PRESS RELEASE
LUMINO Lit Up the Quartier des Spectacles and Downtown Montreal All Winter Long
Montreal, March 12, 2026 — This winter, the 16th edition of LUMINO once again transformed the Quartier des Spectacles and downtown Montreal into a sprawling open-air museum, offering a one-of-a-kind winter experience: 35 light installations and video projections by some 40 artists and studios from here and abroad. From November 27, 2025, to March 8, 2026, for about three and a half months, the event attracted Montrealers, visitors, and tourists, who braved harsh winter conditions in particularly large numbers to enjoy LUMINO. Among the notable new features of the 16th edition were the new interactive video projection on ice, Le coffre à jouets dégivré (the defrosted toy box) by Ottomata and Doki, presented with the financial support of Tourisme Montréal and the Ministry of Tourism, as well as three family events: Carnaval LUMINO, Kermesse LUMINO, and a lantern-making workshop with MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises. With its 15 co-broadcasters and the collaboration of the tourism and business communities, LUMINO confirmed the tremendous value of an original and free winter cultural experience to promote Montreal. The second edition of LUMINO PRO—the international forum for winter creativity, cultural placemaking, and light art presented in the wings of LUMINO—has established itself as a premier event, welcoming more than sixty guests from Quebec, Canada, and around the world, to reflect on the subject and discover the winter activities of the Quartier des Spectacles.
“With each edition, LUMINO demonstrates that winter is a cultural season in its own right, highlight a distinctive appeal of Montreal that invites us to celebrate our northern identity and creativity. The success of the 16th edition is based on the collaboration and commitment of artists from here and abroad, municipal decision-makers, and partners in the tourism and business communities to transform the downtown core into a free winter experience that generates social and economic benefits. Montreal doesn’t go into hibernation when the temperatures drop—it lights up!” says Émilie Chabot, Director of Development and Programming, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.
LUMINO will be back for its 17th edition in the winter of 2026–2027. A call for projects will be issued in late March 2026, inviting artists and studios to submit new works to light up the city.
A Dazzling Program that Brings People Together
The 16th edition of LUMINO took place in some fifteen locations, both indoors and outdoors, in the Quartier des Spectacles and downtown. Its well-balanced program went from majestic installations to intimate works, urging families to enjoy moments of discovery, participatory workshops, and festive events around the topic of light.
- 35 works, including a new interactive video projection on the skating rink at Esplanade Tranquille
- 23 works from Quebec artists
- 19 original creations
- 3 family events: LUMINO Carnival and Kermesse LUMINO, in collaboration with Diffusion FAR, as well as In the (Un)fold of Memories, a lantern-making workshop co-hosted with MEM during spring break.
A Showcase for Creativity from Here and Abroad
LUMINO continues to stand out as a major showcase for creators in digital and light arts, as well as for up-and-coming students, bringing together a total of more than forty artists and studios.
This edition highlighted the work of 11 artists: Ravy Puth, Teo Leroo, Jeremy Shantz, Nicolas Ricard, Olivier Landreville, Marie-Ève Drolet, Cédric Le Borgne, Pauline Loctin, Iana Brezeky, Fred Sapey-Triomphe, and Michel Lemieux, alongside more than twenty student artists from UQAM’s program in immersive and interactive experience creation and the bachelor’s degree in graphic design and visual experiences.
The event also brought together 12 creative studios from Canada and around the world: TILT (France), Normal Studio (Canada), mirari (Canada), Kleis Inc. (Canada), Amigo & Amigo (Australia), Studio Vertigo (England), Lucion (France), Ottomata (Canada), Doki (Canada), Studio TRANSVERSAL (Canada), and Chalk River Labs (Australia). With LUMINO, many studios had the opportunity to present their work for the very first time in North America, offering Montreal audiences privileged access to international creations and helping to make LUMINO a major, must-see event.
The Cultural, Tourism, and Business Communities Come Together
Fifteen co-broadcasters were involved in the programming, strengthening ties between cultural institutions, venues, and partners in the tourism and business communities: Downtown Montreal, Place Ville Marie (PVM), Complexe Desjardins, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Centre Eaton de Montréal, Place des Arts, Humaniti, HoneyRose Hotel Montreal, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, DoubleTree by Hilton Montréal, Marriott Château Champlain Montreal, Hyatt Place Montréal Downtown, MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, UQAM, and SDC Quartier Latin.
Among the collaborations featured in this edition, Cédric Le Borgne’s outdoor artwork Les Voyageurs was displayed in five downtown hotels: HoneyRose Hotel Montreal, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, the DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal, the Marriott Château Champlain Montreal, and the Hyatt Place Montreal Downtown. This installation was made possible thanks to the support of Tourisme Montréal and the Ministry of Tourism, as well as the collaboration of the Greater Montreal Hotel Association.
LUMINO PRO: An International Forum on Winter Creativity
From February 25 to 27, 2026, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and Quartier des Spectacles International hosted 30 speakers and guests from the United States and Europe, as well as an equal number of participants from Quebec and Canada. Bringing together municipal decision-makers, public space managers, broadcasters, programmers, and creative studios, the event was a resounding success and highlighted the potential of winter as a driver of cultural, economic, and territorial appeal. This event was made possible thanks to the financial support of SODEC, with the participation of the Caisse de la Culture and the City of Montreal.
