Your Complete Guide to Spectra Festival of Light 2025

With details about the installations and locations, this guide will help you make the most of Spectra.

Your Complete Guide to Spectra Festival of Light 2025
Broad Street Installations | Photo by Chris Sansbury

Spectra, Scotland’s Festival of Light is returning for its 11th year, lighting up the city from Thursday, 6 February to Sunday, 9 February 2025. Known for its immersive art and captivating installations, the festival will transform the city into a vibrant canvas with 15 unique light art pieces, alongside live performances and interactive experiences.

Whether you’re a fan of the art or simply looking for a night out, Spectra promises to offer something for everyone. Here’s a guide to help you make the most of this year’s event.

Today, we’re excited to share your guide to Spectra, Scotland’s Festival of Light 2025. Below, you’ll find details on the stunning installations and performances that will light up Aberdeen this February and information on where to find them across the city. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a returning festival-goer, this guide will help you make the most of your experience and discover all that Spectra has to offer. We'll keep this updated with new info and photographs throughout the festival.

A festival site map for Spectra 2025, showing event locations, accessibility routes, toilets, and key venues.
Map for Spectra 2025

Spectra will kick off at 5:30 pm on Thursday, 6 February, and run until Sunday, 9 February. The festival will light up the city every evening until 10 pm, offering four nights of free, un-ticketed illuminated art installations for you to explore. All you need to do is show up and enjoy them as they transform familiar spaces around the city. With no tickets required, Spectra is accessible to everyone, making it a perfect event for families, friends, or anyone interested in experiencing art in a whole new light.

For the second year, First Bus has partnered with Scotland’s Festival of Light to offer free travel to Spectra. In line with this year’s Journeys theme, up to 2,000 two-trip tickets will be available, allowing you to travel free on First Bus services to and from Spectra. To claim the offer, sign up for the Spectra mailing list by 12 pm on Monday, 3 February. After signing up, you’ll receive instructions on how to redeem your two-trip ticket via the First Bus app, valid during the festival from 6 to 9 February.

Accessibility at Spectra 2025

Spectra 2025 is committed to accessibility, partnering with We Too! and Abledeen to provide on-site support for visitors with additional needs. A-ND’s sensory bus, Binky, will be available near the Central Library for families needing a relaxed space. Abledeen will also offer mobility equipment at the Academy shopping centre. For those requiring alternative entry, the Accessibility Welcome Desks at Town House, Queen Street, and Central Library will provide wristbands and support.

The Accessibility Welcome Desks, open from 5pm Thursday to Sunday, will distribute visual guides and sensory aids, with We Too!’s Ninjas in bright green on hand to assist across the sites. Staff will also direct visitors to facilities and offer guidance throughout the event.

You can find out more from the Spectra website.


Northern Lights Programme | Photo by Susan Strachan

1. Northern Lights Programme
Rosemount Viaduct Opposite His Majesty’s Theatre

Explore an alternate dimension with Northern Lights, a unique augmented reality experience led by local artist Craig Barrowman. You can interact with art installations that appear in front of you on Rosemount Viaduct through the Northern Lights AR app. The app lets you unlock pieces hidden within a ring of ‘doorways’, creating a new way to experience public space through digital art.

2. Inspired by Spectra
Union Terrace Gardens

Local schools and community groups have contributed their illuminated artworks inspired by the Spectra installations. These creations bring a personal touch to the festival and highlight the creativity of Aberdeen’s younger generation. It’s a great chance to see how the next wave of artists is making their mark.


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3. Heinrich & Palmer - Winds of Change
Union Terrace Gardens

Winds of Change explores Aberdeen’s transition from its industrial past to a sustainable future. Set against the backdrop of the city’s oil rigs and wind farms, this installation uses video, stop-frame animation, and 3D sequences to showcase the evolving landscape. The film is inspired by folklore which speaks of a magical rope that controls the wind, symbolising change and continuity.

4. Illuminated Voices – Our Journey
Union Terrace Gardens

Young poets from Muirfield Primary School have teamed up with Scottish poet Simon Lamb to explore their journey through poetry and prose. Their words will be projected across Union Terrace Gardens, offering a window into the thoughts and experiences of the city’s youth, and inviting you to reflect on your own journey.

People gather at night to observe glowing green cubes scattered on the ground, casting an eerie soft light.
idontloveyouanymore – The Matter of the Heart

5. idontloveyouanymore – The Matter of the Heart
Union Terrace Gardens

The Matter of the Heart celebrates the community’s heartbeat. This installation synchronises the heartbeats of 60 local participants, flashing in real-time across Union Terrace Gardens. The installation reminds us of the interconnectivity of life, with each flashing heart representing a living, breathing connection between people, regardless of distance.

6. Johanna Basford - Neon Colouring Wall
Union Terrace Gardens

Join Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford OBE in an interactive colouring experience. You can colour in Basford’s intricate designs under neon lights, bringing the illustrations to life in real time. This piece blends creativity and community, inviting all ages to engage with the artwork and add their personal touch.

ENESS – Sky Castle | Photo by Chris Sansbury

7. ENESS – Sky Castle
Union Terrace Gardens

Sky Castle invites visitors to walk through a dreamy, interactive landscape of inflatable arches. As you move through, your movements power a melodic xylophone soundscape that progresses and changes the colours in each arch. The installation creates an immersive experience, where light, colour, and music combine to evoke the joy and hope rainbows bring after every storm.

