A trail of stunning illuminated artworks are about to be brought to life across Salford Quays and MediaCity UK - with a spectacular floating model of Earth at its heart.
The free Lightwaves Festival has returned for 2021 with the most ambitious series of light sculptures and installations yet, which also includes "mermaids" swimming in the waters and colourful swans floating across the Quays.
The event is open from today, Friday December 3 through to Sunday December 12, and organisers are expecting its largest ever audience.
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With a focus on bold new commissions, Lightwaves supports international artists alongside local and emerging talent.
This year’s spectacular commissions come with messages of protecting the planet and building a sustainable future.
Lightwaves 2021 has brought the epic Floating Earth by Luke Jerram as the dramatic centrepiece - that has already been causing a stir after being installed ahead of the festival on Thursday afternoon.
This awe-inspiring artwork lets visitors see our planet floating on the surface of the water in three dimension.
Measuring 10 metres in diameter and created from detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, artist Luke has created the brand-new work to give visitors a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Meanwhile, situated in Mariner’s Canal, Sirens by Davy and Kristin McGuire is a beautiful but haunting display of water-based projections.
It features life-like mermaids and sea creatures as they encounter the devastating effects of plastic pollution and climate change.
Celebrating a UK premiere in partnership with Submerge, Cygnus by Loomaland is billed as a mesmerising water ballet that features twelve synchronised, glowing robot swans.
The magical birds are illuminated from the inside, gliding on the surface like ghosts and changing colours to the rhythm of the music that is coming from within their bodies.
The work will be accompanied by a newly commissioned soundtrack ‘Swan Songs’ by Anil Sebastian.
Submerge seek to create opportunities for marginalised artists and to ensure that these voices are amplified within creative tech arts and music projects.
Taking influence from the Manchester bee, Hive Minds is an interactive arch of light created by Backstage Academy students - working alongside multimedia artist Aphra Shemza.
This powerful artwork is centred around themes of unity and sustainability. The 3D printed sculpture is sustainably sourced, and the materials will be reused and recycled. The aim of the piece is to reflect on what humans can achieve when they come together as a hive in the face of the climate crisis.
Also nestled in the MediaCityUK gardens will be a small meadow of oversized robotic flowers entitled Digital Playground by Studio Little Lost Robot.
As visitors move around the sculpture the flowers’ appearance subtly changes according to movements made.
Meanwhile a permanent artwork at MediaCityUK, Through No.4 by Liz West, consists of a six-metre long triangular corridor of light that visitors are encouraged to walk through.
Visitors can also expect immersive laser shows over the course of the festival, brought to the city by Quays Culture.
Lightwaves is free for visitors to attend and aims to bring light and positivity to the cold, dark evenings this December.
Open to everyone, the artworks are fun, interactive and not only inspiring to look at, but thought provoking too.
There are no tickets required to attend Lightwaves, visitors can simply turn up and walk the festival at their own leisure.
This year Quays Culture will also launch a free mobile app to help visitors navigate their way around the route.
Lightwaves launches on Friday 3rd December alongside the festive Makers Markets at Quayside.
