A winter experience like no other in the world. The Montréal en Lumière Festival Opens a 1000-foot-long Aerial Skating Trail with an Ambience of Immersive Sound and Light.
The 25th anniversary of Montréal en Lumière, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, takes place from February 29 to March 10, 2024, at the Quartier des Spectacles.
Rolled out for the first time in 2022, and back from February 29 to March 10, 2024, the Skating Loop, a unique multimedia experience produced with major support from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) and Tourisme Montréal, attracted 184 skaters per hour, a 10% increase over the 2023 edition of the festival. It quickly became a must-experience at the Montréal en Lumière festival, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank. A gem of Québec engineering appreciated by Montrealers and visitors from all over the world!
Creating a “first ever”
An original and innovative concept, designed with Montreal’s winter-loving spirit in mind, the Skating Loop inspires citizens to return to downtown Montreal and reclaim space vacated after the pandemic: a play of illuminated installations, exciting musical atmospheres, constantly heated comfort, and an optimal skating experience in an urban environment.
All of the senses are engaged during the Skating Loop experience. From the elevated structure, rising 2.5 meters above the ground, skaters are treated to a breathtaking view of the urban panorama, enhanced by large-scale video projections on the facades of surrounding structures, including the Wilder Building and the UQAM President Kennedy Pavilion. Hundreds of LED tube lights add enchantment to the icy course, while a state-of-the-art sound system disseminates a playlist compiled just for the event.
Heating things up north of the 49th parallel
Erected in the heart of the city's bustling social and culinary hub, Place des Festivals, the Skating Loop is surrounded by heated oases specially designed to ensure skater comfort: a chalet, sheltered from the cold, for putting on skates, as well as a covered, heated terrace at the SAQ Bistro, where visitors are invited to relax after taking a few laps.
Skating Loop facts:
Comprises 300 meters (1,000 feet) of artificial ice
85m3 of ice is on a cooling mat
The elevated structure rises 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) above ground level
Offers breathtaking views of the urban panorama
Path is illuminated by 265 LED tube lights
Features giant projections on surrounding building facades
State-of-the-art sound system
Maintained by a custom-built Zamboni, unique in Canada!
Skating, a tradition embedded in Montreal's DNA
Jacques Primeau, Chief Executive Officer of Montréal en Lumière, initiated the far-reaching project that is now in its 25th year. Along the way, the Festival has developed unparalleled expertise in Nordic-context events and illuminated animation. Highlighting skating as a central activity of the festival seemed a natural extension, given the intimate and historic link between skating and the City of Montreal.
Public rinks have long been important socio-cultural gathering places that, much like hockey, unite communities. A true hallmark of our “Montréalness,” hockey has been played in small and large arenas across the city forever. Montréal d'hier et d'hiver, a work by artist Karine Lanoie-Brien, illustrates this rich history in the form of large-scale projections around the Skating Loop, using archival images from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) to document the long love affair between Montreal and skating.
“In 2022, we knew that the City was going to open a large new skating rink on Esplanade Tranquille. The idea of the Skating Loop was to create a strong and dramatic symbol that would celebrate skating as emblematic of Montreal. We are extremely proud to offer Montrealers and their families this unique creation that brings residents together, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to this exceptional outdoor rink. From concept to realization, it required extraordinary involvement from both creators and craftspeople.”
- Jacques Primeau, Chief Executive Officer, Montréal en Lumière
Brilliantly met technical challenges
Bringing a project as elaborate and audacious as the Skating Loop to life presented its share of challenges. The team wanted the installation, which would occupy the entire Place des Festivals, to have a positive visual impact, not only for skaters on the ice, but also for people admiring it from outside the rink. The design of this impressive aerial structure had to also support the weight of bystanders, as well as 4 inches of ice, coolant…and an 8,300-pound Zamboni! Additionally, the ice would require frequent resurfacing. Despite the mild winter weather of 2024, tens of thousands of festival-goers enjoyed the refrigerated ice of the Skating Loop, one of only two outdoor rinks open in Montreal at the time. Bravo and thanks to the maintenance crews who ensured the success of this winter tradition!
The technical challenges were brilliantly met by the Montréal en Lumière team and its supplier, Échafauds Plus, all in the name of making Place des Festivals a winter gathering place that would be as welcoming as it is magical. The creative thinking, incessant calculations, and great ingenuity of the teams involved made this aerial structure with an immersive visual and sound experience possible. With this project, the experience of the traditional skate trail has literally been taken to the next level.
Success at every turn
Completely reimagined and exhilarating, this multimedia installation illuminates the city center in the middle of winter, enabling citizens to reclaim public space. It also forms part of the social mission of Montréal en Lumière, which endeavors to ensure that the site is accessible to as many people as possible through hundreds of free activities, including free admission to the Skating Loop, so that everyone can indulge in a unique Montreal experience.
And that's just the beginning. This year, the Skating Loop is once again one of the flagship activities of the 2025 edition of the Montréal en Lumière festival. Come experience the brilliance and excitement of this one-of-a-kind installation that will amaze you... and stimulate your eyes and ears!
Acknowledgements
The Skating Loop was created in 2022 after being selected among a call for projects initiated by the Fonds de maintien des actifs stratégiques touristiques (FMAST) of Tourisme Montréal, supported by the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec.
The 2024 MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, could not take place without the support of invaluable partners and sponsors. Thank you to the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), CeraVe, Rogers, CN, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Air France, Tim Hortons, Aliments du Québec, Canton, as well as our media partners Radio-Canada and La Presse.
Finally, we would like to thank the Government of Canada: Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, the Gouvernement du Québec: the Ministère du Tourisme and Kéroul, the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine, the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation dans le cadre du Programme d’appui au développement de l’agriculture et de l’agroalimentaire en région, and the Ministère du Sport, du Loisir et du Plein air, the City of Montreal, Tourisme Montréal and Montréal Centre-Ville for their continued trust and support. Thanks also to our cultural partners: the Quartier des spectacles Partnership and Place des Arts for their contribution.
The 26th edition of Montréal en Lumière, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, takes place from February 27 to March 9, 2025 at Quartier des Spectacles.
Team:
Concept: Jacques Primeau, General Manager, Montréal en Lumière
Production Executive: Louise Laliberté, Vice-President of Production and Business Development, Montréal en Lumière
Design: Mélanie Tessier, Director, Experience Design, Montréal en Lumière
Lighting Design: Bruno Rafie, Lighting Consultant, Montréal en Lumière
Production: Vincent Testard, Director, Production Operations, Montréal en Lumière
Suppliers: Nicolas Paulette, Project Manager, Échafauds Plus
Ice maintenance: Loue Froid
Photographers: Victor Diaz Lamich, Frédérique Ménard-Aubin, Benoit Rousseau and Productions Novak for MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE
