Welcome to HighLight: Carnival of Lights, your ultimate annual destination for unforgettable light installations, roving performances, and entertainment in New Zealand.
HighLight is brought to life through stunning light installations and roving performers that will transform Brewtown and Upper Hutt into a mesmerizing wonderland.
WHAT’S AT THE CARNIVAL HUB AT BREWTOWN
Area 51
Vehicles provided by: M&M Museums
How many eyes does it have? What do the heavy duty army vehicles have surrounded?
Find out for yourself before this mystery is covered up.
DJ Booth
DJ’d by: Aotearoa DJ Academy Creature Post
Sponsored by: Streamliner Productions
The next generation of DJ’s talent showcasing their talents learnt from the dōjō for DJ’s, Aotearoa DJ Academy.
Aotearoa DJ Academy is where novice DJ’s and music enthusiasts have an opportunity to play and learn the art of DJing using the latest DJ equipment and technology while under expert guidance.
Fire Show
Featuring Metronome on fire and performers.
7:30pm, 8:15pm and 9pm.
Lightning Hands
Created by: Creature Post
Have you ever missed the simple joy of connecting with others? During the isolating times of the Covid era, Lightning Hands was born – an innovative idea to bring people together safely and playfully.
This interactive installation is your chance to experience the power of collective energy. Step into the space and you’ll become part of a captivating display, connecting with fellow attendees, be they friends, strangers, or even family! Immerse yourself and discover the magic that happens when we share our energy with each other.
No Where
Created by: Angus Muir Design
Have you ever followed a map or sign with an arrow, only to find yourself completely lost? We’ve all been there. While arrows are universally understood to point us in the right direction, the artwork “No Where” takes this familiar symbol and turns it upside down.
Get ready to experience the transformation of a simple arrow from a helpful guide to a delightful source of confusion.
Octopoda
Created by: Amigo & Amigo
Octopoda is a steampunk percussion Octopus. He is an other worldly lighting installation that engages all ages. Each tentacle is connected to a drum, when played the tentacle illuminates.
Phonogram
Created by: SILO
Forget being a spectator, become the conductor. Phonogram is an interactive sound and light sculpture waiting for you to play.
Imagine this: you approach the installation, ready to unleash your inner musician. As you interact with Phonogram like a giant instrument, it responds instantly, captivating you with rippling light shows that dance around you and immersive, reactive soundscapes that respond to your every touch.
The magic is in your hands – are you ready to create a symphony of light and sound?
Polar
Created by: Angus Muir Design
As you admire Polar, imagine yourself enveloped by the Earth’s invisible magnetic field. This awe-inspiring experience is brought to life by over 6,500 lights embedded within the rings.
Questions for the Moon
Created by: Colossal
Sponsored by: Gillies Group
Ever wondered what it’s like being the moon? Now is your chance to ask. Ask our moon your question and get ready for a response.
This performance and installation is impromptu.
Sing-A-Long Karaoke
Whether you sound great singing your favourite tune in the shower or not, it won’t matter when you’re singing alongside the masses.
Grab a mic, join in with the sing-a-long and let the inner performer in you shine.
Sparkling Botanics
Created by: Angus Muir Design
Immerse yourself in a captivating world of light and sound with Sparkling Botanics. As you step into Brewtown, prepare to be transported to a mesmerizing nocturnal landscape. Thousands of tiny lights, meticulously woven amongst an array of flora, will transform your surroundings into a radiant dreamscape.
Imagine yourself surrounded by floral hues and textures, each illuminated by the gentle flicker of these ethereal lights. The scene will come alive with a symphony of soundscapes, celebrating the harmonious beauty of the natural world. Together, the luminous visuals and captivating sounds will paint a vivid tableau of botanical magic, transforming the ordinary into an extraordinary experience you won’t soon forget.
The Worm
Created by: Creature Post
Taking inspiration from Icelandic mythology, Creature Post re-imagined the great worm Lagarfljót in a contemporary incarnation as a Serpent.
A perspective illusion projection, viewers are able to discover the magic viewing spot by walking around the building.
The winding, sinuous movement of Serpent through the structure was also inspired by Ourouboros and Frank Herbert’s Shai Hulud.
T-P Tunnel
Created by: Angus Muir Design
Are you ready for an enchanting experience that will captivate you from all angles? Then step inside the T-P Tunnel.
