Tidal Room
A pavilion of mirrored panels that brightens as the water rises and dims as it falls. Come back an hour later and it is a different room.
Glowtide
14–23 Nov
Ten nights of light, colour and sound on the old harbour. The quays are free to walk; the rooms need a pass.
For ten nights the harbour switches off its street lamps and hands the dark to twenty-four artists. Walk in at dusk, follow the colour, stay until the tide turns.
10
nights, every November
24
works of light and sound
2 km
of quays to wander
Free
to walk the waterfront
Five works worth crossing the city for
Twenty-four pieces light the quays this year, from pocket-sized to building-sized. Start with these five, then let the colour pull you along.
What each pass opensBlue Hour
Sixty metres of light and low sound inside a disused customs shed. Walk it slowly: the tunnel answers your footsteps.
Afterimage
Flowers of light bloom across the old grain silo and follow whoever stands closest. Twenty minutes, on the hour.
Soft Giants
A herd of lanterns the size of houses grazes along the water's edge, breathing light in time with the waves.
Firefly Hall
Four thousand small lamps hang from the rope-works ceiling and wake up one by one as people walk beneath them.
The whole harbour becomes the canvas
Two kilometres of quays, cranes and warehouses turn into one long walk of light. Start at any pier: every outdoor work can be seen from the waterfront for free.
How to get there
- Where
- Piers 1–7, Old Harbour
- When
- 18:00 until midnight
- Entry
- Free on the quays
Twenty-four artists. Six to meet first.
Sculptors, composers, coders and one retired lighthouse keeper. Most of them are out on the quays every night, so say hello.
See their works-
Mira Okafor
Light sculpture
-
Tomasz Weller
Sound and space
-
Inès Carvalho
Projection
-
Daan Hoekstra
Kinetic light
-
Yuki Aramaki
Neon and glass
-
Lior Bensimon
Interactive rooms
One night, from dusk to midnight
Every evening follows the same tide of light. Come early for the switch-on, stay late for the quiet.
Plan your night17:30
Lights out
The street lamps along the harbour switch off and the quays sink into the dark for a few long minutes.
18:00
First light
All twenty-four works come on at once, from Pier 1 to Pier 7. Most people cheer; some just stand still.
19:30
Glow walks
Guided walks leave the Tidal Room every half hour, in four languages, with a stop for hot cider.
21:00
Silo show
Twenty minutes of projection on the old grain silo. The best view is from the steps on East Quay.
23:30
Last light
The indoor rooms close and the waterfront glows on until midnight, when the lamps come back.
Last November, in pictures
Two hundred thousand people came down to the water over ten nights. Here are a few of the moments they took home.
Heard on the quays last year
We asked people on their way home what stayed with them. A few of the answers changed this year's programme.
“I came for one evening and bought a pass for the rest of the week before I even got home.”
Hannah visitor from the coast
“The silo show made a whole square of strangers go quiet at exactly the same moment.”
Ruben photographer
“Our kids still talk about the tunnel that answered their footsteps.”
The Adeyemis family of five
“Standing in Tidal Room felt like being inside the tide itself. I went back three times.”
Sofia architect
“It is free, it is by the water, and it makes November feel far too short.”
Marco lives on East Quay
“I volunteered on the glow walks and met half the city in ten nights.”
Priya volunteer
Pick how much of the light you want
The quays are always free. A pass opens the indoor rooms, where entry is timed so nobody has to queue in the cold.
Discounts and free entryWaterfront
Free
Every night, no booking
- All outdoor works on Piers 1–7
- The silo show every hour
- Glow walks, first come first served
Night pass
€18
One evening, every room
- Everything on the waterfront
- Timed entry to all four rooms
- A seat at the 21:00 silo show
Ten nights
€49
The whole festival
- Every room, every night
- Skip the queue at Blue Hour
- One guided glow walk for two
Good to know before you come
Anything else? Write to hello@glowtide.org and a volunteer will answer within a day.
Very. The quays are car-free, most works are at eye level for small people, and the first hour after switch-on is the quietest. Under-12s get into every room for free.
The works keep glowing, and wet stone doubles every light. Only the silo show pauses in storms; we post changes on the pier screens and in the newsletter.
Yes. All seven piers are step-free, every room has a ramp, and there is a calm, low-light route marked in blue on the map at each entrance.
Cameras everywhere. Tripods on the quays only, and please keep them out of the walking lanes. Flash is off inside the rooms.
With a pass you pick a time slot for each room when you book. Walk-in slots open at the box office every evening at 16:00.
Come and find the light
hello@glowtide.orgBox office
Old Harbour, Pier 4
Quay Road 12
Open 16:00–23:30 during the festival and 12:00–18:00 on weekdays in October.
Open in mapsGetting here
Tram 4 to Old Harbour, or night bus N7 until 01:00. Bike racks on every pier; no car parking on the quays.
Step-free routesPress and partners
Photo passes, interviews and partnerships: +44 20 7946 0321, weekdays 10:00–17:00.
press@glowtide.org