TOWN councillors were this week being asked to approve a 2026 repeat of their spectacularly successful Garden of Light nighttime event held in Wellington Park.

The event was held for the first time in late October and was a sell-out with all 2,000 tickets gone by about a week to 10 days beforehand and a waiting list of people ready to take any which were returned.

The town council put £8,000 toward the cost of the evening, with organisers Fuse Performance and Somerset Outdoor Arts attracting a further £7,046 in an Arts Council England grant.

Fuse director John Lee said in a report to Wednesday’s (December 10) economic development committee, the predominant response of families attending the Garden of Light was ‘a very positive confirmation’ and desire for it to be repeated next year.

Mr Lee said people expressed admiration for the work that had gone into it, the pride it generated in Wellington, its atmosphere and originality, and the fact it was clearly a family event.

He said nearly three-quarters of people attending were local, but others came from as far away as Bristol and Exeter, as well as Taunton and Bridgwater, and villages in vicinity.

The theme at the centre of the event was a celebration of art, nature, and the environment, using the natural habitat and the park both as a backdrop and inspiration for the artwork created.

Different levels of lighting were used, including ultra violet, as well as sound, because it was not intended to be a brightly lit ‘glow show’ with huge amounts of technology, but one in which the audience could experience the atmosphere, quietness, and subtlety drawn from the beauty of the park.

Mr Lee said this was complimented by subtle sound installations emanating from trees, bird cages, ponds, and streams.

He said: “We also included a mini lit railway station referencing the good news of the future British Rail train station planned for Wellington.”

Mr Lee said Fuse used fire, lighting, and performance with live music, visual and digital artists, circus arts, dancers, and sculptural and sound artwork created with creative artists and the community.

The work was co-created with children from the town’s Court Fields, Rockwell Green, Beech Grove, and St John’s schools.

Mr Lee said 94 per cent of people giving feedback on the event said they would like to attend it again in 2026.

He said 73 per cent of visitors had previously attended Wellington Carnival and/or other outdoor festivals in the town.

Council facilities manager Annette Kirk said the Garden of Light was considered to have been a major success for the town with more than 2,000 people taking part.

She said donations had been encouraged to support future arts projects in Wellington and together with pay-what-you-can ticket sales more than £2,100 was raised.

Ms Kirk said councillors should consider holding the event again in October, 2026, and possibly entering into a three-year ‘service level agreement’ with Fuse to guarantee income to support the Garden of Light annually.