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Review: The Luminarium and bOing! festival in Canterbury

It may be billed as an international family festival but don't let that put you off the bOing! festival next year if you don't have a toddler in tow.

This bank holiday weekend it was staged in and around Canterbury for the fifth year and some 15,000 people were expected to attend.

Most events were centred around the Gulbenkian at the University of Kent and its centrepiece was undoubtedly the luminarium.

The Luminarium at bOing!
The Luminarium at bOing!

For the third year, one of the luminaria created by Alan Parkinson for Architects of Air, Katena, returned bringing a maze of tunnels and soaring spaces inspired by Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia for all ages to experience.

And what an experience it was.

With only natural light, the luminaria is a brightly coloured bubble of inspiration. It will take you on a trip into your thoughts and senses.

As you leave your shoes at the door, leave your inhibitions too, because the best way to see the luminarium in all its glory is by lying on the floor, looking upwards.

Inside the luminarium
Inside the luminarium

There was a 40-minute queue to get inside, despite timed tickets, but once inside it became apparent why - you completely lose track of time (aswell as the way out, if you're not careful).

To continue the trip into the bizarre and fascinating, there was the chance to watch some wacky hairdressers from Barcelona, dressed in silver space suits and with a DJ, create some equally wacky, but incredible, hairstyles on young volunteers, using recycled items.

There were many outdoor performances through the weekend, including the Campervan of Love and Bill and Bobby dancing in a bath, plus a 10-minute disco for little ones which sounded like crazy fun from outside.

The weekend may be over, but the experience of the luminarium will live on in many minds until next year.

The launch of bOing! festival
The launch of bOing! festival
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