Wembley Park Winterfest, United in Light

Many of us are contemplating the prospect of the coming winter with an unusual degree of apprehension. Not only is darkness descending ever earlier, as the clocks have gone back to GMT, but the sorts of things we are used to doing to keep our spirits up amid the seasonal cold and darkness are, of course, severely restricted by Covid-19 regulations.

So, the return of Wembley Park's Winterfest – a free, family-friendly, immersive light festival – is to be welcomed. Following the success of its first edition last year, Winterfest 2020 will give visitors an opportunity to trip the light fantastic (if you'll forgive us the cliché...) by immersing themselves in an interactive light installation.

This year's theme is United in Light, and Wembley Park's stated intention is to give visitors a joyous and uplifting experience, whether they visit in small groups or as individuals.

This new, specially commissioned site-specific installation, Reflections of the Future, is a mirrored audio-visual 100-metre corridor the length of the world-famous Olympic Way. As they enter, visitors to this truly immersive installation will be faced with their own reflections, amid a harmonious blend of lights and sound.

The idea is that you should lose yourself in a world of illusion, and to that end a sequence of mirrored LED posts are placed in such a way as to stretch and confuse perceptions of distance and space. Due to the angles of the mirrors, visitors will see multiple, distorted versions of themselves and others. This, the organisers hope, will create a sense of togetherness through a communal experience.

Another feature making a welcome return to Wembley Park this winter is the giant LED Christmas Tree – the tallest ever built in London – now adorned with a new digital art commission. And we are promised other installations for visitors to explore – all, of course, eminently Instagrammable ...

Reflections of the Future is open all day, from 12pm to 10 pm, and should you wish to make a day of it, there are restaurants and cafés on site. Consult the Wembley Park website.