Feast of Fire

On Saturday 21 October, Milton Keynes’ streets will come alive to celebrate MK50 with fire, special effects, music and fireworks, created by outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank for City Club.

The evening opens at 6.30pm with the beautiful Spellbound show in The Point car park. Inspired by the ancient Indian epic, The Ramayana, this large-scale performance is told through shadow theatre, puppetry, masked characters and Indian dance.

Audiences can then enjoy Walk the Plank’s captivating fire sculptures in Midsummer Boulevard East near to MK Gallery, as well as experience installations and performances from artists using the Boulevard’s portes cochères. Denis Tricot will create a new wooden structure in response to the surrounding urban-scape, sonic artist Dan Fox presents Fruits of the Fire and Milton Keynes-based artist Stuart Moore has created of a new composition for the fire sculptures.

Meanwhile, Festive Road’s ingenious mechanical sculptures and eccentric characters, The Futurists, will roam the Boulevard and MÓTUS Dance will present a piece danced by a trio of women.

The People’s Procession – 250 citizens carrying flaming torches – will then move through the Boulevard to lead audiences to a dance party and the fiery finale in The Point car park.

Here, hot-stepping live band Mr Wilson’s Second Liners play classic 90’s dance tunes in a New Orleans jazz style and international turntablist DJ Ritu will continue the party with tunes from the past 50 years. The set will feature fire drawings and dance performances as this celebratory evening draws to a grand fiery finale.

Feast of Fire has been created for MK50 and City Club by Walk the Plank working with The Stables and IF: Milton Keynes International Festival.

This FREE event takes place The Point Car Park (MK9 3NB) from 6.30pm and Midsummer Boulevard East (Theatre District). A range of street food stalls will also be at the event.

For further information on timings please go to IF:Milton Keynes International Festival website here or visit the Feast of Fire Facebook page here.

Feast of Fire is sponsored by Gallagher Estates, IDI Gazeley, centre:mk and intu Milton Keynes, and supported by Arts Council England, Milton Keynes Council, The Rothschild Foundation, MK Community Foundation, PRS for Music Foundation, MK Dons Sports & Education Trust and YMCA. With thanks to Milton Keynes Development Partnership.

1/7 Walk the Plank, Spellbound. Photo: Thomas Arran

2/7 Fire drawings by Walk the Plank

3/7 Walk the Plank. Photo: Vipul Sangoi

4/7 Shimmer Tree, Dan Fox

5/7 Torch lit procession created by Walk the Plank. Photo Sean Spencer

6/7 Denis Tricot

7/7 Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. Photo Chris Payne