Following the Light

‘Lightscape – powered by City of Perth’ is one of Perth’s sell-out winter events, transforming the iconic Western Australian Botanic Garden with a dazzling light show. Here's what to expect from the 2024 edition.

Perth is affectionately known as Australia’s ‘City of Light’, and at night, it’s easy to see why. The city is illuminated by lights from buildings, bridges, and parks, with the Swan River mirroring the show. It’s a tradition which dates back to the 1960s, when astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 spacecraft. As the spacecraft flew over Perth, everyone in the city switched on their lights in welcome. On his return to Earth, Glenn said that the city had clearly been visible from space, and so Perth’s reputation as ‘City of Light’ was born. Perth’s nighttime illumination has remained a point of civic pride ever since, but there’s one annual event which takes the spectacle into a whole other dimension; ‘Lightscape’. In June and July — the thick of the Australian winter — Kings Park and the Western Australian Botanic Garden will light up the evenings with a second edition of the event.

King’s Park and the Western Australian Botanic Garden is a short walk from COMO The Treasury, and has one of the largest and most diverse collections of native flora in the world, showcasing over 3,000 species. At 990 acres, the park is one of Perth’s most famous outdoor attractions, whether for picnicking overlooking the Swan River, or visiting the botanic gardens. That’s why the Lightscape festival will celebrate a nature-oriented theme for the second year running, exploring root systems. For Jo Metcalf, Director of Visitor Experience for Kings Park, Lightscape is an opportunity to promote the role native plants play in preserving Western Australia’s biodiversity and raising awareness of conserving them for future generations: “It’s a unique chance to illuminate specific features of the gardens — quite literally,” Metcalf says: “tree root systems are as vital — if not more so — than any other aspect of a tree. We’re hoping to draw attention to the intricate world beneath our feet and the hidden wonders of nature.”

A 1.8km light trail will form a focal point to ‘Lightscape’, merging colourful light installations and ambient sound. Past favourites such as the Winter Cathedral, illuminated by 100,000 lights, will feature again, while new botanic installations have also been prepared. Along with corridors of enormous fibre-optic flowers, 700 Sturt’s Desert Pea blossoms — scarlet flowers with a glossy black centre — have been painstakingly constructed, as well as a native wildflower meadow made up of 10,500 lights. Other highlights will include the Lotterywest Federation Walkway, which will be drenched in a waterfall-esque cascade of light, and a 70-metre-long path through giant love hearts. Last year’s event drew an impressive 180,000 attendees, of whom 22,000 were visiting King’s Park and the Western Australian Botanic Gardens for the first time: “It’s an immersive experience tailored for a demographic that might not typically engage with our botanic garden,” Metcalf says, “Lightscape is a gateway for people to deepen their engagement with their surrounding natural environment.”

‘Lightscape’ will run at Kings Park from June 7th to July 28th, on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 5.30pm to 9.00pm. For more information or tickets, please speak to the concierge at COMO The Treasury.