In Photos: Mesmerising Winter Lights in Canary Wharf 2017?

January can be a shit month. The unforgiving cold biting through your clothes, the foreboding journey back to work, the rush hour journey on trains so jam-packed it feels like squeezing into superman pants and the unpleasant realisation that you might have had one too may turkey pieces for Christmas. January Blues can really be too much. Steve Carell is all of us in January:

But all is not doom and gloom. London always makes me giddy with excitement with stunning events to look forward to, and The Winter Lights in January is one of these. Perhaps, it is, in fact a very clever way of combatting the January Blues?

Now in its third year and running between 16 – 26 Jan, The Winter Lights in Canary Wharf showcases the dazzling work of some of the world’s most inventive and exciting international artists working with light today. Over 30 mesmerising artwork are located around the impressive estate of Canary Wharf, not only to be admired from afar but to interact with. It was so good, I visited twice.

Some artwork is located in the underbelly of the soon-to-be completed Crossrail station. But the majority of the artwork are located outside so be prepared to trek. Trekking around Canary Wharf in the cold may not be anyone’s cup of tea, and finding some of the artwork can be a bit like Pokemon GO! but it’s worth it and rewarding. Just think of all the Instagram ‘likes’!

If you’re in London, a visit is a must. It’s completely free, easy to travel to via the Tube, would appeal to everyone in the family, and you can download a map from the Canary Wharf website so you don’t miss a single thing. It is an outdoor event so be sure to wrap up nice and warm. The best time to visit is between 5-9pm so you can enjoy the lights at its vibrant best.

Was there a particular favourite? Probably ‘Ovo’ the big egg on Montgomery Square on the other side from Reuter Piazza. It emits an ethereal glow, appears to be floating on water, changes colour and the music/sound from the egg is otherworldly, almost hypnotic.