Covent Garden is delighted to announce the unveiling of brand-new Christmas lights for Seven Dials, designed by renowned creative design studio, Sculptivate. This year’s lighting installation seamlessly illuminates Covent Garden and Seven Dials, creating a warm and cohesive atmosphere across the destination that blends tradition with modernity, enhancing the historic charm of the neighbourhood. Starting at the iconic Seven Dials monument, encircling the famous sundial, canopies of lights cascade down each adjoining street, moving in wave like patterns that offer the perfect background to your Christmas experiences in Seven Dials.

The brief: sustainability meets design excellence

Sculptivate is a global design and production agency who deliver projects from ideation through to activation with both creativity and technical rigour. Having previously worked with global luxury brands, Sculptivate has an eye for translating retail experiences into memorable moments. At the start of the year, Covent Garden briefed Sculptivatewith creating Christmas lights that not only unified the diverse streetscapes of Seven Dials and Covent Garden but created a cosy atmosphere and were environmentally conscious.

“We’ve collaborated with Covent Garden for years on various installations. Our challenge was to honour its rich history while capturing the area’s unique creativity in an immersive design that complements the broader lighting and Bells in The Market Building and importantly, was environmentally conscious and not wasteful,” said Rebecca Menzies, Creative Director, Sculptivate.

The new design needed to prioritise longevity and energy efficiency. With 80 percent of CO2 emissions from use of lighting products occurring during production, both parties wanted to find a way to minimise this. Using innovative materials, Covent Garden and Sculptivate worked with a lighting product supplier who was able to make significant reductions to its carbon footprint by introducing a low-carbon aluminium option to their production, meaning a 75 percent reduction in emissions when compared to standard aluminium. The lighting products are not only designed to last for years to come but designed for recyclability too, with components that can be easily disassembled and recycled at the end of their lifespan.

Sculptivate drew design inspiration from European cities, where in historic market streets you’ll find canopies of organic illumination breathing life into the area. After months of design sessions, sketches and renders, and extensive research including the mapping of each street and its buildings, the result is a magnificent combination of technology and design, cascading tunnels of lights creating a warm winter glow.

Inspiration and process: Design that celebrates architectural integrity

Extensive on-street research was carried out, mapping Seven Dials at varying times of day to understand how light naturally flows through the area. The design evolved to ensure that the lights accentuate the architecture without overpowering it, and the team landed on utilising both horizontal and vertical elements to work with the varied street widths, those with and without trees and different building heights.

“We wanted to create spaces that people would want to spend time in this winter, thinking about how we bring the streets alive at night in a way that immerses you in the area, with the decoration becoming almost a backdrop to your experience. Given the challenge of each street being slightly different in width, height and structure, we landed on the canopy concept, with curtain-like waves of light that combine intimate, low lighting moments with high-impact displays that celebrate the unique architecture of Seven Dials,” added Rebecca Menzies, Creative Director, Sculptivate.

Once the design was signed off, then begins the process of production. Taking 20 weeks, the canopy nets are handmade and woven into curtain like sections to allow for ease and speed of installation. Each section is made of twisted cord, similarly, woven to that of a tapestry, with the bulbs then placed within the twists, each facing a different direction to avoid a too linear lighting experience and allowing a more textured lighting quality. The cords create an organic glow, with warm, golden LED lights ensuring the intricate design enhances, rather than overwhelms, the cobbled streets and stone buildings.

Installation: Protecting one of London’s ‘great public ornaments’

Sculptivate’s teams will tackle installation in pairs, with one team working at street level preparing the decorations and another working at height installing each cable and curtain. At the start of install, cables will be attached and tensioned to rigs on certain buildings, and the curtains of light will be hooked and attached to the cables. With lighting tests and safety checks, the whole process can take up to a week. One of the most striking features of the lights is the way the lights encircle the iconic Seven Dials monument and dial without touching it, coming away from and cascading down each adjoining street, either moving in the wave-like or zig zag pattern suitable for a particular street’s structure.

