Tonight we were taking a night walk through Stanley Park. This is the first time that Vancouver is hosting Astra Lumina, the internationally celebrated light experience.
It is basically a fully immerse light show running from October 22nd to December 31st, 2026. They are open daily from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Stanley Park Railway.
Tickets are required for entry and there is also parking available in the adjacent lot, but this you have to pay for too.
The production is created by Montréal-based Moment Factory and presented by Fever. Showrunners promise to bring the stars to life through spectacular light installations, music, and celestial storytelling. If anything, it is a great excuse to take a walk and makes for a great family friendly activity or date night activity.
There is timed entry and even though everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace, things do get congested, as groups enter and exit through a single circuit.
There are nine stations, each is an estimated 3-4 minutes. If you stand and watch each for the full allotted time, the walk and experience will take you 45 minutes. We didn’t, we only stood and watched what we felt was enough to capture the essence of what that particular activation was showing us. Majority of the time 30 seconds was enough and we found ourselves moving briskly through, finishing the one way loop in under 25 minutes.
I considered doing it again, feeling like I didn’t get my monies worth and that I spent more time driving to Stanley Park than immerse in this. I didn’t get a chance to, but a second lap would have allowed me to enjoy everything more and really pause at the points that drew my interest the first time around. This instead of trying to move with the flow of traffic and get to the next one before everyone else does, in order to best capture it on my phone. Or moving swiftly just out of pure curiosity of what is next.
As a frequenter of modern art, and one that does engage in such displays often, it would’ve been nice to learn of the artist behind each piece and the concept that brought it to life. However, I have a feeling that this was all constructed as more of a light show centred around the theme of stars, space, and those who explorer the heavens. Pretty lights and strobing effects for sake of visual interest, and not necessarily storytelling.
There were falling asteroids, steaming spaceships, and messages written in the stars. Glowing arcs to walk through, singing lights to appreciate, and a showing of the big bang through colour.
Overall great for families and kids of all ages, as well as the backdrop to your next photo shoot. You can also make it a little bit more festive by ordering drinks from the bar. This assortment includes wine, beer, and specialty cocktails that are in-line with the space theme.
In short, this is a lovely idea and installation to add more interest in Stanley Park, for the cold weather and dark night season.
Astra Lumina Vancouver
690 Pipeline Rd, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2
astralumina.com
