Outdoor and Spectacle
Harrogate
Bringing spectacular installations to the people of Harrogate
As a leading force in outdoor arts, spectacle, and large-scale installation, we have redefined Harrogate’s cultural landscape—transforming its most iconic public spaces into spectacular arenas of creativity. Our world-class events bring together artists and companies from across the globe, captivating audiences and elevating the town’s cultural identity.
We are a driving force behind Harrogate’s cultural renaissance. Our work not only enriches the local community, shaping a dynamic sense of place, but also positions Harrogate as a must-visit destination. By attracting new visitors and broadening the town’s artistic scope, we amplify the region’s status on the national and international stage.
With a track record of delivering landmark cultural moments—including as the chosen partner for the UCI World Cycling Championships and the flagship producer of the Yorkshire Festival—we challenge traditional arts delivery, pioneering innovative approaches that engage and inspire. Our extensive commissioning expertise spans everything from light festivals to carnival, pushing the boundaries of public art.
Harrogate and the wider Yorkshire region provide the perfect backdrop for our ambitious installations and immersive experiences. Committed to accessibility, we work with a range of invested partners to heavily subsidise our work to keep ticket prices low, ensuring culture is available to all. Through bold vision, exceptional talent development, and groundbreaking artistic collaborations, we continue to shape the future of cultural engagement—solidifying our place as a powerhouse in the arts.
Recent largescale Outdoor Projects
BEAM Harrogate Light Festival
In March 2024, we joined forces with James Bawn and Element 3 Design to light up the town centre for a weekend celebration of Harrogate’s best loved landmarks, with ten spectacular illuminations from the Cenotaph to the Valley Gardens. Funded by Future 50, with support from North Yorkshire Council, Visit North Yorkshire and Harrogate BID.
A Fire & Light Experience
A sensational night-time Fire and Light Experience saw Harrogate’s Valley Gardens transformed in March 2022 into a magical feast for the senses. The town centre park came alive for three nights with a series of dazzling displays and trails, which celebrated the elements of fire and water. This spectacular event was part funded by Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID.
Harrogate 1571
In 2019 over 5,000 people witnessed the Harrogate 1571 installation as part of the UCI celebrations and Harrogate Welcomes The World. Working with artist James Bawn HIF created a series of lighting installations that lit up the sky across Harrogate celebrating Harrogate’s spa heritage, from the 36 wells within the Bogs Field area of the Valley Gardens to the iconic Harrogate landmark situated at Harrogate’s highest point – the Harlow Hill water tower.
Pentalum Luminarium
Among the 2018 programme highlights was the Pentalum Luminarium by Architects of Air where 5,000 people immersed themselves over four days in a world of colour in an inflatable sculpture on the iconic Harrogate Stray.
Carefully positioned on the West Park Stray, this iconic structure became the centrepiece of our outdoor programming in July, drawing audiences of all ages into the town. The visual outside of the structure belayed the inside, making this a double artistic experience with the luminarium an intriguing shape, with interiors that are brilliantly iridescent and a maze of dazzling and unexpected spaces. The structure introduced audiences of all ages and abilities to the arts in radiant colour. Through labyrinthine tunnels and cavernous domes, visitors moved (walked, rolled, crawled) or just sat and soaked in the atmosphere and space, in a medium of saturated and subtle hues, accompanied by a gentle sensory soundscape enjoying a programme that mixed a family-friendly interactive installation with stylish and impactful artistic design.
Cie Carabosse Fire Garden
In 2016 over 25,000 people experienced the iconic Valley Gardens over three nights when we transformed the garden into a fire garden in a magical feast for the senses with the Cie Carabosse Fire Garden.
The beautiful park and gardens played host to a fiery spectacle of sculptures and installations on a grand scale designed by the minds of Cie Carabosse. Visitors were invited to explore this space they knew so well, in a completely different way.
Using flaming flower-pots, wax, coal and whistling cast-iron contraptions, with music resonating throughout the night, we transformed this familiar space into an otherworldly fire-gardens. We invited audiences to follow the paths and roam through blazing landscapes, pass by hand-made metallic inventions and be warmed by red-hot charcoal as these musicians, dreamers, metal-workers, storytellers and old soul fire-brands created a fairground of fire where deepest imaginings could be set free.
