45 Teams, One Very Sleepy Lido: Dusk till Dawn Is Back

Swim Events

13 Jul

Last year we asked Cambridge to swim through the night for Level Water. This year, Cambridge said "again, but bigger." 45 teams pitched their tents, packed their pizza money, and set their alarms for absolutely no sensible hour, all in aid of getting more disabled children into the water. The result? A second Jesus Green Dusk till Dawn that out-partied, out-splashed, and out-lasted the first, and a fundraising total that's still climbing past £45,000.

A Buzz of Anticipation

Jesus Green Lido doesn't do things by halves, and neither did the sunbathers who spent the afternoon squinting at our festival flags going up around them, clearly wondering what on earth was about to happen to their peaceful Saturday. By late afternoon the mystery was solved: motivational poolside signs appeared, the unmistakable smell of pizza and sun cream took over the air, and Level Water's brilliant volunteers threw open the gates. Swimmers flooded in, tents under one arm, team garb under the other and a few enterprising souls tried their luck signing up teams on the spot. (We love the confidence.)

Full Circle for Level Water's CEO

Once again, this event is personal for Ian. It was another proper family affair: his daughters Tiger-Lily and India, and his mum Anne, all got in the water to swim for Level Water at the very lido where Ian took his first strokes. Three generations, one lido, one very good cause. Full circle doesn't quite cover it.

And They're Off

At 7pm, the countdown hit zero and 45 teams surged towards the water, some sneaking in a cheeky warm-up lap before the lido officially closed to the public for the night. What followed was refreshingly unfussy: faster swimmers took the inside line, everyone else drifted round the outside at whatever pace felt good, and nobody minded either way. As a glorious sunset settled over the green, local musician David Picarra picked up his acoustic guitar and serenaded the campsite, while teams gathered poolside with pizza slices in hand, cheering on whoever happened to be mid-lap.

Night Swimming: A Special Kind of Magic

As David's last chords faded into the dark, the lido transformed. The floodlights on the camping side went off, a lovely touch from the lido team, leaving fairy lights and head torches to do the work instead. Down at Level Water HQ, a green light meant it was your turn to go, a red light meant it was time to bring it home on your final lap: simple, effective, and just the right amount of drama for 2am. Some teams napped in shifts, others stayed wide awake chatting in low voices until the sky started to lighten, and the whole lido settled into that particular hum that only happens when several dozen people have collectively decided sleep is optional.

Sunrise and the Final Stretch

After a 26°C day, the water held onto its warmth long after the air cooled down, which meant the small hours brought some of the most enjoyable swimming of the whole event - genuinely lovely warm laps under a lightening sky. As dawn properly broke, the crowds reappeared, the music started up again, and everyone found an extra burst of energy for the final stretch. Lifeguards cheered the last swimmers home as the queue snaked around the edge of the lido, teams hugging, high-fiving, and generally basking in the fact that they'd just swum through an entire night for a cause worth losing sleep over.

Every Stroke Counts

45 teams. One unforgettable night. And a total so far of £45,000, enough to fund 3,000 swimming lessons for disabled children, with the total still climbing. Huge thanks to Jesus Green Lido, the lifeguards, David Picarra for the soundtrack, every volunteer who kept the whole thing running, and every swimmer who decided that a 3am lap was a good idea. You were right. It was.

If you like the sound of our Dusk Till Dawn events, we’ve got one coming up in Peterborough on 3rd October 2026.

Photos by Chris Healey