How a Small Nelson Festival Keeps Punching Above Its Weight — and Why Artists Get In Behind It
While festivals across Aotearoa scale back or disappear, one regional event in Whakatū Nelson is doing the opposite. This July, Bayleys Te Ramaroa Nelson Light Festival will transform the city into an immersive playground of light, sound, sculpture, and interactive art — bringing internationally recognised artists, large-scale installations, and tens of thousands of visitors into the CBD in the heart of winter.
A community-built event from a regional city, Bayleys Te Ramaroa continues to attract innovative light and interactive artists from across Aotearoa. This year’s festival features a major installation inside Nelson Cathedral by acclaimed light artist Angus Muir of Darklight. Dedicated to renewing spaces while acknowledging their history, Darklight’s installation, Mind in the Ether invites audiences into a meditative journey where light, sound, and space dissolve into a suspended, dreamlike atmosphere.
Muir says: “Having been involved in three previous Bayleys Te Ramaroa festivals, shining lights on and around the Cathedral, it’s exciting to be inside such a significant space with stunning architectural features. Cat Ellis and I collaborating as Darklight are going to have a lot of fun creating a spectacular experience never seen in Nelson before.” This marks the first time Darklight has lit an interior space like the iconic Cathedral.
“Coming to Bayleys Te Ramaroa is like a working holiday, and being trusted to create an installation in the Cathedral is an honour.” says Muir. “I love the mixture of big bright things and amazing community artworks. Unlike some light festivals, it’s not all lasers and projections; it has artisan, handmade components, performance, and great community involvement. It is very rewarding knowing our work inspires the next generation of Nelson makers.”
Another nationally recognised artist is Simon Holden, whose handbuilt sculptural digital instrument, ARC, invites audiences to create sound and light through movement. Using infrared tracking, light mapping, and fluid particle systems, ARC turns anyone standing inside into both musician and conductor.
Holden, from Queenstown, says regional festivals like Bayleys Te Ramaroa succeed because they create genuine public connection. “People see incredible work online from overseas and assume nothing exciting is happening locally,” he says. “But artists all over Aotearoa are building amazing things. Festivals like Te Ramaroa give that work a platform. The best part is watching people stop trying to understand it and just play. That moment of awe and curiosity — that’s the magic.”
“This festival has always punched above its weight,” says Festival Director Michaela Blackman. “Having internationally respected artists alongside local light artists, school students, and community groups—that creative cross-pollination is where the energy comes from.”
Since launching in 2013, the festival has grown into one of the country’s largest free light festivals, attracting over 50,000 visitors in 2023. “In a regional city, access to large-scale immersive art experiences is rare,” says Michaela. “For young people, seeing work like this up close can completely change what feels creatively possible. For five winter nights, the city changes. You can feel the atmosphere shift.”
“Te Ramaroa exists because people make it happen,” adds Bayleys Te Ramaroa Trust Chair Annette Milligan. “Thousands of volunteer hours go into this event. It’s artists mentoring younger artists, businesses backing creativity, community groups collaborating together. That’s why it feels different.”
Bayleys Te Ramaroa Nelson Light Festival takes place July 3rd – 7th throughout Whakatū/Nelson.
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