Journey through a vibrant colourful display of lanterns, twinkling lights and the singing Christmas tree
Dinosaurs and mammoths are not the first things that spring to mind when you think of seasonal illuminations but that’s exactly what you can expect at Longleat.
A video preview of the spectacular lanterns and more on show at The Festival of Light this winter has been released by the Wiltshire estate.
The scale and majesty of the event, which is celebrating its 10th year, can be seen in the video which shows a Roman chariot, mammoth, dinosaurs and an Egyptian pyramid as well as a boat from the Shang dynasty.
But the highlight will see Longleat House transformed as part of an immersive video display into a vibrant colourful story, says Head of Operations Scott Ashman.
Guests are invited to ‘journey through time’ from the age of the dinosaur through to present day with an appearance too by Elizabeth I who visited Longleat 450 years ago.
The display which opens on 9th November and runs until 5th January features more than 1,000 lanterns which are created using 40,000 metres of fabric, 45,000 lightbulbs, 50,000 metres of light strips and 150 tons of metal.
Scott said: “These are all weaved together to create displays to take your breath away.
“One of the highlights will be the Longleat House Light Show. This year we are marking the 75th anniversary of the House opening with an immersive projection showcasing our story from when the estate was first bought through to opening the first Safari Park outside of Africa.
“Longleat House will be transformed into a vibrant colourful display.
“We also have our famous singing Christmas Tree which towers over the estate at over 15 metres tall with more than 88,000 twinkling lights and our popular Santa Train where Father Christmas can be discovered in his snow-covered winter wonderland.
“All of this is in addition to our winter drive-through safari, Animal Adventure and more.”
Tickets are on sale now at Longleat