This massive structure, standing over five and a half meters tall and ten meters long, welcomes explorers of all ages. Prepare to be amazed as you weave your way through and discover the unique perspectives within.
Tree Neons
Created by: Angus Muir Design
You won’t miss it. Get ready to be dazzled by Tree Neons, a vibrant art installation that transforms day and night with its eye-catching colours.
Treegeneration
Created by: Creature Post
Treegeneration is your chance to be the change and watch a magnificent forest flourish right before your eyes.
The more you and your fellow explorers participate, the more vibrant and alive the forest becomes. But just like in real life, these trees won’t survive without our continued care. Work together, push the buttons, and keep the forest regenerating to ensure its survival.
Treegeneration is a fun and interactive experience that reminds us of our shared responsibility towards the environment and the ongoing commitment needed to tackle environmental challenges.
Are you ready to answer the call of the forest?
Trocto, Dodi, Icozo and Rhombi
Created by: Hybycozo
A series of installations that investigate geometric exploration through light, shadow, and perception. The project has evolved with the intersection of math, science, technology, material, and light.
UV Play Area
Sponsored by TSB Festival of Lights
Interact with a playground popping with light and colour including ‘Hopscotch’ by TSB Festival of Lights.
Wisteria Lane
Created by: Bobbie Gray
Influenced by the captivating yet aggressive Wisteria vine, an enchanting cascade of fluorescent flowers graces the urban landscape, infusing it with the essence of the natural world. The creation of this spectacle, Wisteria Lane, mirrors the life cycle of plants, with over 10,000 repurposed plastic bottles nurturing the growth of a new generation. Through the delicate interplay of luminescence, manipulated plastic, and electricity, the installation underscores the resilience and value of our ecological systems, serving as a testament to the harmonious fusion of art and sustainability.
Roving and Pop Up Performances
Society Entertainment
Society Entertainment will be doing pop up performances all around the event site.
Roving performers
Colossal are ever the entertainers, and will have you sucked in for plenty of laughter. They will pop up in several locations around the event site.
Paul Klass
Paul will perform a family show at the very start of the night. He will also do other pop up performances around the site during the night (in between fire shows in which he is also involved in).
HIWA
HIWA will be doing illuminated kapa haka performances on a small stage area 4 times throughout the night.
Whether you’re a seasoned carnival-goer or a first-timer, there is always something magical about the bright lights, the delicious kai, and the endless entertainment that’s on offer at the Carnival Hub at Brewtown and throughout the Upper Hutt CBD.
So, grab a snack, sit back, and let’s dive into the wonderful world of HighLight!
WHAT’S IN UPPER HUTT CBD
Deep Thought
Created by Vesica
Located: Cnr Russel St and Main St
Imagine yourself stepping into a captivating world of light and wonder. Deep Thought awaits you.
This immersive experience is in a 5m x 5m triambic icosahedron, an awe-inspiring geometric form, illuminated from within by architectural LEDs. As you enter this sacred zone, prepare to be transported to a place of peace and wonder, designed to ignite your curiosity and leave you with a lasting impression.
Shadows
Created by Blob Collective
Located: Whirinaki Whare Taonga.
Shadows is a body recognition installation that invites people to move and explore their own body in another light. As the audience explores their Shadow, they add and merge colours on the screen, creating a collaborative artwork based on movement and dance. Shadows invites participants to walk, raise their hands, dance, and observe their own body.
Stack
Created by Angus Muir
Located: Whirinaki Whare Taonga, viewable during their opening hours.
Step into the world of Stack, a mesmerizing installation that unfolds before your very eyes. What initially appears as a simple arrangement of squares transforms upon closer inspection. Each illuminated box reveals a captivating layered composition, beckoning you to become an active participant in its visual landscape. As light emanates from within, the squares come alive, casting gentle, radiant glows that dance across the surfaces, inviting you to lose yourself in their mesmerizing interplay.
Whether you’re a seasoned carnival-goer or a first-timer, there is always something magical about the bright lights, the delicious kai, and the endless entertainment that’s on offer at the Carnival Hub at Brewtown and throughout the Upper Hutt CBD.
So, grab a snack, sit back, and let’s dive into the wonderful world of HighLight!