If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, Nightfall is one of the best winter events in the Teesside calendar. And it definitely shows because tickets sold like hot cakes for 2022! This completely sold out event hit Middlesbrough for 1st-4th December, bringing incredible light, sound and colour to Stewart Park.
I was lucky enough to be invited along to the opening night and I couldn’t wait. It’s always the highlight of the end of the year for me, so I was really excited to see how the theme of ‘Brighten Our Northern Skies’ would be interpreted. Keep reading to find out my thoughts and best bits!
What is Nightfall?
If you haven’t come across Nightfall yet, it’s an annual Tees Valley light festival event and for 2022, was themed around ‘Brighten Our Northern Sky’. It’s a family-friendly celebration that brings people together to experience the magic of an illuminated artwork trail and performance after dark. It’s the ideal event for curious rainbow seekers, adventurers, friends and families to enjoy magic and mystery of nature, art and light.
Are tickets available for Nightfall 2023?
Already thinking about grabbing tickets for next year? Nightfall 2023 tickets aren’t available yet, but I highly recommend joining the mailing list. You’ll be one of the first people to know when the tickets are live. The demand for Nightfall 22 was huge, so I reckon it’ll be the same for 23!
Using this year as a guide, I expect adult tickets to be around £12.50 and child tickets around £8.50 (age 16 and under). For 2022, children aged 2 and under were free, but still required a ticket, and parking ranged from 50p – £3.50 depending on which option you selected.
My best bits of Nightfall 2022
As always with this event, there were so many fantastic elements and brilliant pieces of art, but to save you reading a massive, waffly post, I’ve condensed it all down into my best bits and highlights.
1. The organisation in the lead up
As I approach 30 (too quickly for my liking), I’m finding myself very pleased by good organisation, handy info and especially well thought through parking. Nightfall 2022 had all of these things! I absolutely can’t fault the meticulous organisation that goes into this event and the super easy-to-read info that gets sent ahead of time. Plus, the programme is always very simple, written and laid out in an accessible format, and quick to digest too, so there’s no way you can go wrong.
2. Entering via Ping by Gijs van Bon
As soon as you were checked in and heading into the park, you were greeted by the most spectacular entrance. Ping by Gijs van Bon was a piece featuring over 100 light tubes on a long track that swooped around and over the path like a rollercoaster. It carried light and sound along like coaster carriages, and it was so fun to walk beneath. It was a great way to start your adventure off!
3. The way Stewart Park was completely transformed
After living in Middlesbrough for a while, Stewart Park quickly became one of my favourite places for a walk. I was there so often that I can confidently say I know it inside out, back to front. But with Nightfall, the combination of darkness, colourful lights and music makes it feel like a totally different place. It’s so strange, but so magical! This year, the route was different to the one at Nightfall 2021, so it felt even more like a new place. It’s something you need to experience, for sure.
4. Teesside Skies by Bethan Maddocks
I was in awe of every bit of artwork that was at Nightfall 2022 and I always wonder how long it takes to get everything set up. But my tip top favourite piece was Teesside Skies by Bethan Maddocks. I’d never seen her work before, but by golly, it’s beautiful. This piece was tucked away in the little stone alcove and featured a rotating birdcage-like structure with a light inside. Around this birdcage were iconic Teesside landmarks, including the Transporter Bridge, Dorman Long, the smoke stacks and so many more, woven between birds in flight. It was truly breathtaking and it actually made sentimental little old me feel quite emotional. It was just amazing to see our icons that can often be looked down on captured in such a way.
5. Borealis by Dan Acher
Another artwork highlight was Borealis by Dan Acher. As you walked around the park, you got glimpses of this piece a few times, but it was seen in it’s full glory outside Captain Cook’s Museum. This piece featured smoke machines that created a thin layer of smoke in the sky, then light projections to create a Northern Lights effect. It was so mesmerising and magical to walk beneath. It truly looked like something from a film.
6. It was incredibly relaxing
Nightfall is always such a fantastically relaxing event, not only because the music around each artwork is so soothing, but because you don’t need to rush to see everything. You can take the trail at your own pace, and this year, it took us just over an hour to see it all. It wasn’t overcrowded, busy or loud – just lovely and calm. Note for 2023 tickets: if you’d like to book one of the designated relaxed sessions for those who might need a quieter experience, get in there quick. These slots sold out first for 2022, but offer a really accessible experience for those who need it with changes to the light and sound levels.
7. The street food and live music
Stellar Projects went to amazing effort to make Nightfall an event that you could stay at all evening. Once we reached the end of the trail, we were in the courtyard that was full of street food options, plus a stage for live music. There was plenty to choose from, including Greek, pizzas, parmos and loaded fries, as well as hot drinks and tipples. There were a variety of artists lined up for the music, so it was the perfect spot to spend some time winding down before heading home. In this area, there were also workshops for children to get involved with, so the Stellar Projects duo really thought of everything and everyone!
8. Letting out my inner child
It’s definitely good for the soul to let out your inner child when you can. I think there’s so much wonder in seeing a place you know so well in such a different way, especially when it involves clever light art, colour and sound. I feel like this every time I go to Nightfall and the 2022 edition was no different. It felt good to be curious, struck by awe and full of the fuzzies.
Overall, our time at Nightfall 2022 was utterly gorgeous and everything we hoped it would be. It’s an event that we always count down the days too and it makes me so happy to see it become more popular each year. If you missed out this year, I can’t stress enough how good it is and how quickly the tickets will go in 2023. Please please please make sure you sign up to the mailing list! And don’t forget to follow Stellar Projects on Facebook or Instagram.
Did you go along to Nightfall 2022? What was your favourite part?
This post is sponsored by Stellar Projects. All opinions are my own.