Sale is getting ready to light up this November as Prism Festival returns for its fourth year, bringing three days of spectacular light installations, live music and digital art to Waterside Arts.
LUNA installation by musician Richard Evans
Running from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 November 2026, this year's festival takes inspiration from humanity's journeys to the Moon, with a programme of immersive experiences, performances and creative activities for all ages.
For the first time, the entire festival is free to attend; some activities will require advance booking, but there's no charge to enjoy any of them. Most of the action will take place inside Waterside Arts, with a handful of outdoor performances bringing light and colour to Waterside Plaza.
What's on at Prism Festival 2026?
One of this year's highlights is LUNA:LIVE, a large-scale audiovisual installation created by award-winning Manchester-based musician Richard Evans.
Combining incredible NASA photography, specially created lunar landscapes and an original soundtrack, the installation takes visitors on an immersive journey through humanity's exploration of the Moon.
Next, there's LUMEN ARRAY, a dazzling combination of circus skills, movement, music and LED technology. Performances will take place on Waterside Plaza at 4pm and 7.30pm, with no booking required.
Another unusual experience comes courtesy of SUBWORKS, an audiovisual installation where visitors don't just hear music – they can actually feel it. Created by Berlin-based Sub_Bar, the experience uses low-frequency sound and vibrations to explore music in a completely different way. Designed for deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing audiences alike, it's suitable for ages 14 and over. Booking is required.
There's also HOLOCITY: LIVE, another performance from Richard Evans, featuring live electro-pop, immersive visuals and futuristic cityscapes. Performances take place on Thursday 19 and Saturday 21 November, with advance booking required.
Children aged 7 to 12 can get involved in free circus skills workshops on Saturday 21 November.
Led by LUMEN ARRAY performer Ed Grimoldby, the workshops offer a chance to try juggling, flower sticks, poi and diabolo. Sessions take place at 11am and 2pm and booking is required.
Visitors can also explore Camera Obscura: Experiments in Animation, Waterside's free exhibition showcasing hand-drawn, painted and experimental animation. The exhibition includes original artwork from the Grammy Award-winning music video for The Beatles' *I'm Only Sleeping. During the festival, it will be open from 10am to 9pm each day, with no booking needed.
Festival curator and Waterside manager Darren Adams said: "We’re delighted to launch the programme for the fourth edition of Prism, a festival born from a bold ambition to bring ambitious large-scale artistic experiences to life. This year’s programme showcases some of the most exciting artists working across music, light and digital arts today.
"For the first time, the entire festival will be free to access, allowing us to share these extraordinary experiences with an even wider audience and ensuring more people can discover, enjoy and be inspired by groundbreaking contemporary arts."
Prism Festival takes place from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 November 2026 at Waterside Arts in Sale.
To explore the full programme and book your place, visit prismfestival.org.
