Back in the day, Australia’s coastline was dotted with sleepy beach towns where you’d find nothing more than a single row of shops, a dusty museum and a lonesome ice cream van. Fast-forward to today, and many of these regional gems have had a serious glow-up, now boasting luxe waterfront villas, upgraded boardwalks, farm-to-table eateries and vibrant new festivals. The next town in line for the spotlight is Albany, a lesser-known coastal gem in Western Australia, just a 4.5-hour drive from Perth. In March 2026, the port city will host a one-of-a-kind spectacle that's set to be the world’s largest outdoor light installation to date.
Transforming Albany’s natural coastline and landmarks, Lighting the Sound marks the Australian debut of Finnish visionary light artist Kari Kola – renowned for illuminating natural and human-made wonders such as Stonehenge and Ireland’s Connemara Mountains. Kola co-designed the installation with the Menang Elders and the Albany community, while non-profit arts and cultural organisation FORM – known for projects like Thomas Dambo’s Giants of Mandurah and Field of Light: Avenue of Honour – will bring the spectacular vision to life.
Illuminating the landforms in and around King George Sound, this open-air spectacle is believed to be one of the largest art installations ever created. It will feature more than 750 LED lights across a 14-kilometre canvas, including 15 red pencil beams considered among the most powerful lasers on the planet. The dramatic glow will draw viewers’ eyes to the hills and reflect over the Southern Ocean, creating an aurora-like effect from afar. But it’s more than a light show: the work celebrates the local First Nations peoples' profound connection to this land and waters.
Kola says, “Everything starts from the history and the site: the Menang tribe, the bloodroot plant (Menang), and the remarkable history of cooperation. I will create red roots reaching toward the sky, connecting the land with the cosmos. This project respects the time, place and history and is done only for Albany, so it’s real site-specific work and cannot be repeated on any other location. The landscape provides an ideal setting; the presence of water adds a reflective dimension, allowing us to create a vast panoramic experience for the audience.”
Lighting the Sound event will illuminate Albany across three autumn weekends, including March 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29. Free audience zones will be set up in the Albany Town Centre, ANZAC Peace Park and Albany Harbour, offering prime vantage points. You can find out more here.