Lightopia, Chiswick House and Gardens

Once Christmas has passed and the reams of fairy lights glittering above London’s streets are packed away for another year, the continuation of winter can feel dark and dreary. Hurrah, then, for Lightopia: a colourful light show set to dazzle at Chiswick House and Gardens in January.

The spectacle, which features a lantern trail and water show, has already impressed in Edinburgh, where it premiered as a free event in October, before moving on to Manchester for the Christmas period. It’s a big affair, involving 47 different lantern groups, 2,000 lanterns and a million lightbulbs in total.

Walk among a glowing array of animal-shaped lanterns, then ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ as 3D projections and a spectacular water show play tricks with the mind. Acrobatic performances take the illumination theme to dizzying new heights, while live music and street food conjure up a festival atmosphere.

The event comes a year after the 18th-century house and gardens played host to After Dark, an elegant, pared-back light show, in the run up to Christmas. While Lightopia isn’t arriving in time for pre-Christmas merrymaking, it promises to prolong the joy of the festive season into the new year.