Event Horizon - 23 January - 1 February - Sailors' Church, Ramsgate Harbour

Presented by Vattenfall
Part of the Light Up Ramsgate trail
Free | Fully accessible | Timed light cycle

An immersive light-and-sound experience inside Ramsgate’s historic Sailors’ Church. 
Event Horizon transforms the vaulted interior of this remarkable maritime chapel into an illuminated horizon line of light and sound. Created by light artist Balint Bolygo and sound designer Jude Greenaway, the work evokes the slow pull of sea tides; a contemplative, sensory installation where audiences are invited to pause, look up, and listen. As part of the Light Up Ramsgate trail, this installation closes the festival season with a powerful gesture; turning the harbour’s heart into a space for shared wonder and quiet reflection.
Built in 1878, the Sailors’ Church served as a mission for the crews of Ramsgate’s fishing smacks and the young apprentices known as Smack Boys. It later provided refuge to sailors rescued from shipwrecks and over 3,000 survivors of World War I. Event Horizon responds to this legacy of sanctuary and sea, drawing a connection between Ramsgate’s maritime past and the powerful, ever-changing horizon we all live beneath.
About the Artists: Balint Bolygo is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of light, movement and perception. His installation Supernova at the Sailors’ Church in 2024 attracted over 900 visitors in just four days. Jude Greenaway is an audio-visual artist and composer whose immersive soundscapes layer natural and electronic textures. This is their first collaboration - a meeting of light and sound inspired by the sea’s role in our past and future. 
What to expect: The piece runs on a gentle timed loop. The interior is darkened, with light and sound moving slowly overhead. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they like, taking in the work from the pews, or walking through the space to feel its shifting energy.