Calgary 
Calgary’s cultural scene is set to dazzle as Night Light, a three-night celebration of light, art, and live performance, takes over Victoria Park starting on September 24th.
At Night Light, looking at the artwork is only part of the experience.
In 2026, visitors can make a giant Lite-Brite-style installation, manipulate projections with their bodies, synchronize two heartbeats through light, draw digitally on a vintage Jaguar and press a button that sends flames from a metal horse’s nostrils.
Calgary’s free Night Light festival runs September 24 to 26 from 6 to 11 p.m., spreading more than 40 local, national and international artists across five sites in Victoria Park and the Beltline. No tickets or reservations are required.
What is different at Night Light in 2026?
Several of this year’s most distinctive works were not part of the official 2025 artist lineup.
Heart-to-Heart translates two participants’ pulses into light, while LightScape turns an eight-foot illuminated grid into a communal canvas.
Prairie Fire, a 9.5-foot metal horse, shoots flames from its nostrils, while returning fire-breathing dragon Notorious B.A.D. gets another outing.
The Yellow Dubmarine puts a DJ-powered nightclub inside a converted Winnebago.
There is also a Black Light Art Show involving 30 local artists, DJs and interactive experiences, plus drop-in glow-art workshops.
Is this mainly for families?
It is officially all-ages, but Night Light works beyond the usual family-festival audience. Children can build glowing bugs, paint with light and interact with oversized installations.
Adults may find more appeal in projection art, DJs, the Yellow Dubmarine and technology-driven pieces such as Blue Screen Bliss, which riffs on Windows-era computer nostalgia.
The festival does not prescribe a route, so visitors can start anywhere. For planning purposes, allow roughly 90 minutes to two hours if you want to explore all five locations and stop for interactive works.
When should you go?
The festival begins at 6 p.m., but much of the projection mapping, illuminated sculpture and reactive artwork should have its strongest visual impact after dark. Families wanting an earlier evening can start at 6 and stay as long as practical.
The festival footprint is more compact than in 2025: Haultain Park and Hotel Arts Poolside are no longer among the five listed 2026 venues.
Most exploration involves walking between sites, so comfortable shoes and layers for a September evening make sense.
For visitors from outside Calgary, Night Light is better treated as a free evening anchor within a Calgary trip than as the sole reason for a long-distance journey. Its downtown location also makes dinner, the Calgary International Film Festival, or other Beltline activities easy additions to the evening.
Trip Planning – Night Light
What: Night Light is a three-night celebration of curated light, art, and performance that transforms Victoria Park into a dazzling spectacle. With interactive installations, projection-mapped architecture, and live performances , we create an immersive experience that entertains while inspiring the next generation of artists.
When: September 24 to 26, 2026
Hours: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly
Where: Victoria Park and Beltline, Calgary
2026 locations: Central Memorial Park, The District at Beltline, The Princeton, BLVD Beltline BARK and Pixel Park
How Much: Free
Tickets: None required
Dogs: Permitted in outdoor festival spaces
Transit: Victoria Park/Stampede station is on Calgary Transit’s Red Line and serves the Victoria Park area.
Parking: Paid street and lot parking is available throughout the city centre.
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