Light Up Kilburn dazzles as Camden Council launches ‘visionary’ Cultural Strategy
Following the huge success of the inaugural festival in 2024, Light Up Kilburn returned for two nights last weekend, organised by Camden Council and Love Camden with the support of partners Hive Curates and One Kilburn.
Over a thousand people came together to celebrate community and creativity at Kilburn Grange Park. Families and visitors enjoyed illuminated trails and exciting performances in one of the biggest events in Camden’s cultural calendar.
This is the first festival of its kind in North London, and is a free event aimed at celebrating the rich diversity of Kilburn. This year the festival was held in Kilburn Grange Park, with artists highlighting themes of biodiversity, sustainability, and women’s safety at night.
Each artwork transformed the park after dark, along with immersive activities – from fire performers to a glowing maypole for all to dance around.
Residents left glowing reviews, with one stating:
“It made me see the space through new eyes, highlighting its natural beauty and reminding us of the incredible access to nature we have right here in our neighbourhood”.
Light Up Kilburn 2026 also coincided with the launch of the Council’s first Cultural Strategy, a visionary plan that sets out the future of culture in the borough.
The Council’s key focus for the strategy is to increase participation in culture for all residents, in their own neighbourhoods and through the borough’s internationally renowned institutions.
In the afterglow of Light Up Kilburn’s success, Councillor Sabrina Francis, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Culture and Young People, shared her insight of the cultural strategy in her speech during the launch event – to an audience of Camden artists, educators, community leaders and arts organisations.
“Culture has the power to connect, uplift and unite communities, and Light Up Kilburn has encapsulated this spirit – reminding us of what is possible when creativity leads the way.
“Camden’s cultural sector represents the rich diversity that makes the borough the truly special place that it is. We’re building on that strength with an inclusive five‑year programme that will keep culture community‑led, woven into everyday life, and intergenerational.
“From transforming Camden High Street into a people-centred space, to redefining how we celebrate Black History, to bringing fantasy to life with festivals like Light Up Kilburn – we’ve already delivered an extraordinary cultural programme rooted in the belief that culture belongs to everyone in our borough. Now we look ahead with ambition – harnessing culture to make Camden the country’s most vibrant, connected and joyous borough to live, work and invest in.”
Further information:
Find out more about the Cultural Strategy 2026-2031
Artists who lit up Kilburn
Light Projections
- Sara Choudhrey – Samara
- Amy Jackson – (in)visible Network
- Auda Sakho – Spectral Wardrobe
Light Installations
- Linett Kamala – Basstone Maypole
- Hannah Whitaker – Bioluminescent Garden UV Edition
- t o y S t u d i o – In Bloom
- Amber Stefani – Seed of Life
- Chila Burman – Firework Girl
- Daisy Doig – Windows
Live performance
- The Fireworks Collective
- Spectral Wardrobe Activation – Auda Sakho
- Basstone Maypole – Linett Kamala