Celebrate the holidays with the world’s biggest festival of lights in the GTA

We’re well into the holiday season, and the celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a visit to illumi – A Dazzling World of Lights, bringing the holiday cheer right here in the GTA.

Located in the city’s north end at 7174 Derrycrest Dr. (near Hurontario and Hwy. 407), the festival boasts over 20 million gorgeous lights, separated into 14 universes that each have their own theme, music, and unique attractions.

That includes The Infinite Poles and The Land of Frost, two mainstay universes that are more relevant now than ever. Explore and get lost in a beautiful winter wonderland where you’ll find penguins, snowmen and reindeer, all made entirely out of dazzling lights.

For the holidays, illumi’s Thematic Zone, near the festival’s entrance, has also undergone a total holiday makeover. Explore illumi’s 600,000-square-foot lot and enjoy tasty treats, holiday tunes, and a walk under the stars – the perfect way to enjoy the holidays!

And of course, illumi’s Tree of Lights continue to stand tall at 47 metres (twice the size of the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree in New York!). Comprised of 176,000 LEDs, this massive tree lights up the night for kilometres all around the festival.

Here’s a deeper look at illumi’s winter and holiday themed universes:

The Land of Frost:  Walk through thousands of lights that look like gently falling snow and enter a wintry world that will warm your heart. Look way up and gaze at the sky. You’ll see it’s lit with glowing snowflakes and shining stars. On the ground, gigantic glowing crystals form an icy universe, a sparkling ice castle takes you back to your childhood, and a pathway lined with snowmen leads you to memories of frosty Canadian winters.

The Infinite Poles: In this universe we lose the North and the South Poles. Borders blur in this icy world where penguins, whales and igloos coexist in an endless forest of stalagmites.

You can also watch the beauty of this icy world from the comfort of a heated igloo to warm up before continuing the journey through illumi.

The illumi Tree of Lights and its Village: illumi’s iconic tree of lights, which is as tall as the Statue of Liberty (47m), is visible for kilometers around. Its unparalleled display of brilliance guides visitors to the world’s largest multimedia sound and light show. 176,000 LEDs light up the illumi tree. A multicolour tree forest also brightens up the surrounding village where kids and adults alike can warm up with a hot beverage.

There’s much more to see and do at illumi. Ride the carousel at Europea Place, walk with your partner through the romantic Tunnel of Love, stroll through The Magic Lanterns to see a majestic imperial dragon and even more. illumi has it all!

Along the way, visitors can grab food and drinks at a number of food trucks and illumi points of sale.

To secure a spot at illumi for your desired date and time during the busy holiday season, be sure to grab your tickets soon. Free parking is available on site.

For more information and latest updates on the festival, visit illumi’s website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.