Universal Communication sends a message into the universe through a light beam powered by Morse code. You’ll be challenged to decode the message and wonder where it might go. This installation from Aberdeen creative group LEM combines technology and art to explore communication here on Earth and beyond.


Link banner to the What's On Aberdeen Cultural Events Guide. The background is an aerial shot of Aberdeen Beach.

Immerse yourself in Scottish folklore at Cowdray Hall, where storytellers Pauline and Lindsey will bring traditional tales to life. From creation myths to wildlife adventures, their stories weave the rich tapestry of Scottish culture and history, providing a captivating experience for all ages.

Urban Hijackin – I Caught a… | Photo by Chris Sansbury

Discover a quirky, offbeat installation that features curiosities like flying fish and mini elephants housed in a cage. Drawing inspiration from street art and surreal installations, Urban Hijackin adds humour and wonder to the festival. This piece invites visitors to embrace the strange and whimsical, reminding us to look at the world differently.

Council Baby – Fit D’You Know About the Bon Accord | Photo by Chris Sansbury

Award-winning artist Council Baby presents a large-scale video installation that uses animation and sound to explore Aberdeen’s history and heritage. At the heart of the installation is the Celtic river goddess, Divona, who guides viewers through the city’s evolution, symbolising continuity and offering a hopeful vision for the future. The installation creatively combines stained-glass design with modern animation, adding a contemporary twist to traditional iconography.

Double Take – Light & Colour | Photo by Chris Sansbury

12. Double Take – Light & Colour
St Nicholas Kirk

Voyage, a projection-mapping artwork at St Nicholas Kirk, brings the historic Clock Tower to life. This installation draws inspiration from Aberdeen’s seafaring heritage, using nautical maps, lighthouses, and underwater scenes to tell a story of the city’s maritime past. The vibrant visuals will immerse you in the city’s deep connection to the sea.

Stevie Thompson – Mycelium Network | Photo by Chris Sansbury

13. Stevie Thompson – Mycelium Network
St Nicholas Kirk Yard

Mycelium Network is a fibre optic light installation that explores the hidden connections between trees, plants, and mushrooms. Using mycelium as a metaphor for environmental regeneration, this installation highlights the importance of these underground networks in sustaining ecosystems and fighting environmental damage.

14. Stage of Light
St Nicholas Roof Garden Bandstand

At the Stage of Light, local talent takes the spotlight with live performances throughout the festival. Showcasing singer-songwriters and musicians from across Aberdeen, this performance area will provide an engaging atmosphere for festival-goers to enjoy live music while taking in the stunning light installations around them.

Studio Vertigo – Ursula Lassos the Moon | Photo by Susan Strachan

15. Studio Vertigo – Ursula Lassos the Moon
Marischal Square

In Ursula Lassos the Moon, a high-definition 3D projection of the Moon is suspended in the sky, tethered to a boat. This surreal installation combines the natural beauty of the Moon with themes of mystery and femininity. The work explores the symbolism of the Moon in mythology, with a female protagonist, Ursula, drawing on the idea of conquest and mystery.

Lucid Creates – Futures | Photo by Susan Strachan

16. Lucid Creates – Futures
Broad Street

Futures is a sensory installation that challenges your perception of time and space. With strobe lights and shifting shadows, the 50m-long walkway distorts reality and creates a transportive experience. The artwork explores the contrasts between light and dark, immersing visitors in an evocative, multi-dimensional display of sound and light.

Kumquat Labs - Reunion | Photo by Chris Sansbury

17. Kumquat Labs - Reunion
Broad Street

Reunion is a striking light installation celebrating connection and togetherness. Featuring curved arches of light reaching towards one another, it represents the act of gathering. Shifting colours mirror the movement of people coming together. Created by Edinburgh-based Kumquat Lab, it blends design, light, and technology to create an immersive experience.

Studio Vertigo - End Over End | Photo by Susan Strachan

18. Studio Vertigo - End Over End
Marischal Square

End Over End brings a giant illuminated slinky to life, recreating the mesmerising movement of the classic toy. Created by Newcastle-based Studio Vertigo, the installation transforms its surroundings into a playful, larger-than-life playground. As each coil lights up in sequence, the familiar tumbling motion unfolds, pulling viewers into a surreal shift in scale. Led by artists Lucy McDonnell and Stephen Newby, Studio Vertigo specialises in light installations and sculptures that challenge perception and reimagine public space.

Aberdeen Letters | Photo by Susan Strachan

19. Aberdeen Letters
Marischal College

The giant ABERDEEN letters are now at Marischal College, creating the ultimate selfie spot! This striking installation will feature event-specific imagery, making it a perfect backdrop to capture and celebrate the city’s biggest moments.

20. Street Activation
Site Wide

Building on the success of 2024’s street activation programme, this year’s festival will feature a range of mesmerising illuminated performances throughout the city. Festival favourites Citymove Dance Agency will return with a specially funded, themed choreographed routine, performed each evening to captivate and engage audiences across the festival footprint.


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Spectra offers a dazzling array of light installations, interactive artworks, and performances, making it one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events. From 6th to 9th February, the festival will illuminate the city’s streets, creating unforgettable experiences for visitors of all ages. For more details, and to plan your visit, head to the official Spectra website: www.spectrafestival.com.