A city-wide festival of light, creativity and community
A city-wide festival of light, creativity and community
We Shine is Portsmouth’s free winter festival of light and creativity, celebrating the city’s cultural energy while bringing people together through inspiring, accessible experiences.
Led by Portsmouth Creates and delivered across multiple locations, We Shine transforms overlooked and unexpected spaces into vibrant places for exploration, play and connection. Through light installations, performances and creative activities, the festival invites residents and visitors to see the city in new ways.
We Shine 2026
We’re currently developing plans to bring We Shine back in winter 2026, as part of Portsmouth’s city-wide centenary celebrations.
More details will be announced soon — please keep an eye on our social media channels or check back here for updates.
Visit the We Shine website to explore previous festivals and learn more.
Why We Shine matters
We Shine is about more than light installations. It’s about creating moments of shared experience, supporting artists at all stages of their careers, and ensuring culture is free and accessible to everyone.
Creatives – A total of 187 local artists engaged in the festival, showcasing their incredible talents and artistry.
Community – The festival saw 36 community groups actively participating, connecting with local creatives and enhancing community spirit.
Engagement – Over 1400 community members engaged in pre-festival activities, supporting a sense of involvement and excitement for the event.
Young people – 1026 children and young people were actively engaged in creating for We Shine, with 463 taking part in extra-curricular educational activities.
In 2024, We Shine was delivered with the support of Arts Council England, Portsmouth City Council, the University of Portsmouth, Victorious Festival, and a wide network of delivery partners and artists
Mentoring, community & creative development
A core part of We Shine is its commitment to mentoring, skills development and community collaboration. Each festival creates opportunities for emerging creatives, young people and communities to work alongside experienced artists and be part of large-scale public work.
Explore some of our mentoring stories below
Heinrich & Palmer
For We Shine 2024, St Mary’s Church in Fratton was illuminated by a collaborative light installation by Heinrich & Palmer, created alongside three MA Interior Architecture students. Mentored by the artists, the students designed work to complement the main projection Once a Sea, gaining hands-on experience of large-scale public art.
Limbic Cinema
Limbic Cinema’s Forged in Water installation combined immersive underwater visuals with mentoring opportunities for local students, who created animations projected at Hilsea Lido. The project also included original music by local musician VESPER, supporting collaboration across visual art and sound.
Community engagement stories
Thomas Buckley & Young People
A Hand, Held is an interactive projection at Hilsea created with young people from Motiv-8. Working with artist Thomas Buckley, participants developed digital visuals and sound through workshops, contributing directly to a large-scale installation that responds to human connection.
Splodge Designs & Young People
Local students took part in stop-motion animation workshops led by Splodge Designs and Fratton Together. Inspired by fossils, the animations created by the students were showcased at St Mary’s Church during the festival, giving young people the chance to see their work presented publicly.
Become a sponsor
We Shine wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and sponsors. Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to be part of a much-loved city festival that delivers cultural impact, community engagement and creative development.
Download the sponsorship pack
If you’d like to support We Shine and be part of the magic, light and community spirit, please contact Erica Smith at erica@portsmouthcreates.co.uk
Stay Connected
For updates on We Shine and other Portsmouth Creates opportunities, follow us on social media or get in touch at info@portsmouthcreates.co.uk
