Winter just got righter in Quebec with the opening of the 24th Montréal en Lumière Festival and its star attraction – a glowing 1000-ft-long aerial skating loop.

The festival takes over Montréal’s vibrant Quartier des Spectacles until 5 March 2023, daubing it in spectacular light displays that ward off the winter blues and get people out of the house and onto the streets. The Skating Loop is built at Place des Festivals, where it’s elevated 2.5 metres above the ground and lit by 265 LED light tubes.

In addition to fun exercise, the ice-skating trail offers skaters unique streetscape views while enjoying a soundscape and light projections on the buildings around Place des Festivals, including the Wilder Building and UQAM President Kennedy Pavilion.

Montréal en Lumière Festival started in 2000, but the Skating Loop only made its debut last year. It brought 25,000 skaters to the ice, reactivating the public space after the pandemic, and its return this winter seeks to build on that success by enciting international visitors to Montréal for one of the world’s biggest winter festivals.

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