LORD and Lady Bath officially opened Longleat’s spectacular Festival of Light display on Friday night with the hope that it enables families and friends to make new memories together.

The festival is the first at Longleat since the Covid pandemic began and boasts that it is the most “original, biggest and most exciting lantern show” ever at Longleat.

In his speech to switch on the lights, Lord Bath said: “This year’s event feels even more special as we come together for the first time since 2019, so enjoy this amazing spectacle.

“The last few years have shown us how important it is to find and enjoy precious opportunities to spend time with the people we love.

“That’s why we are so delighted to be able to deliver a really magical experience this winter to help families and friends make memories together at Longleat.

“My thanks to the incredible team who have worked hard to make the Festival of Light 2022 the best-ever.

“Finally, a thank you to our amazing annual pass holders for showing up tonight for the first time for a real Festival of Light at Longleat since 2019.

“So, thank you all for being here. It is a momentous occasion, certainly for us and I hope it is for you.”

The festival features more than 800 lanterns, some more than 15 metres tall, bringing to life the much-loved stories of children’s author Roald Dahl, and set against the historic backdrop of Longleat House.

The Roald Dahl Story Company has created 23 stunning lantern scenes which narrate his stories, including the Big Friendly Giant, Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Lady Bath added: “It has been incredible to work with the Roald Dahl story company on these incredible stories that we all love, that have always been our favourites, and we hope that you love them too.

“You will be immersed in the characters as you go round. You will see the BFG and there’s the unbelievable Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory behind me, and we have James and the Giant Peach and so many more.

“So, it really is a wonderful experience and we want you to immerse yourselves in these stories loved by children and adults alike.”

More than 4,000 people – many of them annual passholders who had travelled quite a distance to Longleat – toured the Festival of Light following the switch on at 5pm.

This year’s fantastical festival is Longleat’s biggest and most ambitious to date and is set in over 30 acres of 'Capability' Brown landscaped grounds surrounding Longleat House.

Working in partnership with The Roald Dahl Story Company, a team of designers from Longleat has created a series of stunning, illuminated scenes bringing magical childhood favourites spectacularly to life.

They include iconic moments from The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Matilda, The Twits and Fantastic Mr Fox, to George’s Marvellous Medicine, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, to the Enormous Crocodile and Esio Trot.

Kevin Ashley, Longleat’s Head of Marketing Communications, said: “With such an extraordinary cast of characters, and at a time when we all need a little bit of magic to look forward to, we’re determined to make something truly remarkable this year.”

The Festival of Light will now run on selected dates throughout the festive holidays until January 8.

The festive fun continues with Longleat’s famous 15-metre Enchanted Christmas Tree Show and the much-loved Santa Train.

Tickets include access to all the popular animal and adventure attractions, including the Winter Safari Drive-through, Jungle Kingdom, Jungle Cruise and Longleat Hedge Maze.

For more information visit www.longleat.co.uk