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Fire-breathing dragons, lightning bolts and spectacular fire performances will transform Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens after dark when Arts by the Sea returns this September for its 16th edition. 

Across both Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, the festival’s evening programme will bring this year’s ELEMENTAL theme to life through a series of awe-inspiring performances from Lords of Lightning, interdisciplinary and internationally touring artist Paka the Uncredible and Bournemouth-based Steamship Circus.

As daylight fades, audiences will be invited to gather in the Lower Gardens for a spectacular celebration of fire, light and electricity, experiencing some of nature’s most powerful forces reimagined through art, performance and engineering.

Inspired by the powerful energies that shape our world, this year’s ELEMENTAL theme explores the spark of electricity, the energy of fire, the grounding strength of earth and the renewing flow of water. Throughout the festival weekend, audiences will encounter work inspired by each of these forces, but as darkness falls, fire and electricity will take centre stage.

Headlining the evening programme is Frequency Rider by Lords of Lightning, sister company of Arcadia Spectacular, a spellbinding performance that harnesses millions of volts of electricity to create a breathtaking visual and sonic experience. Firing multi-million-volt bolts from their bodies while transforming electrical energy into music, the world-renowned performers embody the raw power and unpredictability of nature itself.

Throughout both evenings, audiences can encounter Paka’s extraordinary creation Rusty the Horse, whose theatre and mayhem are derived from the interaction between Paka the artist and Rusty the Horse and the audience, creating a half-robotic double act. Rusty the Horse will roam through Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens, where visitors can also see another of Paka’s animatronic wonders, Elsie the Dragon. 

Combining theatre, engineering and imagination, the larger-than-life mechanical characters are set to bring a sense of wonder and surprise to the after-dark experience. Elsie the Dragon is engineered with 36 distinct body movements; the combinations of which present a myriad of possibilities. Her smoke, fire and movement will embody the Festival’s fire-focused celebrations.

Adding to the atmosphere, Bournemouth’s own fire and LED performance collective, Steamship Circus, will present a series of fire performances across both evenings, illuminating the Lower Gardens with choreographed displays of flame, movement and circus skill.

Andrea Francis, Festival Director, said: “Fire has always brought people together. It’s a source of warmth, storytelling, celebration and transformation and it sits right at the heart of this year’s ELEMENTAL theme. Across both Festival evenings, we’re creating an experience that captures that sense of collective wonder, whether audiences are gathering around a fire performance, watching lightning dance across the night sky or encountering a fire-breathing dragon. These artists each explore elemental forces in completely different ways, but together they create a powerful shared experience that celebrates energy, imagination and connection. We can’t wait to see the Lower Gardens come alive after dark.”

Cllr Andy Martin, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Customer and Communication at BCP Council, said: “Arts by the Sea proudly continues to bring ambitious, world-class outdoor arts experiences to Bournemouth and these first programme announcements offer a fantastic glimpse of what’s to come. The ELEMENTAL theme provides a powerful lens through which to explore creativity, innovation and our relationship with the world around us. The Festival’s after-dark programme has become a real highlight for audiences and we’re delighted to be welcoming these incredible performances to the town centre as part of another exciting year for Arts by the Sea.”

Arts by the Sea is a free event bringing together diverse music, intriguing installations, dance, street theatre and participatory experiences in one unique and celebratory programme. 

It is founded by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council. Arts by the Sea festival receives regular funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. From 2023-26 BCP Council will receive more than £150,000 per year to increase opportunities and improve access to creativity and culture in the region. With thanks to National Lottery players across the country.