Wrotham Festival of Light Returns for its 12th Glowing Year

As autumn settled in, the much-anticipated Wrotham Festival of Light returned on Friday 10th October, lighting up the village with colour, creativity, and community spirit. Now in its 12th year, the beloved annual event continues to draw hundreds of attendees from Wrotham and the surrounding areas.

The festival was delivered in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Saint George’s Primary School, and Same Sky Arts, with support from Arts Council England and Wrotham Parish Council.

At the heart of the evening was the lantern parade, a spectacular procession led by the Deputy Lieutenant Louise Bryant, and Saint George’s Primary School Headteacher Elizabeth Rye. They were joined by hundreds of children, parents, and guardians as the parade journeyed from Saint George’s Church to the village cricket ground.

The parade was elevated by thrilling live performances from the Kings of Dhol, internationally acclaimed for their North Indian percussion, and Bloco Fogo Samba, who brought an electrifying taste of the Brazilian carnival to Kent.

The evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks display by local business Phoenix Fireworks, lighting up the night sky to the delight of all in attendance.

Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented “We’re always delighted to present this event, which marks the launch of our autumn and winter programme. Wrotham holds a special place in our hearts, and we truly value the chance to bring diverse arts and cultural experiences to the heart of this rural community. It’s a joy to create opportunities for children and their families to take part in these unique celebrations. As always, I’m deeply thankful to our partners and to everyone who came out to support the event.”