LUMINISCENCE Bordeaux 2025: Transforming Monuments into a Living Canvas

Come on a multi-sensory and immersive experience with light, sound and live music at Bordeaux’s Cathedral Saint-André as LUMINISCENCE turns one of France’s most beautiful cathedrals into a living canvas.

LUMINISCENCE is a project by production company LOTCHI that started two years ago in Bordeaux with 360° 3D video mapping that models every architectural detail and adds precise lighting effects to create an immersive dive into Cathedral Saint-André’s history. Since, LUMINISCENCE has enchanted more than 1 million people with shows at some of France’s most captivating cathedrals and at monuments in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and even in the United States. Now LUMINISCENCE returns to its origins in Bordeaux with an all new light show: L’Odyssée Céleste.

And upon its grand return to Bordeaux and Cathedral Saint-André, LUMINISCENCE expanded its offering with a brand-new free outdoor event for all to see. Each evening, in addition to the immersive show presented inside the nave, a free mapping projection illuminates the legendary Royal Portal, offering a spectacular lighting display of this Gothic masterpiece. LUMINISCENCE brings the Royal Portal of Saint-André Cathedral back to life.

The 45 minute show, which even includes a live choir and orchestra of 15 musicians during select performances, is not to be missed.

What to Expect at LUMINISCENCE Bordeaux 2025

What should you expect when attending LUMINISCENCE?

There are essentially two parts to the LUMINISCENCE experience at Cathedral Saint-André:

• 1st part: an immersive and musical prelude with an exceptional soloist
• 2nd part: the seated show

First, a brief exhibition of the history of Cathedral Saint-André is set up under the vaults. Though the panels are in French, you can scan a QR code for an English translation and wander at your own pace.

A musical soloist also enchants visitors with melodies prior to the show. I recommend you arrive 30 minutes prior to the show to have time to peruse the exhibition and get settled in.

The second part is the 45-minute light and sound show in the nave. This part of the experience is seated, as you enjoy a narrated (in French) light show of Bordeaux’s cathedral past and through the Liberation. Some shows additionally have a live choir and orchestra of 15 musicians, otherwise the music is an original soundtrack digitally recorded under conductor Alexis Duffaure.

You have have two categories of seating to choose from when selecting tickets:

• Catégorie Argent (Silver)
• Catégorie Or (Gold)

Catégorie Or is set from the middle of the nave to the back to offer a panoramic visual perspective, whereas Catégorie Argent is set from the middle of the nave forward to the choir giving you opportunity to sit close to the choir and orchestra. I sat in Catégorie Or, and recommend sitting about two-thirds of the way back for the best visual perspective as the light show is projected on the nave and sides.

The immersive show call be enjoyed by all ages, and children ages 2 years and under can sit on the lap of an accompanying adult.

The cathedral and the LUMINISCENCE show are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and there is space for wheelchairs.

The History of Cathedral Saint-André

Cathedral Saint-André is a cornerstone of Bordeaux history. A church has stood on this place since the 4th century, though the current cathedral we see today combines Romanesque origins from its’ consecration on May 1, 1096 by Pope Urban II with 14th century Gothic details from when it was once again rebuilt between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Over the centuries, Cathedral Saint-André has seen a literal parade of history unfold within its’ walls. In 1137 the marriage of Alienor of Aquitaine and Louis VII, the future king of France, took place at Cathedral Saint-André. And five centuries later, the cathedral once again played host to the marriage of Anne of Austria and Louis XIII. The cathedral was used as a fodder store during the French Revolution and severely damaged, experienced a devastating fire in the 19th century, and was damaged during bombings in WWII.

Cathedral Saint-André has been classified as a Historical Monument since 1862. And was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the 71 monuments associated with the Routes of the Santiago de Compostela in France since 1998.

Major restoration of Cathedral Saint-André began in the 19th century, and is still ongoing today with projects to reconstruct the great organs and recent exterior cleaning. The cathedral has largely been brought back to its former glory and the unique architectural features preserved.

LUMINISCENCE has been part of Cathedral Saint-André’s heritage preservation as a portion of proceeds from ticket sales donated to the restoration of historic monuments that how its’ shows. In the past two years since the start of LUMINISCENCE in Bordeaux, more than 400,000 € have been donated to the preservation of heritage.