The magic of Illuminate

Visting Illuminate: Resonate was a magical experience.

Last week, I went to Illuminate for the first time with a group of my friends. Resonate, one component of this city event, is hosted in the beautiful Botanic Gardens, and it is truly such a lovely experience.

When North Terrace was alight with fun light games and interesting projections, it made me value how beautiful our city is. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the fantasy of travel that I forget that Adelaide has so many exciting events.

Entering the Botanic Gardens with five of my friends, this was made clear. As soon as you enter the Gardens, which are always so grand and spectacular, you can tell that it will be a feast for your eyes. Without spoiling, Resonate is full of different displays (involving the river, the greenhouse, the trees) structured around a path for attendees, which have been transformed by lights, sounds, and voiceovers.

My skepticism told me that surely I could not be moved by light displays, despite my love for the gardens. I was wrong. There was something about the way they set these up that incited something within me. One vibrant panel of red light incited a hellish atmosphere; a bunch of seats surrounding a moving beam evoked a sense of discovery; and a field of tiny lights amongst the grass made me think of how close our state has become.

There were moments, where I stood amongst some of my favourite people, and was silent. For once, we were not making jokes with each other; we were taking in the sheer beauty of this experience. I even had a moment of being so moved that I was close to tears. To be able to be surrounded by the people you love, watching something spectacular, is a feeling like no other.

I would certainly recommend Illuminate: Resonate to everyone! It really brought out the beauty of the Gardens in a way that felt truly magical.