Coventry City of Culture: Aerial acrobatic show wows the crowds

13 May 2022

The Awakening — Image caption,
The show was delayed for 30 minutes due to high winds in Coventry city centre

By John Bray

��ý News, West Midlands

Flying high above the city centre, performers have delivered a breathtaking aerial acrobatic display as part of celebrations to mark Coventry's final month as the UK City of Culture.

French company Gratte Ciel performed its show, The Awakening, on Broadgate on Friday night - with a second performance due to take place at 18:30 BST on Saturday evening.

The 40-minute display featured aerial stunts with performers hanging from a giant dreamcatcher.

Coventry City of Culture Trust producer Josie Bamford described the event as a "truly memorable spectacle"

The Awakening is part of a big weekend of celebration as the UK's first permanent immersive digital art gallery, The Reel Store, opens at the Coventry Telegraph Hotel

Aerial artists performed tumbling moves high above Broadgate

Applause from large crowds in Broadgate rang out throughout the performance

Aerial artists climbed up to a dreamcatcher suspended from a crane

An aerial artist performed a series of spectacular moves in the sky above Coventry city centre

The Awakening finale began with three artists spinning around, suspended from the dreamcatcher

A surprise for the crowd was confetti and streamers blasted out from cannons

The dreamcatcher was covered in colourful streamers at the end of the performance

There was a huge ovation to greet the performers at the climax of the event

The weekend of celebrations continues on Saturday with This is the City, a free parade showcasing the people and the stories of Coventry 2021.

Meanwhile, on Sunday night, a drone-led show inspired by flocks of birds, called Our Wilder Family, is due to take to the skies above the city at War Memorial Park.