Festival draws 40,000 to lights
Light Nelson has switched off after drawing 40,000 people to its shortened four-day run.
The numbers this year were a little down from the 50,000 who attended in 2016, due to poor weather closing the festival on Sunday night.
Light Nelson trustee and coordinator of fundraising and sponsorship Anne Rush said she was ‘‘incredibly pleased and proud’’ of this year’s event, which she said was ‘‘a tremendous success’’.
‘‘It’s a massive effort to bring it all together, and it’s only possible due to the enduring enthusiasm of everyone involved.’’
Project manager Sophie Kelly said the organisers took the high expectations for the event as a challenge. ‘‘We were certainly rewarded by seeing who came along, and the delight and smiles on everyone’s faces.’’
This year for the first time wheelchair users and their friends and whanau were invited to be the first through the gate, an opportunity Kelly said 30 people took up.
The event was also a record breaker, with the Mr Science interactive DNA display breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest DNA model at 68.5 metres long.
Kelly said some highlights were aerialist Chloe Loftus performing in the trees at Albion Square, and the Poisson Plastique – affectionately named ‘‘The Whale’’ in honour of the Matariki visitor to Wellington harbour.
Though most of the installations were new, organiser Sarah Wilson said the return of a few familiar pieces, like the lifesize Moa and the Light Bulb Men, had also been a hit. ‘‘Some people get a bit creeped out by them, but they’ve become a bit of an icon for Light Nelson,’’ she said.
The next Light Nelson event will be in 2020.