A stunning light show in the heart of the Wye Valley was enjoyed by more than 2,500 people.

Tintern Abbey was lit up with light, sound and fire for Shadows of Tintern, as it was reimagined for two nights by artists Mark Anderson, a visual sound artist and pyrotechnician working with Liam Walsh and Ulf Pedersen, specialists in creating art works using sound, light and space. 

A display at Shadows of Tintern, photo by Emma Drabble (Image: Emma Drabble) Artistic director Phillippa Haynes, of Wye Valley River Festival CIC, said: “We are so grateful to the commissioned artists, crew and all our partners who delivered the most beautiful and impressive transformation of Tintern Abbey we have undertaken to date, offering a thoughtful, inspiring and meditative exploration of the site which was engaging and enjoyed by our visitors. The site looked truly magnificent.

“Our team overcame challenging conditions for the preparation, with dreadful weather during the build-up, which included the river bursting its banks and power outages. Luck was on our side for the evening events, which were drier for our audiences to enjoy the experience and we were graced by the glorious ‘hunter full moon’.

"A special thank you to Pascal Bidois, the manager of Tintern Abbey, and his staff for being so helpful throughout the process, ensuring we delivered another successful, site specific event in partnership with Cadw.” 

The festival team ensured the night time show in a historic site was accessible with guides, new ramps and BSL interpreters and audio, all of which received positive audience feedback. The local economy was boosted with pubs and restaurants selling out of food as did on-site vendors. 

Tintern has been a regular venue for the summer Festival, developed with Wye Valley National Landscape, and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales, the Sustainable Development Fund, the Welsh Government, Cadw and Ashley Foundation. 

Shadows of Tintern was the second autumn live show delivered by Wye Valley River Festival, following 2022’s Alchemy and Artistry, which saw the abbey grounds turned into a “fire garden”.