Spectacular four-day festival to light up Milton Keynes this week

The City of Codes and Lights Festival is set to light upMilton Keynesthis week.

Organised by MK Islamic Arts, Culture, and Heritage ((MKIAC)), it runs from Wednesday until Saturday.

The grand finale is a digital light parade, starting with an ‘Echoes from the Golden Era’ projection and illumination on MKC Library,and continuing with huge luminous puppets and decorated lanterns forming a celebratory procession to Campbell Park.

There, a festive finale with The Old Savoy Jazz Band, fusion ensemble Symphonica and Mr. Switch and a laser light show will bring together the sounds of Jazz rhythm, a classical orchestra, and the beats of the dancefloor, concluding the 2023 Festival celebrations.

The parade will set out from CMK Library at 7.45pm and will arrive in Campbell Park at around 8.30pm. Live music starts on the stage in Campbell Park from 6pm starting with the Old Savoy Jazz Band and all entertainment is due to finish at 9.30pm.

The rest of the festival is centred around Milton Keynes Central Library, SCIoT and Bletchley Park, and delves into the theme of ‘Learning’ by exploring history, art, science, maths, technology and sustainability.

It focuses on the contributions of culturally diverse artists, mathematicians and scientists throughout the ages, from the golden age of Muslim civilisation to Alan Turing’s Enigma codebreaking during WWII at Bletchley Park.

The Milton Keynes Central Library will be a hub of activity during the festival, including a collaboration with international artists Maria Almera and Nestor Rubio. Together, they've crafted 'Relax and Release' – a groundbreaking interactive installation navigating the mental health challenges faced by young people.