Image: Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham
Compton Verney will present ‘Luminarium’ from Wednesday 26 to Monday 31 August 2026, offering visitors a one-week chance to step inside a giant inflatable maze of changing colour. The installation is described by the Warwickshire venue as an immersive sensory experience, with tickets including full-day admission to the grounds, galleries and family activities.
The event is part of Compton Verney’s summer programme, branded ‘A summer of print, pattern and play’. The venue’s August listings frame the installation alongside exhibitions, workshops and outdoor activities across its site, which includes grounds, galleries and family-friendly spaces. The website says the day-ticket for ‘Luminarium’ allows visitors to make a full day of it with art, free family activities and 120 acres to explore.
‘Luminarium’ is presented as a large-scale light environment created by Nottingham-based Architects of Air, led by designer Alan Parkinson. Compton Verney says the 2026 version is ‘Luminarium’s Terceradix’, made to celebrate 30 years of Architects of Air and designed to be ‘brighter and more colourful than ever before’. Inside, visitors can move through winding paths and soaring domes bathed in colour, choosing whether to follow a route or pause in one of the pods.
The venue’s information highlights access and timing details. The experience is timed, and early bird and advance tickets are offered online, with on-the-day tickets available only in person and subject to availability. Adult tickets include both the Luminarium session and admission to Compton Verney, while members and children aged 2 to 18 pay only for the Luminarium ticket because their day admission is free. Children under 2 go free.
Compton Verney says each Luminarium session lasts 25 minutes, with visitors asked to arrive 10 minutes before the time shown on their ticket. Shoes must be removed before entry, running is not permitted and prams and pushchairs are not allowed inside the structure. The venue notes that visitors should bring socks if they do not want to go barefoot, and that photographs are welcome, provided other visitors’ privacy is respected.
The programme also sets aside one quieter session for visitors who need a calmer environment. The first slot on Friday 28 August at 10am is designated as a SEN session with limited capacity, described by the venue as offering more space and a more relaxed atmosphere inside. Compton Verney also notes that the installation is suitable for wheelchairs, while guide dogs cannot enter the structure and must remain outside.
Alongside ‘Luminarium’, Compton Verney’s summer listings continue to feature other included exhibitions and activities, including ‘The Pattern of Life: Enid Marx and Modern British Design’, ‘Troublemakers and Prophets: Elizabeth Allen and Other Visionary Artists’, ‘The Weave’ collaborative making sessions in the meadow, and family drop-ins such as Big Blue Blocks and Giant Bubbles. The venue says ‘Luminarium’ runs Wednesday 26 to Monday 31 August 2026 at Compton Verney, Warwickshire.
