A flexible LED lighting element, comprising: a flexible U-shaped housing having a bottom and side walls, so as to define a channel; a flexible printed circuit board mounted in the channel on the bottom wall and comprising: an LED unit, comprising: a unit U-shaped housing having a cavity; an LED mounted to a bottom surface of the unit U-shaped housing; and an LED unit connector configured to mount the LED unit to the flexible printed circuit board; and the flexible printed circuit board further comprising a flexible PCB trace to which the LED unit connector is connected, the trace comprising a single copper layer; characterised in that the LED unit further comprises an LED unit encapsulant that: is configured to cover the LED; is comprised within the cavity so as to fill the unit U-shaped housing; and contains embedded phosphor particles of different colors; wherein the flexible LED lighting element further comprises a flexible encapsulant provided in the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing (270, wherein the flexible encapsulant is configured to fill the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing, to thereby cover the unit U-shaped housing, wherein an index of refraction of the flexible encapsulant is the same as an index of refraction of the LED unit encapsulant. a flexible U-shaped housing having a bottom and side walls, so as to define a channel; a flexible printed circuit board mounted in the channel on the bottom wall and comprising: an LED unit, comprising: a unit U-shaped housing having a cavity; an LED mounted to a bottom surface of the unit U-shaped housing; and an LED unit connector configured to mount the LED unit to the flexible printed circuit board; and the flexible printed circuit board further comprising a flexible PCB trace to which the LED unit connector is connected, the trace comprising a single copper layer; characterised in that the LED unit further comprises an LED unit encapsulant that: is configured to cover the LED; is comprised within the cavity so as to fill the unit U-shaped housing; and contains embedded phosphor particles of different colors; wherein the flexible LED lighting element further comprises a flexible encapsulant provided in the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing (270, wherein the flexible encapsulant is configured to fill the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing, to thereby cover the unit U-shaped housing, wherein an index of refraction of the flexible encapsulant is the same as an index of refraction of the LED unit encapsulant. an LED unit, comprising: a unit U-shaped housing having a cavity; an LED mounted to a bottom surface of the unit U-shaped housing; and an LED unit connector configured to mount the LED unit to the flexible printed circuit board; and a unit U-shaped housing having a cavity; an LED mounted to a bottom surface of the unit U-shaped housing; and an LED unit connector configured to mount the LED unit to the flexible printed circuit board; and the flexible printed circuit board further comprising a flexible PCB trace to which the LED unit connector is connected, the trace comprising a single copper layer; to which the LED unit connector is connected, the trace comprising a single copper layer; characterised in that the LED unit further comprises an LED unit encapsulant that: is configured to cover the LED; is comprised within the cavity so as to fill the unit U-shaped housing; and contains embedded phosphor particles of different colors; wherein the flexible LED lighting element further comprises a flexible encapsulant provided in the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing (270, wherein the flexible encapsulant is configured to fill the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing, to thereby cover the unit U-shaped housing, wherein an index of refraction of the flexible encapsulant is the same as an index of refraction of the LED unit encapsulant. is configured to cover the LED; is comprised within the cavity so as to fill the unit U-shaped housing; and contains embedded phosphor particles of different colors; wherein the flexible LED lighting element further comprises a flexible encapsulant provided in the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing (270, wherein the flexible encapsulant is configured to fill the channel of the flexible U-shaped housing, to thereby cover the unit U-shaped housing, wherein an index of refraction of the flexible encapsulant is the same as an index of refraction of the LED unit encapsulant.