This week a number of events, performances and experiences will take place across the town centre for the popular festival.

One such feature of this year’s festival is the incredible glowing sculpture of Mars which is hanging in Parr Hall throughout the week.

The sculpture has been created by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram using data from Nasa.

Luke has previously had success with his Earth and Moon sculptures, so with Mars right on our doorstep for the week I went to take a look.

While the experience is free, it is recommended that you book in advance to make sure that you can pay a visit.

Luckily, I managed to get the last ticket for one of the afternoon sessions today and was not disappointed.

The stunning sculpture is impossible to miss when you enter the theatre, filling the air and towering over the floor below.

The stunning sculpture is accompanied by a soundscape which uses sounds recorded from the planet itself (Image: Newsquest)

You have free rein of the space when you visit, and you can choose to sit on the floor on bean bags and bask in its glow or go up into the circle and view it from up high.

I started by looking from below, which allowed me to get close to the sculpture and analyse how it was made, as well as the surface of the planet.

Before going to see the sculpture for myself, I spoke to Luke about the work behind the art, as well as the illusion the piece creates.

“There’s a beautiful illusion of texture on these artworks,” he said.

“You’re looking at the surface, and it looks like the sculpture has all these mountains and craters and valleys, but it’s actually flat.

“There’s a nice optical illusion that’s created and it’s really beautiful.

“We spent 200,000 years looking at the surface of the moon and it’s always been a destination for mankind.

“So, it’s quite nice to bring that into a gallery or exhibition space and give people an opportunity to inspect either the moon or Mars up close.”

After looking at each crater and mark on the surface up close, I popped up to the circle and took a seat to watch the glowing red planet spin around.

The experience is accompanied by a soundscape created by BAFTA award-winning composer, Dan Jones, and uses sounds that were recorded from the planet by Nasa.

Sitting and listening to the sounds really added to the experience, helping immerse you in the red planet despite the fact that it is millions of miles away.

You don’t need buckets of time to go and see the sculpture, even if you only have a handful of minutes, it’s worth a trip to see it.

It’s not every day you have Mars on your doorstep, so make sure to take a look before it’s gone on July 25.

There are a range of sessions available to book, and tickets can be found via https://wcaf.culturewarrington.org/whats-on/mars