Welcome to Oxford's Christmas Light Festival
Oxford's Christmas Light Festival has been taking place since 2009. It’s evolved over the years from a single evening's event in the city centre to a full three day weekend and more recently to light trails and events in residential areas of the city.
As a light festival the programme includes impressive light installations and displays and we work with scores of cultural partners to present a host of performances, exhibitions, workshops and activities many of which are free and ideal for all the family to enjoy.
Oxford’s Christmas Light Festival has pivoted its approach quite dramatically over the last 18 months, moving from an outdoor mass gathering event based in the city centre, to a model that responded to Covid19 restrictions and yet enabled more residential engagement than ever before. Seeing the benefits of this localised approach and the sheer joy of communities making the festival programme content themselves, the festival is hoping to develop this approach even further in 2021.
Keep checking in here between now and the weekend of 19-21 November 2021 to see more details of the programme emerge!
Street artists, music and dance stages plus outdoor exhibitions and seasonal market with craft and street food stalls, there is plenty of entertainment for all.
New and exciting light and sound installations can be found all around the city centre. Get involved in interactive and digital projects. Watch the iconic lantern parade with our local young people.
Well over 100 events take place over the weekend including dozens from the city’s cultural organisations. Residents and visitors can enjoy an unparalleled experience of Oxford’s streets, open spaces and buildings historical and modern.
The festival is being led by Oxford City Council on behalf of and with a consortium of partners: Fusion Arts, Film Oxford, OCM (Oxford Contemporary Music), AOFS (Arts at the Old Fire Station) and Tandem Collective. The festival has been funded by Oxford City Council and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Festival sponsors are Oxford Business Park and Jack FM.
