Blockbuster annual art festival is set to welcome 16 installations from January 20-31, with many thousands of visitors expected to visit the estate
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The biggest cultural event in Canary Wharf is set for an extra special return this month. Winter Lights 2026 will be the 10th time the estate has been filled with illuminated artworks and the latest festival features a bumper crop in celebration.
Running every day from January 20-31, with pieces switched on from 5pm-10pm, the latest Winter Lights extends across the whole of Canary Wharf, with highlights from Westferry Circus to Wood Wharf.
Attracting many thousands of people each year, the free festival is an enormous team effort, spearheaded by Canary Wharf Group’s Arts And Events team.
“Selecting which works to display is a tough process,” said Lowri Harries, associate curator of public art at CWG, who has chosen this year’s installations alongside Arts And Events manager Camilla McGregor.
“In response to our open call we had the most submissions we’ve ever received – 225.
“It probably takes about 10 hours to go through them because we want to make sure we’ve really considered the relevant ones in detail.”
Camilla added: “Not all festivals operate this way, but I think it’s very democratic because we really are open to all artists.
“At each festival, the majority of the pieces on show come from our open call.
“Each time we do it, we’ll know some of the artists but many will be new to us.”
a theme to mark a decade
Winter Lights 2026 has been shaped with a theme, aimed at inspiring creatives to respond with work.
Lowri said: “I’m really excited about this year’s because there are a few ways we’ve given it a different identity.
“The festival is already well established in London – lots of people know about it – but we’ve tried to give it a bit extra.
“The theme is Dreamscape, which we feel is open-ended enough to allow lots of different submissons but brings to mind the idea of dreams and landscapes.
“Our space is unique with the architecture familiar to so many people and it’s meant to spark imagination and curiosity.
“We’ve commissioned artist Anna Lomax to create an exhibition poster for us with a limited run, which will be on sale at Circle Collective in Jubilee Place during the event.
“We’ll stock about 500 of the prints, which people can buy during the festival and visitors can also get a printed brochure too.
“Anna has also created three installations for us, which will be in the malls, so we’re back inside for the first time in a while.”
Camilla added: “With the theme, we wanted something that would appeal to everyone.
“It’s evocative of a childlike interest in the world and artists were free to approach that in any way they liked.
“The intention is for Dreamscape to really tie everything together.”
selecting some highlights
A full list of installations and their locations is available here, but Lowri and Camilla have picked out some highlights and works to look out for.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Aether by Architecture Social Club in Montgomery Square,” said Camilla.
“The artist behind it is Max Cooper, who is very well known.
“It features light, a soundscape and music and is more of a performance than a sculpture.
“People will be able to walk under it and it’s always great to use space so visitors can get different perspectives on the pieces.”
Lowri said: “There are a number of new commissions specifically for this festival.
“East London artist Marcus Lyall is returning with Manifestation – a projection piece in Wood Wharf.
“We’ve also tried to include more interactive exhibits this year and it will be really interesting to see how audiences react to that.
“There’s Lacto-Reacto-Light by Jack Wimperis at Canary Riverside, which is a large wall made from recycled milk bottles that reflects the movements of its audience.
“There’s also InBloom by Kumquat Lab at Wren Landing – a work about the pollination of flowers with orbs that change colour when hands are moved over them, with sounds emitted during the process.”
Camilla added: “I’m also really excited to see how people interact with At The Hand by LaCroix at Harbour Quay Gardens.
“It’s a holographic hand controlled by the audience down beside the water.”
ones to watch at Winter Lights 2026
Another showstopper to look out for will be Amplitudes by Limbic Cinema. Projected onto mist in Eden Dock, the piece will be on a constant loop at the heart of the Wharf.
Camilla said: “We’re doing something new this year – for the first time ever, the public will be able to vote for their favourite installations, either via QR code where they are displayed or on our website.”
The winner will then be announced online and via social media to celebrate the top piece’s popularity.
plan your visit
Regarding logistics, CWG’s advice is to visit the festival on a weekday, with weekends expected to be extremely busy.
“We’ve extended free parking for three hours to weekdays as well as weekends for those spending £10 in Waitrose to encourage people to come during the week,” said Lowri.
“We’ll be hosting Winter Lights Bites street food hubs at Jubilee Park, Montgomery Square and Union Square, curated by Karnival during the festival.
“These traders will be offering 20% off food Monday-Wednesday, so it’s a great time to visit.”
Restaurants and bars are also likely to be busy during the festival, so early booking is recommended.
Camilla said: “We can’t wait for people to see this year’s Winter Lights. It’s art that’s accessible and free to enjoy.
“The event brings an audience to the estate and that’s great for the businesses here but it’s also a real benefit to Canary Wharf in introducing people to our cultural offering.”
key details: Winter Lights 2026
Winter Lights 2026 runs from January 20-31 from 5pm-10pm and is free to attend.
There are 16 special installations to discover alongside nine from Canary Wharf’s permanent art collection.
For a map of the location of all the artworks follow this link.
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