19, from 5pm

Street theatre show combining drumming, dynamic choreography and beautiful lighting design.

Christmas tree lights switch-on, Queens Square

Sunday, November 20 from 3pm

Festive elves, entertainment and Christmas carols from 3pm followed by the Christmas tree lights switch-on at 5pm.

Manager of Crawley Town Centre Business Improvement District, Wendy Bell said: “We are delighted to work with the council to help celebrate the new town’s 75th anniversary. The Light Festival will be a huge boost to the town centre allowing businesses and residents to enjoy the engaging and illuminating programme.

“Our partners Creative Crawley always bring something unexpected and fun to the town and the film trail is exactly that, we can’t wait to see the whole programme!”

See more: Free mobile film trail presented by Creative Crawley to light up the town on its 75th anniversary, Crawley MP meets young LGBTQU+ people in the town, Swimmers set to compete in first EVER British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships 2022

For up-to-date event information, visit: crawley.gov.uk/events