From giant cats to fairy jars - 4 brilliant new Bristol Light Festival installations revealed

Bristol Light Festival has unveiled 4 stunning new installations which are set to transform the city after dark from February 19 to 28 as part of the free festival.

The newly announces artworks include Bristol-based illustrator Rob Hodgson’s world premier of Jellymonsters.

Set on the waterside, the installation introduces mysterious, wobbly creatures said to live beneath the surface of the River Avon. Normally hidden from view and surviving on pie crumbs, the Jellymonsters are lured out by the sounds of passers-by, listening, reacting and playing along as visitors whisper, clap, sing or make noise, triggering responses through colour, light and movement.

At Royal West of England Academy (RWA), visitors will be able to marvel at Studio Mcguire’s Bell Jar Fairies - a collection of 13 tiny glowing fairies displayed inside bell jars, each inspires by Bristol’s landscapes, wildlife and hidden corners.

Over at Cascade Steps, visitors can meet a gentle giant: The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years by pioneering soft-robotics studio Air Giants. Stretching 10 metres from ear to tail, the huge inflatable cat subtly responds to people nearby, breathing softly, twitching and purring, creating a moment of calm and wonder, while also prompting reflection on care, responsibility and the long-term future of the planet.

And University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens will be transformed by Will Budgett’s The Midnight Ballet - seven illuminated steel and light sculptures gather to create an immersive play of light and shadow, each precisely lit form casts the silhouette of a ballerina, with elegant, larger-than-life dancers emerging from the darkness.

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Katherine Jewkes, Creative Director of Bristol Light Festival, said: “Bristol Light Festival is about giving artists permission to imagine boldly and play at scale.

“From tiny, intimate worlds hidden in plain sight to vast, breathing creatures that change how we experience the city, this year’s programme is about inviting people to slow down, look again and get involved.

“We’re proud to be premiering new work by Bristol artists alongside internationally recognised studios, and to support ideas that might feel playful, strange or ambitious.

“So many of this year’s installations are completed by the people who encounter them, whether you’re whispering to Jellymonsters, leaning in to spot a glowing fairy, or resting beside a sleeping giant cat, that’s when the artworks really come to life.”

Anna Farthing, Interim Head of Place at Bristol BID, said: “With the festival opening over half term and expanding across a larger footprint this year, it’s a brilliant opportunity for families to explore Bristol together during the school holidays, enjoying more corners of the city centre after dark and supporting local businesses along the way.”

Bristol Light Festival 2026 will run nightly from 5pm - 9.30pm between February 19 and 28 (subject to site permissions). Admission is free and open to all. Accessibility information, travel advice and hotel packages will be available at the festival website. Follow @bristol_light_fest on Instagram and Facebook for programme updates, artist stories and behind-the-scenes content. The festival’s full programme of bookable activities will be announced soon.

Scroll through for a first look at the 4 brilliant new artworks announced: