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A festival of light on the old river quay

Seri Malam

When
12 to 15 November
Lights
7 pm to midnight
Where
The old river quay
Passes
From RM 25

A bridge of threads, a tide of lanterns, a garden that listens, a market of stars: four nights on the city's oldest quay.

Artist's impressions, generated for this demonstration: an invented festival.

For four nights the old quay goes dark, and then it lights up. Each night lights something new, and the bridge stays lit for all four.

Night one Thursday 12

The Weaving Bridge

Two hundred threads of light are strung across the footbridge, one for every year the quay has stood. As the crowd crosses, the threads answer their footsteps, weaving new patterns until the whole bridge glows.

Studio Benang, light installation

Where
The Weaving Bridge
Quay opens
6:30 pm
Only tonight
10 pm: the bridge at full weave

Where to stand: The middle of the bridge at 10 pm (step-free ramps); the upper steps for the 8:30 choir

Plan this night

Night two Friday 13

Lantern Tide

At nine, three thousand paper lanterns are set on the river at the upper steps. The current carries them past the quay in one slow, golden procession. Write a wish on yours at the lantern tent.

Community lantern makers

Where
Upper steps
Quay opens
6 pm
Only tonight
9 pm: the lanterns launch

Where to stand: The viewing platform beside the upper steps (step-free by the ramp); arrive by 8:30 pm

Plan this night

Night three Saturday 14

The Listening Garden

The riverside garden becomes an instrument. Speak into one of the brass horns and the garden answers in light and a low, shifting chord, so every visitor adds a voice to the night.

Kolektif Gema, sound and light

Where
The Listening Garden
Quay opens
7 pm
Only tonight
11 pm: the silent hour

Where to stand: The benches inside the garden (firm paths); arrive before 9:30 pm

Plan this night

Night four Sunday 15

Constellation Market

Sixty stalls are laid out as the night sky over the quay: food, craft and music under strings of light, each stall a star, each lane a constellation you can walk.

Makers of the quay

Where
Constellation Market
Quay opens
5 pm
Only tonight
9 pm: all four lit together

Where to stand: The bridge, to see all four light at once (step-free ramps); arrive by 8:30 pm

Plan this night

Sunday 15, 9 pm

All four, lit together

At nine on the last night the quay goes dark for one minute. Then the bridge, the river, the garden and the market light one after another, in the order of the nights, and all four stay lit together until midnight.

Be there on Sunday

Plan your night

Choose a night. See where, and when.

Choosing a night lights its places on the quay and lists its evening in order. Select a time or a place to see it on the plan.

Choose a night

On Sunday 15Nothing on that nightSelected

  • Gate
  • Shuttle
  • Drop-off
  • Information
  • Toilets (accessible)
  • First aid
  • Prayer room
  • Viewing platform
  • Step-free route

Thursday 12 on the quay

  1. The quay goes darkThe whole quay
  2. First light on the Weaving BridgeBridge
  3. Riverbank choir on the upper stepsUpper steps
  4. The bridge at full weaveBridge

Friday 13 on the quay

  1. Lantern tent opensLantern tent
  2. Drummers on the upper stepsUpper steps
  3. Lantern Tide launchesUpper steps
  4. Last lanterns pass the bridgeBridge

Saturday 14 on the quay

  1. The garden wakesListening Garden
  2. Guided listening walksListening Garden
  3. The garden plays itselfListening Garden
  4. The silent hour beginsListening Garden

Sunday 15 on the quay

  1. Constellation Market opensMarket
  2. Makers' parade along the quayThe whole quay
  3. All four installations lit togetherSee it lit
  4. The quay goes dark againThe whole quay
05

Constellation Market

When
Sunday 5 pm to midnight
Light and sound
Music and crowds in the lanes
Access
Step-free lanes, some narrow
From the gate
6 minutes

Tonight here: 5:00 pm Constellation Market opens; 9:00 pm All four installations lit together

  1. Every night from 7 pm; at full weave on ThursdayWarm light, slow changes, no flashingStep-free ramps at both endsFrom the gate: 4 minutes
  2. Friday from 6 pmBright tent, busy before 9 pmStep-free, seating insideFrom the gate: 2 minutes
  3. Thursday choir at 8:30 pm; Friday launch at 9 pmDrums from 8 pm on FridaySteps; a ramp leads to the viewing platform beside themFrom the gate: 3 minutes
  4. Saturday from 7 pm; lit again on Sunday at 9Low chords and soft light; silent from 11 pmFirm paths, benchesFrom the gate: 8 minutes
  5. Sunday 5 pm to midnightMusic and crowds in the lanesStep-free lanes, some narrowFrom the gate: 6 minutes
  6. Every night, 7 pm to midnightLow light, no musicStep-free, seating, ear defendersFrom the gate: 3 minutes

Passes

Choose your nights

Prices include everything: no booking fee, children under five free, and a carer free with any pass. You can change your night up to the day before.

One evening

RM 25

Any single night, from when the quay opens

Your night: choose oneThuFriSatSun
  • All installations that night
  • The lantern tent, if you choose Friday

All four nights

RM 80

Come back every night

Nights coveredThuFriSatSun
  • A fast lane at the gate
  • A lantern kit for Lantern Tide
  • Listening walk booking

Family

RM 60

Two adults and up to three children, one night

Your night: choose oneThuFriSatSun
  • All installations that night
  • Family trail map

This is a demonstration website. No booking is made and no payment is taken.

Visit and access

Getting there, and being comfortable

Getting there
Shuttles run from the city station every 15 minutes, from an hour before the quay opens until 12:30 am. The quay itself is car-free during the festival.
The walk
The quay walk is about a kilometre: allow an hour to an hour and a half, and join it anywhere.
Access
Step-free routes to every installation, a quiet room every night, and ear defenders at the information point.
Light and sound
Nothing on the quay flashes more than three times a second. Each place's light and sound is described on the plan.
Weather
Light rain does not stop the festival. In a storm we pause the lanterns and tell you here and at the gate.

Questions

Can I bring my own lantern?

Please use a festival lantern: they are made to be collected downstream so nothing is left in the river.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. The garden and the market are especially good for children; the family trail map shows the calmer routes.

Do passes sell out?

The Friday lantern night is the busiest. The all-nights pass keeps a place for you each evening.

Is the food halal?

Yes: every food stall at the Constellation Market is halal, and vegetarian stalls are marked on the family trail map.

Where are the toilets and the prayer room?

Toilets, including accessible ones, are at the gate and beside the market. The prayer room is next to the information point at the gate.

Can a carer come with me?

Yes. A carer comes free with any pass; tell the gate team when you arrive.

What if we lose each other?

Meet at the information point by the gate. Lost children are looked after there until they are collected.

What if a night is cancelled?

If a storm stops a night, your pass moves to another night or is refunded in full.

Can I be dropped off at the quay?

Yes. The quay is car-free, but there is a step-free drop-off point at the gate for taxis and accessible vehicles.