The dial was a hugely important consideration throughout the whole process, due to its protection as cared for by the Seven Dials Trust. Seven Dials as an area was originally laid out by Thomas Neale MP in the early 1690s, who commissioned leading stonemason, Edward Pierce, to design and construct the Sundial Pillar in 1693 as the centrepiece of his Seven Dials development. At that time, it was regarded as one of London’s ‘great public ornaments’, and today remains one of London’s most important landmarks. Neighbours include iconic West End theatre The Cambridge Theatre, home to multi award winning production Matilda the Musical, eco-conscious French footwear brand Veja and Swedish sneaker and streetwear powerhouse Axel Arigato. The new lighting design by Sculptivate incorporates “negative space” around the dial, protecting its historical integrity while achieving a faceted diamond-shape canopy of lights that fill the night sky and harmonise with the area’s character.

Innovation: Modern festive moods & future proofing

The design is something not seen before in Seven Dials, creating pathways of light that guide visitors through the streets and harmonise with Covent Garden’s wider Christmas lights. What Sculptivate has brought to life is a design that moves away from traditional Christmas icons, focusing instead on creating warm, immersive experiences. The lights, which extends to Neal’s Yard with its own canopy of light, also reflects the Christmas trees in the area which will have the same organic light designs, further unifying the experience.

Shaftesbury Capital and Sculptivate’s collaboration embodies their shared values of sustainability and innovative design. Using energy-efficient LED lights, the design is fully scalable, allowing it to be adapted across different streets in future installations. This flexible, modern approach ensures the lighting will remain relevant for many years to come.

“Covent Garden has always been committed to world-leading design, so this festive season we wanted to push the boundaries of what Christmas lighting can achieve, both aesthetically and technically. We’ve always been at the forefront of creative, innovative experiences, whether that be offering free public art such as our Little Cloud World installation earlier this year or working with brands on immersive pop-ups, like Jo Malone’s forthcoming interactive ‘Christmas Special’. We couldn’t be more excited that Christmas is back and to be giving Seven Dials a scheme which enriches the unique characteristics of the destination and offers a new cinematic experience that draws visitors into Covent Garden,” said Catherine Riccomini, Director of Marketing and Communications, Shaftesbury Capital.

Covent Garden will be switching on the Christmas Lights within the historic Marketing Building, surrounding streets and Seven Dials, as well as illuminating its world-famous Christmas Tree on Tuesday 12^th November, kick starting the neighbourhood’s 7 week festive-filled programme.

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Partnering with Sculptivate, the creative production and design studio based in London, the new Christmas lights are an example of the leading landlord’s innovation in public realm and consumer experience. The installations will feature over 60,000 fully programmable LEDs, with dynamic light displays daily in a first for London, creating stop-and-pause moments on one of the country’s most iconic shopping and dining destinations and enhancing the overall visitor experience.

‘Into the Light’ is contemporary in style, with focal points of large star installations at gateways on Carnaby Street, complemented by 6-meter-long sculptural light forms suspended along the street. The installation extends into Kingly Court, where cascading curtains of light will adorn the balconies, evoking a cosy, intimate atmosphere within Soho’s beloved alfresco dining spot.

The light structures, which have been made in the UK, will be powered by energy from renewable sources, and are intended to be a fixture of Carnaby Street Christmas for at least five years. The scheme can be adapted each year, as Shaftesbury Capital continues to innovate in its evolution of the visitor experience, adding something that can be re-used but is still capable of generating new reasons to enjoy all that Carnaby Street and Soho has to offer.

Michelle McGrath, Executive Director at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Soho and Carnaby Street has an incredibly rich history of innovation, design and positively connecting with people. The new Christmas lights scheme on Carnaby Street, right in the heart of the west end, embodies this, with a long term investment which takes a creative and more sustainable approach. As with our other destinations, we passionately believe that this beautiful, well-designed and high quality lighting scheme with a longer term vision for Carnaby Street will build cherished Christmas experiences which inspire and excite Londoners and visitors alike.”

Andy Cobb, Founder at Sculptivate, commented: “London is globally recognised for its Christmas decorations, with Carnaby Street featuring every year in the ‘must see’ list for locals and tourists alike. With this new installation, we wanted to celebrate the rich heritage while pushing the boundaries of creativity, offering something that will not only return as a cherished tradition but also continue to captivate audiences. ‘Into the Light’ will transform Soho in the same way its predecessors have, while maintaining Shaftesbury Capital’s position as a real trailblazer in West End public realm.”

Carnaby Street’s new Christmas lights will be switched on Thursday 7^th November, followed by six weeks of activity across the neighbourhood, echoing Shaftesbury Capital’s creative approach to the festive period.

