District Dispatch - 5 February 2025

I'm pleased to tell you that not only are we bringing this event back to Chichester for this year, but we are also bringing a laser light show, choreographed to music, for the first time to Petworth House too!

The first event at Petworth House will kick off on Saturday 15 February, with laser shows at 5.30pm and 6.45pm — both of which will be different displays. Petworth House will also be opening their beautiful house for free from 10.30am until 3.30pm on 15 February — so why not make a day of it and explore what Petworth House and the town has to offer before each shows begin! There will also be free drop-in crafts in Battery House where children will be able to get creative from 11am until 3.30pm, inspired by the laser show, and a silent disco between 4pm and 5pm. In addition, there will also be free live music in the courtyard from local musicians, with performances running between 3.30pm and 4.30pm, plus local vendors providing delicious food and drink.

The excitement doesn't stop there because on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 February laser light shows will return to Chichester Canal Basin for the third year running. This year will be bigger and better than ever — with a new immersive water screen with film clips projected on it. On both nights, the shows, which will be choreographed to music, will take place at 6pm and 7.30pm. The first will be a modern Disney show with music and projections, while the second show will be based around movie blockbusters. We have listened to your previous feedback, and this has helped us to enhance the show even further — so get ready to be wowed! There will also be plenty of food and drink options available, and we will have illuminated entertainers and a children's carousel ride.

All of the shows are being funded using grants from the UK Government, secured by Chichester District Council. These events have been designed as an opportunity for our local communities to enjoy free, exciting experiences during the February half-term school holidays. Over the past two years, these events have been really well received and can help brighten up what can be quite a flat time of year, following all of the celebrations in December.  I was amazed by the shows last year and so I am over the moon that we have been able to bring it to Petworth, as well as further improve the Chichester shows. People who have heard about the events have already said how excited they are that it is returning. If you are able to join us, please do be aware that the shows contain strobe lighting.

As the events are being held during the half-term holidays, we're also encouraging people to make a day of it by exploring Petworth and Chichester before attending the event - and supporting one of our many local businesses. This could be exploring our array of shops, having a meal out, or visiting one of our many attractions - including our own Novium Museum. Our district has so much to offer and holding events such as these is one of the key ways we can highlight and celebrate this.

Every month, we issue an email newsletter called initiatives+. By signing up to our email newsletter at you can make sure that you don't miss exciting events such as this. The email newsletter highlights news and events from across the district and is well worth subscribing to. It's also worth following our social media pages and keeping an eye on our latest news.

Best Wishes

Cllr Harsha Desai
Cabinet Member for Licensing, Events and Communications at Chichester District Council