We Shine

We Shine returns to Portsmouth on 19 November, a citywide festival of light and creativity that takes over multiple locations across the city. It's not a single-venue thing; the installations are spread out, so you'll be moving from one spot to another to see the full picture.

The festival works by taking overlooked or forgotten spaces across Portsmouth and turning them into vibrant venues. The idea is to get you to see the city from a fresh, playful perspective, and that comes through a mix of interactive light installations, artworks by local, national and international artists, live performances and free creative activities. It's as much about the spaces as it is about the art.

There's a bit more to it than just the installations, too. The festival is built around mentoring, skills development and community collaboration, with a focus on supporting artists at all stages of their careers and keeping culture free and accessible. To give you a sense of the scale they work at, the 2024 edition involved 187 local artists, 36 community groups and more than 1,400 community members, including 1,026 children and young people.

This 2026 edition is being developed as part of the city's centenary celebrations running across the year, so it sits within a wider programme of events marking the anniversary. Entry is free, and the installations are spread across multiple locations throughout Portsmouth.