Information and Travel

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse is a source of inspiration and pride to our community and the wider region.
We are the centre of artistic excellence for live events, film and visual art in Poole, providing a dynamic cultural facility for Poole, Dorset and the South West. We are an essential part in the delivery of the National and Regional Arts Strategy and have an important role as a receiving venue for national and international theatre, dance, music, contemporary circus and film.

We support and enable the creation of work and artist development and provide a home for the region’s orchestra, BSO. Lighthouse is integral to the economic and cultural profile of both the town and region.

We are passionate about providing opportunities for our community to experience the benefit the arts bring to individuals, communities and the cultural identity of the place in which we live.

In 1998 Lighthouse attracted its first revenue funding from Arts Council England and first started undertaking education work in order to increase its impact and value it added to the community.

Having celebrated its 21st year of operation in 1999 the venue underwent a £9.5 million transformation to bring the facilities up to date technically and to upgrade the public areas. Re-opened in October 2002, the centre was reborn as Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts.

Art installations came in the form of a specially commissioned bar and an all new imaginative facade to the building that comes alive at night with an impressive display of lighting. The light installation expresses the spirit, function and the form of the building. The aim is to convey a sense of live performance and optimism through intense animated colour.

The first floor bar is a work of art in its own right, the result of an international arts competition, the winner, Danny Lane (well known for creating work out of stacked glass such as the wave wall at Canary Wharf) designed and made the bar out of 4.5 tonnes of stainless steel.

Lighthouse is proud to be the home venue of The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Lighthouse issues over 200000 tickets a year and estimates that other non-ticketed activities in the building and in the community would readily increase that usage by 50% to in excess of 300,000 (more than double the population of Poole itself!)
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Directions

Lighthouse Holistic Festival 2024
17th and 18th February
10am to 5pm Daily
Evening Show 4th February 7.00pm to 10pm

Getting to Lighthouse
By Road
From London - 2 hours
From Bristol - 1hr 45
From Southampton - 40 minutes
From Bournemouth - 10 minutes
Travelling west on the M27 the road becomes the A31 bypassing Ringwood, Ferndown and Wimborne Minster. Remain on the bypass until reaching the roundabout junction signposted the A349 Poole town centre and ferry port.

Follow the A349 and ferry signs until reaching the roundabout signposted the A350 Poole town centre. This roundabout has the Poole Fairway marker buoy in the centre of it. Turn left here onto the A350 (Holes Bay Road). Follow the dual carriage way which skirts the bay. At the next roundabout at the end of Holes Bay Rd turn left onto the flyover  and move to the right hand lane. At the next roundabout turn right and within a minute you will see Lighthouse on your left.
Car Parks
There is plenty of car park space very close to Lighthouse. Parking is available at The Dolphin shopping centre multi-storey over the road from Lighthouse and the level access car park directly opposite.  There is also a car park located at the Dolphin Swimming Centre next to Everyone Active, only a five minute walk away.
Disabled parking is available directly outside Lighthouse.
Poole parking information
Buses
Lighthouse is opposite Poole bus station with an underpass or a level access crossing  providing easy access across the road. For bus times and routes click here for Yellow Buses information.
Airports
Bournemouth International Airport is approx. 9.5 miles from Poole
Southampton Airport Parkway is a 45 minute train journey direct to Poole rail station.
Rail
Poole Rail Station is in the town centre a 5 minute walk from Lighthouse. Follow signs to ‘Arts Centre’ which take you through the shopping centre to the bus station.  Lighthouse is opposite the bus station.
South West Trains run a half hourly train service to Poole station from London Waterloo with a journey time of around 2 hours.
Coach Services
National Express offers a regular service to most major towns and cities plus a Flightlink service to/from Heathrow Airport and central London with connections to Gatwick Airport.
Lighthouse Centre for Arts
21 Kingland Road
Poole
Dorset BH15 1UG