St. Patrick’s Cathedral turns into a 360-degree light show starting Oct. 2

St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue will host LUMINISCENCE, an immersive light and music show, beginning Oct. 2 with a 7:45 p.m. performance and more dates to follow.

New York has no shortage of famous landmarks, but this fall one of its best known gets a new kind of spotlight. The production arrives with a track record: it has been staged more than 20 times, in eight different countries, and has played to over 2 million people. Here, video projections will wrap the cathedral’s arches, columns and stone walls in 360 degrees for about an hour, turning the building’s Gothic design into a shifting backdrop.

What to expect at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral light show

The show unfolds in three chapters, titled Gathering, Community and Nation, that trace the people and events behind the cathedral and its role in the city. Jonathan Roumie, a New York native known for playing Jesus in “The Chosen,” narrates.

Live, Live+ and recorded sessions

Sessions differ by music. Select Live performances add a choir, and Live+ sessions bring in a full orchestra. The remaining sessions use recorded music and narration and are the cheaper choice.

The setting carries its own history. Architect James Renwick Jr. designed the building, which took more than two decades to finish, including a halt during the Civil War, before opening its doors in 1879. No other Catholic cathedral in North America built in the Gothic Revival style is bigger. From end to end it runs roughly 405 feet, it spans 174 feet across, and its two spires climb 330 feet above Fifth Avenue. Inside there is room for around 2,400 worshippers, along with a Gallery Organ that contains 7,855 pipes.