As most locals know, the transition from our sunny city to Raincouver comes with shorter days, longer layers and select sunlight. Luckily, one event is making a triumphant return to help shed some light on the darker days of winter.
After all, after darkness comes the lights!
The Lumière Festival is returning to downtown Vancouver from November 2 to 6, featuring a series of interactive art installations across the city, inspired by light and artistic expression to spark your curiosity and warm your heart.
Light it up
Featuring small to large-scale illuminated artworks, light-based projections, dynamic performances, and interactive workshops, the Lumière Festival is an annual public celebration where light, art, music and dance enliven the city.
Celebrating its impressive 10-year anniversary, the event is fully embracing this year’s slogan, “Still Glowing Strong,” with installations sprawled over 10 locations across downtown Vancouver, including in the West End, Yaletown and Gastown.
Put on by the Lumière Festival Vancouver Society, the event seeks to redefine winter as a season of inspiration and coming together through enriching arts and cultural experiences in outdoor spaces that support creativity, innovation and community connection.
Illuminating experiences
Whether you want to stand back and admire or jump right in and explore for yourself, there are countless exhibits and experiences to choose from.
Immerse yourself in “The Tunnel” by Paul Magnuson, a series of strange, 12-foot-tall cosmic structures that come together to create a tunnel of magical light and sound, creating a one-way trip to another side.
Admire the weird and whimsical with “Life is a Circus” by Sandra Bérubé, an installation that seemingly defies gravity. The exhibit features a zeppelin occupied by a flock of birds flying in the sky, transporting an elephant with a contortionist hand-balancing on its trunk peeking through a long telescope—a true spectacle to behold in itself. The convoy appears to be hovering above the ground, held in place by ropes, which the audience can pull to give them motion in flying.
Both installations will be set up at 1800 Davie Plaza and Morton Park.
From there, venture over to the West End Community Centre (870 Denman Street) and experience the Magic Crystal Ball Kaleidoscope by Foxlight Labs, an immersive, eight-foot giant kaleidoscope containing over one thousand LED lights producing mesmerizing patterns and colours. As you approach the exhibit, you’ll notice a mysterious crystal ball, which will sense your presence and prompt the kaleidoscope to respond to your movements, creating a captivating interactive experience.
Urban Lights Contacts is an interactive artwork with an important social dimension. Created by Scenocosme, the artist couple of Grégory Lasserre and Anaïs met den Ancxt, this artwork brings together the spectators around an artistic experience. As spectators interact with the art piece in different ways, it will offer up an extraordinary social and sensory experience. You’ll be able to find this installation on display at Bentall Centre (505 Burrard Street).
And if you're hoping to indulge your own creativity? Look no further than the Fairy Lantern Workshop by Imaginarium Events also at the West End Community Centre. Join in the magical experience as you're walked through the step-by-step process of transforming a plain old mason jar into a festive and fantastical fairy lantern.
These are just some examples of the whimsical wonders in store at this year’s festival.
The 10th annual Lumière Festival is taking place November 2 to 6. Learn more and view the full list of exhibits, installations and workshops at lumiereyvr.com.
