illumi Laval
A New Dazzling World of Lights
by Cavalia

Until mid-November, MULTICOLOUR FLIGHT is transformed into the DISENCHANTED FOREST. Hundreds of colourful skeletons and spooky monsters take over this illuminated journey in the middle of the forest, in what appears to be a cemetery that comes back to life at dusk.

It’s time for fantastical crops at illumi. The garden has everything the Giants need for a gargantuan feast among the apple trees, in the middle of a field of tulips and sunflowers. Watermelons and strawberries that seem straight out of a comic book, along with cherries and lemons with outsized smiles, mingle merrily with joyful tomatoes and eggplants. But who is the mysterious gardener who left a magic watering can between the rows of cauliflower?

Hundreds of multicoloured trees of all shapes and sizes, constructed from thousands of glittering lights, set the mood for this kaleidoscopic landscape. The mysterious underbrush is filled with colourful mushrooms, giant snails and nimble flying squirrels. A world of wonder awaits you in the magical forest.

illumi’s icon, a majestic 47-metre tree of lights, the size of the Statue of Liberty, is visible for kilometres around. Its unparalleled display and brilliance guides visitors to the world’s largest multimedia, sound and light show. This year, 100,000 luminous, interactive spheres light up the illumi tree—three times more than in previous editions. A multicolour tree forest also brightens up the dazzling village where kids and adults alike can warm up with a hot beverage.

The largest world of illumi’s third edition plunges you into waves of blazing colours, as a carpet of 700,000 LED bulbs brings a wondrous beach to life. Thanks to high-definition projections, powerful waves of up to 7 metres high and 60 metres wide, rock the aquatic creatures, and then break in front of amazed visitors. The waves splash and spray, leaving behind a fantastic array of marine fauna composed of multicoloured fish swishing through seaweed, mischievous crabs exploring the seabed, and singing dolphins gleefully jumping under the starry sky.

The largest world of illumi’s third edition plunges you into waves of blazing colours, as a carpet of 700,000 LED bulbs brings a wondrous beach to life. Thanks to high-definition projections, powerful waves of up to 7 metres high and 60 metres wide, rock the aquatic creatures, and then break in front of amazed visitors. The waves splash and spray, leaving behind a fantastic array of marine fauna composed of multicoloured fish swishing through seaweed, mischievous crabs exploring the seabed, and singing dolphins gleefully jumping under the starry sky.

Guided by the illumi lighthouse beam, a privateer and his mates anchored and abandoned their ship in Laval before mysteriously vanishing. In their flight, the pirates left behind their shipment of multicoloured lights as well as two crew members, a monkey and a parrot, who were forced to accompany them in their sea adventures. These two sidekicks worked together to adorn the ship with thousands of lights, to brighten their unending night and to celebrate their return to safe harbour. Despite the courageous duo’s victory, they keep hearing the whispers of… ghost pirates!

A colossal herd of 200 equines, inspired from Cavalia’s white horses, awaits you in this alternate world, for an epic imaginary ride filled with beauty, mystery, majesty and horsepower. These inseparable companions, constructed from thousands of dazzling lights, will remind you of the gracefulness of Cavalia’s equestrian stars that made the show a global success. And you’ll get to see real Cavalia horses enjoying themselves and romping about freely thanks to the magic of a water screen and fantastic projections, set to music composed by Quebecer Michel Cusson.

Never before have you been surrounded by so many cats and dogs, in this world where only peace exists between the two species. Some giant cats and dogs stand on guard while more than 200 adorable creatures from some 50 different breeds enjoy themselves freely and in harmony in a vast illuminated park.

Discover the greatest traditions of La Belle Province through the red and orange maple leaves that literally illuminate the sky and dance to the folk music of yesteryear, while bonfires light up the path under the twinkling stars. The chicken coop, the barn, and the farm animals, including friendly chickens, are a nod to rural Quebec. Honour your sweet tooth with treats from the Cavalia Farm.

Mamma Mia! Life is wonderful under Italy’s starry sky. A gigantic luminous Roman gladiator, being drawn by two horses, stands in the middle of life-sized reproductions of the Roman Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain and the canals of Venice. These captivating historical sites are brought together in a one-of-a-kind universe, set to a background of enchanting romantic music. It’s an express trip through an illuminated version of the Republica Italiana. Immerse yourself in a symphony of light and thrill under the beams of incandescent streetlights. A truly electrical immersive experience in the very heart of Italy!

Two majestic elephants welcome you to this universe straight out of the Sahara Desert. The souk is open and the peasants gather, sing and dance the baladi under the moonlight. The stars fade under the night sky, so bright are the thousand lights shimmering from the immense palace. A few genies, freed from their magic lamps, grant passers-by their zaniest wishes. Camels devour freshly picked fruit from the Garden for Giants. Boys and girls appear to have found the secret to flying magic carpets from one end to the other of the village, thereby fleeing the grasp of evil sorcerers.

Look up and admire the sparkling snowflakes and scintillating stars that light up the sky. Giant shimmering crystals, garlands that drape to the ground and stalagmites form a world of ice. A dazzling ice castle will take you back to your childhood and to the chill of winter. Admire the icemen and festive gnomes in this fairy tale dreamscape. The Elf House is nestled at the very centre of a multicoloured fir tree forest.

It was an unusual dark and stormy night! A phenomenal blizzard of oversized candy poured down on illumi, to the great surprise of the visitors. Decadent cakes, ice cream cones fit for Giants, gargantuan lollipops and all kinds of candy are now a part of the dazzling light adventure. Howling winds have transported a gingerbread house onto this scene straight from a child’s dream. But those who have a sweet tooth, beware! You’ll have such an urge to substitute your dinner with this endless feast!

Martians who landed at illumi used their power to transform this perfectly average forest, converting our firs and maples into multicoloured, animated geometric structures used as devices to communicate with the citizens of their distant planet. The sequences of colours beamed into the sky are in fact complex, encrypted secret messages about their mission to explore Earth. We recently managed to decode one of these messages after surprising a Martian in mid-transmission: WE. ARE. NOT. ALONE. IN. THE. UNIVERSE.

This vast plain is a sanctuary for prehistoric creatures. Some 50 gigantic dinosaurs—including 18 animated Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptors, Brachiosauruses and Triceratops—roar in the night to protect their vast sacred territory. Families of mammoths stand on guard, the famous dodos monitor the comings and goings of their enemies, while the dinosaurs rule their kingdom. This landscape immerses you in a scene worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

In this unusual safari, you will meet animals that are wonders of nature! In this world, when one animal touches another, they combine to form a new creature. Feathered crocodiles, speedster elephants with butterfly wings, hippopotamuses flaunting their dragonfly wings, zebra-striped lions and horse-headed birds are but a few examples of the extraordinary and unforgettable encounters you will have. But beware: do not feed the animals! We are not responsible if you suddenly become half-human, half-squirrel.

Some 6,000 entries were received in this province-wide contest. Three grand prize winners and 60 drawings made by children aged 3 to 17 during the pandemic were selected and transformed into original light structures, each more inventive than the last. Discover the talent of youth throughout Quebec in this tribute to their imagination and creativity. And stay tuned for the next edition of this contest in the coming weeks. Your child’s art might be spotlighted in the 2022–2023 edition of Draw Me illumi!

Enter at your own risk. Hundreds of gargantuan red tarantulas have deviously invaded the illumi site. The monstrous matriarch and her progeny of 250 invertebrate predators are sure to give you goosebumps. Walk the line between fear and laughter, in a world where these omnipresent spiders reign supreme.