Inflatable art installation comes to town

A world-renowned art installation is to land in Grantham next year, South Kesteven District Council has announced.

The giant inflatable walk-through Luminarium sculpture will be in Wyndham Park from 27 March to 4 April 2027.

Visitors will be able to walk through a colourful labyrinth of tunnels and domes, lit by natural daylight through translucent material.

The council's deputy leader, Paul Stokes, said: "It's the ideal opener ahead of Newton 300 celebrations, focusing on light, colour, and natural phenomena - a strong link to Isaac Newton's pioneering work in optics and the science of light."

Colsterworth-born Sir Isaac Newton, who died in 1727, was one of the world's greatest scientists, and his legacy is being celebrated across the country 300 years on, in 2027.

Newton's childhood home at Woolsthorpe Manor is famous for its 400-year-old apple tree, which reputedly inspired his theory of gravity.

There is a Grade II-listed bronze statue to commemorate the scientist on St Peter's Hill in Grantham.

The Luminarium was created by Nottingham-based company Architects of Air and has attracted more than three million visitors in over 40 countries.

It comes to Grantham with the help of funding from the government's Future High Street Fund, which aims to "renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that drives growth, improves experience and ensures future sustainability".

Stokes said: "We're thrilled to be able to offer this experience to the people of South Kesteven. It's an attraction we've been seeking to secure for some time."

He added: "Anyone of any age or background can connect with it - in fact visitors are invited wander, to lie down, to sit down and enjoy the ambience and the space. It's said to have an energising effect on children and a calming effect on adults."

Ticket details for timed slots during the residency will follow in early 2027, the council said.

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