Port Arthur’s Historic Asylum to transform for Lightwave Festival’s opening night
Discover the first-of-its-kind installation, Portico, a transportable camera obscura housed in a repurposed horse float and see Port Arthur like never before during Lightwave 2025.
Tasmania
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The historic Port Arthur is set to host the opening night of the Tasman Peninsula’s biggest and brightest festival - Lightwave.
Now in its fourth-year, Lightwave is a three-day festival of music, art, and events on the Tasman Peninsula that celebrates people and place, while bringing collective warmth and light to the darkness of winter.
For the first time Port Arthur will start the festival off with an evening of long-table feasting, live music and art installations set inside the atmospheric Asylum at the historic site.
Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority CEO Will Flamsteed said it will be a “truly unique” celebration of food, light and creativity that his team was proud to support.
“We will be hosting a long-table banquet of decadent dining curated by 1830 Restaurant chef John Churchill, featuring live music and captivating visual work by resident and guest artists,” Mr Flamsteed said.
Port Arthur is also hosting a first of its kind installation called Portico, a transportable camera obscura, housed in a repurposed horse float.
Photo media artists Dr Ruth Frost and Pete Maarseveen have undertaken residencies at Port Arthur to produce extraordinary experimental artwork which will be on display as part of Candela.
When Portico returns to Port Arthur in October, visitors to the site can experience the camera obscura first-hand, and view Port Arthur like never before, through an inverted image of the world outside, projected onto the wall in front of them.
Mr Flamsteed said the festival was a great chance to support the community, while also encouraging visitation to the region during the quieter winter months.
Festival Co-Director Suze van der Beek said this year’s festival was shaping up to be the greatest Lightwave yet with a series of events, performances, art installations and immersive experiences in and around Nubeena Port Arthur and White Beach.
The main event is set for Saturday, July 12 from 5:00pm at Nubeena and features The Light Parade, the festival’s major community participatory activity with the theme Illuminated from Within.
“Last year, around 200 people paraded along the street, and it was spectacular,” Ms van der Beek said.
For Lightwave’s full program and further information visit https://lightwavefestival.au/programme/
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Originally published as Port Arthur’s Historic Asylum to transform for Lightwave Festival’s opening night
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