Debut Swindon Winter Fest draws thousands of visitors

Organisers have been overwhelmed by positive feedback for the inaugural event, including widespread calls for the new festival to return next Christmas.
Families particularly enjoyed the range of free creative activities on offer, including festive gingerbread decorating, learning poi performance art using weights and contributing lines to a collaborative poem.
Another highlight was the transformation of the vacant former Argos store at 19 Canal Walk, which became a dazzling display of softly glowing lanterns, all handmade by local people.
The enchanting collaborative display was created by local artists, Swindon school children, care home residents, community groups, and families who had been busy making lanterns in the shape of toadstools, pine trees and stars to help transform the vacant unit into a Magical Lantern Forest. 
They are on display alongside a whimsical menagerie of giant woodland creature lantern sculptures, created especially for Swindon Winter Fest by local artists.
Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, added: “The town centre was buzzing with people and activities last weekend. 
"It was a pleasure to see people respond to the magical lantern trail and the beautiful creations of local artists.
“A massive thanks to the Swindon Culture Collective and our other partners for putting on this wonderful event. I can’t wait to see what other brilliant stuff happens in 2026.
“There are still plenty of things happening across Swindon in December so be sure to keep an eye out on social media to see what’s coming up.”
Hundreds of visitors crafted their own paper-bag luminaries and added them to the display, helping the lantern forest shine brighter throughout the day.
Supported by Arts Council England’s National Lottery Place Partnership Fund, Swindon Winter Fest is a partnership between Swindon Culture Collective, Swindon Borough Council, Wyvern Theatre, Artsite, Gel Studios, and Prime Theatre, along with artists drawn from across the town.
By popular request, organisers have announced that the Magical Lantern Forest will also open to visitors on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November from 10am-4pm.
Louise Halliday from Swindon Culture Collective said: “It’s been wonderful to see local artists and the people of Swindon come together to make something so special, such a joyful antidote to the pressures that people can feel at this time of year. 
"We’ve learned a lot from the event and are looking forward to working with the community to build on its successes for next year. In the meantime, we can’t wait to welcome more people this weekend for a last chance to see the Magical Lantern Forest!”
Families can also continue to join in with the panto-inspired Muddles’ Gingerbread Trail by collecting a free trail map from Swindon Hub before 22 December and hunting out decorated characters hidden in local businesses' windows.
 

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