A golden community celebration returns, welcoming the darker nights! SPAN’s Haverfordwest lantern parade is announced for 2026 with an ancient Welsh theme.

SPAN Arts is thrilled to announce details of the much-anticipated Haverfordwest lantern parade, returning on Friday the 30th of October. Join us after sundown to mark the return of winter with this year’s Noson Galan Gaeaf themed parade. This year’s parade, Light of Ancient Guardians, will illuminate one of the last nights of autumn with giant Ancient Guardian lanterns, inspired by Welsh folklore and legend.

Celebrating the ancient Welsh festival Noson Galan Gaeaf – the Welsh celebration of Hallows Eve – this parade welcomes the start of winter and celebrates a point in the turning seasons where we are brought closer to the spirit world. Winners of the public vote, Sand Palace Arts, have been commissioned to create their proposed Ancient Guardians of the Natural World. Inspired by stories from the Mabinogion and themes of Noson Galan Gaeaf, two large-scale, glowing puppet figures will walk the route on a carpet of community-made lanterns. The first lantern puppet is inspired by the Welsh Goddesses Cerridwen and Rhiannon, associated with magic, transformation and a connection to the otherworld. The second puppet figure will portray a White Stag, associated with wild nature and a powerful sacred messenger from Annwn.

We are also delighted to announce that our FREE community lantern-making workshops will return soon! Led by Sand Palace Arts, the whole family can get stuck in to make small-scale owl and mouse lanterns that will light up the streets with the Ancient Guardians. The community workshop will be held between 10:30 am-3:30 pm in Haverhub on the 26th of September, VC Gallery on the 3rd of October and The Albany Hall on the 17th of October. These drop-in sessions are completely FREE, and people of all ages are invited to join in. No booking required.

The parade itself will take place in Haverfordwest on October 30th, gathering from 5 pm at ready to start from St. Thomas’s Green at 6pm, and ending at the County Hall Car Park. With the giant Ancient Guardians lighting the way for the community-made lantern procession, we will flicker our way through the streets with the joyful rhythms of Samba Doc. Once the parade has drifted through Haverfordwest, we will cross the final bridge into County Hall Car Park, where a circus-style fire performance from Pembrokeshire Fire Spinners will bring our Noson Galan Gaeaf themed parade to a spectacular and fitting close.

The parade and community workshops are completely FREE to attend. Please find out more information, including route maps, parking and traffic announcements, accessibility information and more on the Span Arts website, span-arts.org.uk. If you have any specific accessibility questions, please email info@span-arts.org.uk .

Join us to light our way into the darker months, and honour the traditions of our ancestors in this celebration of community, culture and the return of winter.

 

Parade Details:

Date: Friday, 30th October

Time: From 5pm. Procession leaves St.Thomas Green at 6 pm

Location: Starting at St. Thomas’s Green and ending at County Hall Car Park, Haverfordwest.

Price: FREE

 

Workshop Details:

Price: All workshops are FREE drop-in sessions.

Time: 10:30am-3:30pm

Locations and dates:

  • Haverhub: Saturday 26th September
  • VC Gallery: Saturday 3rd October
  • The Albany Hall: Saturday 17th October

More Information at span-arts.org.uk. Please contact info@spanarts.org to discuss your accessibility needs.