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Some sad news: our January will not be brightened by Battersea Power Station’s annual winter Light Festival this year. The event is officially not returning as the London landmark turns its attention to other events in 2026.
The Grade II*-listed power station has hosted the free lights festival every year since 2020, with the event dating back to before the art deco building was re-opened as a shopping and cultural destination. Last year’s light installations included a massive spider made up of 80 smaller spiders, a mechanical cyborg and a gigantic, partially unravelled ball of yarn (pictured above).
The power station team said the light trail would not return so they could focus on bringing new events to the landmark instead, such as a pop-up planetarium that will open at the end of January. In February, a blockbuster exhibition on the Egyptians will arrive in Battersea; Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold finally opens at the power station after embarking on a five-year-long world tour.
A spokesperson for Battersea Power Station said: ‘After five successful years of hosting the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station, we have decided to evolve our events programme to deliver a variety of new and exciting visitor experiences, and therefore we will not be hosting the Light Festival in its previous format for 2026.
‘We are focused on bringing an exciting line-up of new events, cultural and art partnerships throughout the year and as part of this will be bringing back the largest piece from 2025’s Light Festival, James Glancy Design’s ‘Aurora’ in Turbine Hall A.’
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