New York – October 02, 2026 -- A new light-and-sound production called LUMINISCENCE opened to the public at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue on October 2, 2026, with select performances running through mid-November and a possible extension into 2027.
A portion of every ticket sold goes toward "Renew the Living Voices: The Kilgen Organ Campaign," which funds preservation of the Cathedral's organ and broader musical legacy. Guests can choose between LUMINISCENCE Live+, featuring a live choir and orchestra, or the standard LUMINISCENCE show, which uses recorded music and narration; ticket prices vary by experience.
The show uses projection mapping tied to the Cathedral's 160-year history
"St. Patrick's Cathedral has held a special place in New York City for more than 160 years, and we're honored to bring its story to life through music and light, and storytelling," said Ben Samek, CEO of Banijay Americas. Romain Sarfati, co-founder of LOTCHI and creator of LUMINISCENCE, said the production's choir, orchestra and millimeter-mapped projections are designed to reveal details already present in the building rather than add new ones.
Fr. Enrique Salvo, Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, said the production is meant to let visitors, regardless of faith, encounter the Cathedral in a new way.
St. Patrick's is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America
Archbishop John Hughes commissioned the building, which critics once mocked as "Hughes' Folly" over its then-remote uptown location. Designed by James Renwick Jr., construction was delayed by the Civil War and took two decades, with the white-marble cathedral opening in 1878. Its twin spires, rising more than 330 feet above Fifth Avenue, were added in 1888, and the Cathedral was consecrated in 1910.
St. Patrick's is the seat of the Archdiocese of New York, a designated New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
LUMINISCENCE has drawn more than two million visitors since 2023
The production has staged more than 20 shows across eight countries -- France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Brazil and the United States -- since its 2023 launch. The New York run is part of Banijay Americas' expanding slate of productions staged in historic and sacred venues worldwide.