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You are here > Visitor Info > More Information > The Mayflower 400 celebrations start with Illuminate Plymouth

The Mayflower 400 celebrations start with Illuminate Plymouth

30th October 2019

Categories: Visitor News

Image: Plymouth Hoe

The Mayflower 400 commemoration year will officially launch with a stunning Illumination festival which is taking place at destinations across the UK and the world that are connected to the voyage.

In Plymouth, a series of dazzling installations and projections will take place from 28^th November to the 1^st December at Royal William Yard, the Barbican, the Waterfront and Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park.

The festival will have a host of workshops, performances and activities with Royal William Yard being transformed with projections and light art installations from local, national and international artists to provide a vibrant, fun and inspiring experience for Plymouth’s citizens and visitors alike. The four day event will open the Mayflower 400 commemorations and is inspired by the values of freedom, humanity, imagination and future and marks the first Thanksgiving that took place between the Mayflower Pilgrims and the native American people in 1621.

Claire Honey, the festival’s Project Manager, said: “In 2018, Illuminate stunned with incredible light installations, interactive artworks and spectacular projections from local, national and international artists. The festival was enjoyed by over 28,000 people across the four days, now a multi-site festival we’re really excited to welcome new artists creating awe-inspiring light art for visitors of all ages.”

Adrian Vinken OBE, Chair of Mayflower 400 and Destination Plymouth, said: “Growing on the back of previous years’ festivals, Illuminate has become a real highlight in Plymouth’s annual events calendar. It’s such a special event and we’re thrilled that this year it will act as the opening moment of the Mayflower 400 commemorations, not just in Plymouth but across the whole country.”

This year’s festival will run from 28^th November to 1^st December from the festival centre at Royal William Yard, with additional installations at the Barbican and Edgcumbe Country Park. It will commemorate 400 years since the Mayflower’s sailing to the New World. In the build up to the 400^th anniversary, Illuminate festivals have been taking place every November for several years including in Plymouth, MA. They are free to attend and last year attracted 28,000 people of all ages, with visitors from nine to ninety.