From 19 January – 8 February 2026, Jubilee Pool invited visitors to banish the winter blues and bask beneath a spectacular indoor sun. For three weeks only, the iconic Victorian pool in Knowle, South Bristol, UK, hosted a smaller 5 metre version of Helios and marked the first time the artwork has ever been installed in a swimming pool anywhere in the world.
Gaining press and media attention across the UK and beyond, the exhibition was a fundraiser towards repairing the pool roof and installing solar panels. Through ticket sales, donations and merchandise, Friends of Jubilee Pool raised over £50,000 towards these urgent repairs in just 3 weeks!
At Jubilee Pool, visitors experienced Helios in an entirely new way – glowing above the water, reflected across the pool’s surface, and fully immersive for swimmers below. With special early morning and late night swims, tickets to swim under the sun sold out in hours. During these sessions, the Helios sound composition by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson was played through poolside speakers, contributing to the serene atmosphere. On weekends, when more family groups visited, there were also some special performances scheduled including local choirs, a jazz ensemble and ambient musicians.
Measuring five metres in diameter, the artwork features 72dpi detailed imagery of the Sun’s surface. At an approximate scale of 1:278 million, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 2780km of the Sun’s surface.
Friends of Jubilee Pool (Bristol) Ltd is a registered charity run entirely by volunteers. In 2022, they successfully saved the pool from closure.
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