LIGHT CYCLES Set To Transform Wellington Botanic Garden Ki Paekākā Into A Multi-sensory Wonderland This Autumn

Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts announces the New Zealand-exclusive season of acclaimed light and multi-sensory experience, Light Cycles, by the award-winning Canadian multimedia studio Moment Factory. Light Cycles will illuminate and transform Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā after dark from 11 May to 9 June 2024.

Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts Creative Director Marnie Karmelita is thrilled with the positive response from audiences to the 2024 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. “Through the summer months thousands of people have been entertained, surprised and moved by our artists from Aotearoa and around the world. To extend the joy of the 2024 Festival we are excited to bring the international nighttime adventure Light Cycles to Wellington in May. This magical immersive experience will connect audiences of all ages with the natural world on a whole new level. Snap, share and explore as nature’s secret rhythms come to life.”

WellingtonNZ’s General Manager for Events and Experiences Heidi Morton says Light Cycles is a fantastic addition to the city’s events calendar. "The Botanic Gardens is an iconic Wellington destination that attracts visitors from all over the region and around the country. Light Cycles will be the icing on the cake in the gardens this autumn – a visual feast that enhances the city’s reputation as a vibrant, creative hub.”

Since its inception in 2001, Moment Factory has created more than 550 unique projects worldwide, including the Lumina Night Walk series and a sell-out season of Light Cycles at Illuminate Adelaide. Their projects span the globe and clients include Disney, Arcade Fire, Boston Museum of Science, Madonna, NFL, Universal Studios, and the Toronto Zoo to name a few.

“We are thrilled to introduce Light Cycles, Moment Factory’s inaugural project in New Zealand, as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. This collaboration allows us to showcase a new dimension of the garden’s beauty, offering visitors a unique and immersive experience” Mathieu Grainger, Producer at Moment Factory.

The multimedia studio gathers a multidisciplinary team of mavericks from around the world who channel imagination and push the boundaries of technology to create new collective human experiences. Highlighting the lush canvas of the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā, Moment Factory will transform the gardens into a live canvas where visitors immerse themselves in nature with a captivating mix of light installations, soundscapes, and digital art. Light Cycles is a self-guided journey commencing at the top of the Wellington Cable Car (next to the Kelburn terminal), and ending at the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.

Stephen Blackburn, Wellington City Council Manager City Events says, “The Festival has added so much richness and life to the city this summer and we are delighted to see this extend into the Autumn evenings. Light Cycles is an exciting international collaboration giving locals and visitors alike the chance to embark on an enchanting adventure and explore the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā as you have never seen it before”.

Tickets for Light Cycles go on general sale Tuesday 19 March.

Light Cycles runs from 11 May to 9 June 2024,. More information at festival.nz/lightcycles

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