A community celebration of light, music and fire.
Workshops take place at Oscar's. Come and make a lantern ready for the parade. Book a slot during the afternoon and work with support from local artists — the process can take half an hour or a whole afternoon, depending on how much you want to personalise your design. All materials are provided. If the Saturday slots sell out, we'll add more workshops on Sunday 20 December.
Tickets include your lantern kit, and low-income tickets are available.
A gathering before the event where you can collect your lantern ready for the procession, if you made one at the workshops, come to collect from Oscar's before we head off.
Bottle Alley, Warrior Square — from Oscar's to The Selkie. A samba soundclash with solstice stories to set off the evening — music, singing and dancing to brighten the darkest night of the year, with the incredible sound of local samba musicians and storytelling. Bring your friends, your family and your festive spirit.
A short gathering once the procession is done, so everyone can stay for a drink together. Oscar's and The Selkie will both stay open for a while.
Long before calendars, communities marked the turning of the year together — the shortest day met with fire, noise and company rather than faced alone. Return of the Light keeps that rhythm alive on the Hastings seafront: a shared lantern, a shared procession, a shared reason to step outside on the darkest evening of the year.
At the end of the night, many people place their lanterns into the fire on the beach, which is in turn consumed by the waves. Often it is a lantern made in memory of someone they have lost — an act of both remembrance and letting go. Everyone is welcome to bring a light for someone they love.