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In total, 13 units of projectors were utilized, customized with Gobos and Animation Weels, also crafted by PROLIGHTS. These versatile projectors designed for outdoor installations played a crucial role in establishing an immersive Christmas atmosphere in the main square of Sondrio.

The decision to opt for PROLIGHTS Mosaico projectors was driven by the pursuit of flexibility and quality. Daniele Licchetta, the lighting designer of the Liteo Tech team, emphasized, “What convinced us to choose the PROLIGHTS Mosaicos was the extraordinary efficiency, flexibility, and quality they offer. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, featuring remote and motorized control, multiple on-board functions, and optical zoom, the Mosaico range projectors allowed us to create a dynamic and engaging Christmas scenario.”

Moreover, the 300W LED source with which the projectors are equipped contributed to making Sondrio’s choice sustainable, reducing consumption and the environmental impact of the Christmas lights.

The breath-taking images of the illuminated buildings swiftly captivated social networks, becoming viral and garnering enthusiastic comments from both residents and visitors.

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Starkey Electrical was once again entrusted to manage and complete the light installation by the Halesowen Business Improvement District (BID).

The Christmas light switch-on, which attracts around 40,000 visitors each year, took place on Saturday, 18th November in Halesowen town centre and is a much-loved event within the community.

Lisa Starkey, director of Starkey Electrical, was a former board member of the Halesowen BID. While the company has now grown, with a national customer base, she said its heart is still very much in Halesowen.

Lisa said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the official installer of the Halesowen Christmas lights once again. The town holds a lot of history for us and we feel honoured to be able to give back to the community there.”

The team has been tasked with completing health and safety documentation for the BID, including PAT testing all of the lighting before they are installed. The Christmas lights have been installed throughout the town centre, as per the layout requested by the BID.

Vicky Rogers, Halesowen BID town manager, said: “Halesowen BID is thrilled to have Starkey Electrical install our Christmas lights for the seventh year running. We have worked closely with the team at Starkey since the start of BID in 2017 and they have continued to be our illumination installers due to the experience, professionalism and friendliness of the team.

Christmas is our largest event in the town centre so we cannot afford to get it wrong. Working with Starkey Electrical gave us the confidence we needed to know that the job will be done right.”

The team at Starkey Electrical were also at the switch-on event to assist with the countdown, plus are on-call throughout the festive period in case of any issues. The team were also responsible for the testing and inspection of the lights prior to the big event, as well as removal and storing of them afterwards.

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As we start to buy our Christmas presents, it’s important to remember the children who will be spending Christmas away from home and loved ones. This year, once again, thousands of children will be admitted to hospital across the UK, who are not only poorly but feel anxious and scared. Children in hospital need to have fun, and play creates a much-needed chance to have a sense of normality and control too.

Children’s charity, Starlight, is working with Oxford Street to offer the perfect gift for those looking to do some good this Christmas. For just £10, you can sponsor a star on Oxford Street for Starlight and all the money will go towards making a child’s stay in hospital brighter this Christmas. Every star with ‘Stars for Starlight’ gives the gift of play to children in hospital.

Cathy Gilman, Chief Executive of Starlight, said: “Over 100,000 children across the UK will spend the festive period in hospital, feeling scared and missing out on Christmas celebrations. At Starlight, we know that play has the power to reduce fear and relieve trauma, so we want to make sure children in hospital have the opportunity to play this Christmas.”

Starlight is the UK’s leading charity for play in hospitals and hospices, making sure children have less scary and less traumatic experiences. Find out more and sponsor a star here: https://starsforstarlight.org.uk/

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Developed in partnership with animation studio Bewilder, the work is based on the insight that Christmas can be challenging for shoppers in search of the perfect gift. The pigeons are presented as the perfect guides because they know every street, corner and arcade, where to spend time and where to find the best gifts.

The campaign debuted with a 10-minute takeover of the Piccadilly Lights, using Ocean’s DeepScreen OOH activation to create a delightful, bespoke 3D story. The narrative culminates in the pigeons reacting to the switch on of the festive lights of Regent Street and St James’s.

Designed to reflect the heritage and fashionable clientele of Regent Street and St James’s, Bewilder Animation, represented by B&A, created the 3D pigeons with a hand-made feel, artistically attired with clothing textures and accessories to define each character.

