Vibrant, free two-night celebration of light, art and community in Brandon attracts hundreds of people

MarketPlace Arts returned to Brandon on Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7 with “Light Up The Town 2026”, welcoming hundreds of residents and visitors for a vibrant, free two-night celebration of light, art and community.

A major highlight of the weekend was the unveiling of a new permanent mural at Brandon Heritage Centre.

Revealed on Friday evening, the artwork was co-created with local youth group Teen Chill and members of the Breckland Astronomical Society who provided imagery of Brandon’s night skies.

Brought to life by mural artist Luke McDonnell, it features glow in the dark elements that come alive under UV light.

The mural celebrates Brandon’s heritage, natural landscape and strong sense of community, and will remain as a lasting legacy of the project and a permanent artwork for the town.

A film documenting the creation of the mural is also currently being produced by Chiba Directive.

The mural was supported with funding from Brandon Town Council.

Mr McDonnell said: “Working on the mural in Brandon was an absolute pleasure. I adore projects like this as they essentially enable you to dig up historic and cultural treasure.

“I spanned generations when accruing inspiration from the community, from Teen-Chill all the way to a 90-year-old local astronomer.

“During my time painting I was able to converse with all the locals who were incredibly complimentary and encouraging.

“They brought cups of tea, cakes and sausage rolls throughout the week. I heard conversations about the mural and took a lot of joy from hearing local children educating themselves on the likes of Charles Brandon, star charts, and taking interest in the heritage centre.”

At St Peter’s Church, audiences experienced “Water Portals”, a striking immersive installation by internationally recognised West Suffolk artist Henry Driver.

The interactive video artwork invited visitors to explore the hidden microbial worlds within rivers, lakes and seas.

Across both evenings, visitors of all ages took part in hands-on projection workshops and video games created by the artist, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere that encouraged creativity and learning.

Much of Mr Driver’s work is inspired by coming from a farming family and witnessing the effects of climate change on the industry.

“Water Portals” was created through discussion and collaboration with leading scientists Dr Pinnegar, Dr Kroeger, Dr Mayes and Dr Jenni Rant from the Centre for Environment Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, at the University of East Anglia. Solar energy powered the production of the project. 

Mr Driver said: “As someone who grew up and lives in the West Suffolk countryside, I’m incredibly proud to be part of ‘Light Up The Town’, and I was thrilled to show my artwork and video games as part of it.”

On Saturday, a tractor provided by O W Wortley and Sons, farmers of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network, was stationed in the Market Square and illuminated with hundreds of fairy lights, creating a striking focal point that celebrated the area’s agricultural heritage.

The 2026 ‘Light Up the Town’ programme built on the success of the 2025 pilot, which featured projection mapping from international artist duo SDNA.

Expanding both its scale and ambition, the event strengthened its mission to connect people through shared cultural experiences during the quieter winter months. Bringing immersive experiences indoors and deepening community collaboration, the event featured both local and national artists, and also ran across Chatteris and Whittlesey in Fenland.

Maddie Exton, the creative producer of “Light Up The Town” at MarketPlace Arts, said: “We were thrilled to be back in Brandon and reconnect with the hundreds of locals who joined us for our pilot year in 2025.

“It was such a special weekend – with murals, immersive experiences, video games and lit tractors.

“Projects like this show how creativity can bring people together and make a real difference to how communities feel and connect.”