Please note that this is not the official Matlock Bath Illuminations site, this can be found at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/illuminations. Saturdays and Sundays from 11 September to Saturday 31 October (inclusive)
Clifftop firework displays: 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th at 9.00pm and 31st October 2021 at 8.00pm. This operates from 5pm and costs £2 per adult and £1 pere child. The parade of Illuminated
and decorated boats takes place from around 7.30pm to 8.50pm every Saturday and Sunday during the season – with a programme of entertainment on or near the bandstand in Derwent Gardens each evening, commencing at 7.00pm. The Matlock Bath Illuminations have a long established history dating back to 1897 – first held to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It was the recollections of an earlier visit to Matlock Bath, by the then Princess Victoria that inspired the Illuminations. She recalled how, when staying in Matlock Bath, she looked out of her hotel window and saw the candle lights were reflected in the River Derwent that flows through the centre of the village. The twinkling lights made a lasting impression on the young Princess. To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the village was illuminated by fairy lamps and Chinese and Japanese lanterns with a torchlight procession through the village - followed by a procession of illuminated boats on the river and the limestone gorge rock face was decorated with coloured bonfires. Today, the event still features the decorated and illuminated boats that are produced by the members of the Matlock Bath Venetian Boat Builders Association and rowed by them each Saturday and Sunday evening during the Illuminations season. The Arkwright Cup, donated by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1903, is awarded to the winning design and the Boat Parade continues to feature one ‘candle-lit’ boat – in the traditional Victorian style. Please have a look at the video on YouTube of the Matlock Bath Illuminations 2009 (link below). Art form: Illuminated & decorated boats on river
Type of work: Music & children’s entertainment in Derwent Gardens
Aims: To stage a local ‘heritage event’ which attracts additional visitors to an existing tourist attraction and thereby extend the tourism season in Matlock Bath
Clientele: All ages
Geographic area: The event is held in Matlock Bath and it is a regional tourist attraction. Structure: Local Authority
Participation: Visitors come to enjoy the event as members of the audience
Charges: Admission Fee for Adults £4.50 & Over 60s £4.00 , accompanied children under 16 free, disabled persons/carers free
Method of booking: Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/matlockbathilluminations or on the night from the Ticket Office situated in Derwent Gardens. Contact:
Matlock Bath Illuminations
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Town Hall
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3NN
Tel: 01629 761390
email: [email protected]