Alongside the Piccadilly Lights takeover, which was presented in partnership with Landsec, activity is running across wider out-of-home, press, social and digital channels.

Richard Ellwood, CMO at The Crown Estate, said: “We’re delighted to introduce our new festive characters. For centuries, pigeons have been used as messengers, and so for this campaign they are our storytellers. They’re perfectly placed to reveal the best spots across Regent Street and St James’s to eat, drink, shop and have a great time with friends and family.”

Caron Sandler, executive producer, Bewilder, concluded: “When we first heard about this campaign, our team jumped at the challenge of creating something truly magical. The pigeons have a hand-made feel, with the texture of clothing, as a nod to Regent Street and St James’s fashion heritage. Every unique character needs a story, so our storyboard team worked closely with Director Ruan Vermeulen to create a narrative that was as beautiful as the pigeons.”

Amy Simpson, the agent for Bewilder at B&A reps, added “This is what Christmas campaigns are all about. We were thrilled to take on the challenge when we heard the initial idea and we were excited that we could showcase the true magnificence of Bewilder’s quality and storytelling abilities. A fantastic collaboration from everyone involved, watching London’s famous streets light up was a true joy.”

Check out the video here.

Image copyright Ocean Outdoor.

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Savile Row, the world-renowned bespoke tailoring district in the heart of Mayfair, is debuting its new Christmas lights on Thursday 16th November. The Christmas lights have taken inspiration from iconic tools found in every tailor’s workshop: a pair of shears. The giant illuminated golden shears are seen cutting through a glittering pealight swathe of ‘fabric’, with the message of ‘Savile Row Christmas’ twinkling against the winter sky. The shears represent some of the key values of Savile Row – craftsmanship, skill and knowledge. For the first time ever, these new festive lights will illuminate The Row, from the corner of Clifford Street and finishing on the corner of Burlington Gardens, adjacent to the Royal Academy of Arts.

Jenny Caseborne, Head of Portfolio at The Pollen Estate said: “The Pollen Estate is delighted to introduce new Christmas lights on Savile Row, commencing the festive period at this iconic destination. The lights capture the essence of craftsmanship perfectly, with the icon of the shears at the forefront. Everyone is welcome to visit Savile Row to experience our new lights this festive season.”

Sustainability is at forefront of the new Savile Row Christmas lights. Made from a total of 5,154 LED bulbs, the bulbs use extra-low energy making them very energy-efficient and planet-friendly. Elements of the decorations have also been produced with 3D that are printed on 100 percent recyclable plastic. This process reduces the use of aluminium, meaning the materials can be recycled and reused after use, which minimises waste and reduces energy consumption.

Savile Row is the world’s ultimate destination for bespoke tailoring and exceptional craftsmanship, with an ever-expanding selection of made-to-measure, ready-to-wear and complimentary accessories. The ‘Row’ is a go-to location for local and international shoppers looking for exquisite quality, style and craft, as well as a personalised luxury experience unparalleled to anywhere else in the world. The area has more than 35 retailers including bespoke tailoring houses, made-to-order, ready-to-wear and casual menswear and womenswear offerings, and also includes accessories ranging from shoes and bags to stationary.

In celebration of the new lights being switched on, the following tailors and retailers will be open late and offer customers and visitors festive treats, drinks and more in-store: Cad & The Dandy, clothsurgeon, Cremieux, Gaziano & Girling, Gieves & Hawkes, Davies & Son, Drake’s, Holland & Sherry, Maurice Sedwell, Norton & Sons, The Service and The Deck, as well as the  newly opened Daniel Hanson (bespoke dressing gowns), Fedro (bespoke tailor) and Marcel Rodrigues (bespoke hatmaker). Italian heritage stationery brand Pineider on Clifford Street will offer complimentary personalisation, and Thom Sweeney on Old Burlington Street will also be joining the Christmas festivities. Customers can also expect live music at Drake’s. The retailers will be showcasing their Winter collections, with plenty of ready-to-wear and accessories available to buy for Christmas.

A unique mix of rich history, timelessness and sartorial innovation, Savile Row is nestled in Mayfair, only a stone’s throw away from New Bond Street, Royal Academy of Arts and Cork Street galleries.

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