:''See also, Festival of Lights'' Cavalcade of Lights is an annual event highlighting the lighting of the

City of Toronto government The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a rec ...

's official

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toro ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada. The event has been held annually since 1967. The event falls on the final weekend of November to kick off the holiday season with the official illumination of the square and Christmas tree. The lighting display features the official Christmas tree and more than 300,000 energy-efficient LED lights that are illuminated from dusk to 11:00 p.m. every night throughout the holiday season. Since 2002

Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...

of Lights has been transformed from a one-night event to a month-long one with the addition of Saturday night skating parties to live music at

's outdoor rink. In 2004, the event expanded citywide by adding displays of energy-efficient LED lighting in Toronto neighbourhoods. The event was headlined by Gordon Lightfoot.

Past performers

The Cavalcade of Lights has presented Canadian and international performers as part of each year's festivities. Past performers in recent years have included: *2005:

Esthero Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself ...

In Essence In Essence (occasionally referred to as I.E.) was a five-member Canadian R&B group based in Toronto, Ontario. Their music has been played both in Canada and the United States. The band was active between 1993 and 2006, and their album ''The Maste ...

, Patrizia "Rock Soprano" Lisa Odjig, DJ Starting from Scratch, Circus Orange and the Arabesque Dance Company. *2006:

Joel Plaskett William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres ...

, jacksoul, God Made Me Funky, Stabilo (band), Lindy,

Divine Brown Divine Brown (born September 9, 1974), previously known as Divine Earth Essence, is a Canadian Juno Award-winning R&B and soul singer and theatre performer. Early life Brown was born in Toronto, Ontario to Jamaican parents. She first began h ...

, Faith Chorale and Kayte Burgess. *2007:

Kim Stockwood Kim Stockwood (born 11 November 1965) is a Canadian pop musician, singer and composer originally from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She has recorded as a solo artist and also as a member of Atlantic Canadian music group Shaye with Damh ...

Murray McLauchlan Murray Edward McLauchlan, (born 30 June 1948) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits "Farmer's Song," "Whispering Rain," and "Down by the Henry Moore". Early life Mc ...

Nikki Yanofsky Nicole Rachel "Nikki" Yanofsky (born February 8, 1994) is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Montreal, Quebec. She sang the CTV Olympic broadcast theme song, " I Believe", which was also the theme song of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She also p ...

Sarah Slean Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress. Career Major recordi ...

, Louis Pitre,

Jully Black Jully Black (born Jullyann Inderia Gordon Black, November 8, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and actress. She has collaborated and written for many artists, including Nas, Saukrates, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Destiny's Child ...

, Suzi McNeil, DJ Alvaro, Tomi Swick,

Hayley Sales Hayley Sales is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. Sales' debut album ''Sunseed'' was released on June 19, 2007; songs "Keep Drivin" and "What You Want" reached #11 on the Japan Hot 100 and #45 on the Canadian Hot 100, respect ...

. DJ Tricky Moreira,

The Golden Dogs The Golden Dogs are a Canadian pop-rock band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Mark Daniell.T.O.'s Golden Dogs have 'Eye' on road. JAM! Music. Canadian Online Explorer. Quebecor Media. 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2010-12-16. Formed in 2001, the band is ...

and

In-Flight Safety In-Flight Safety is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2003. In-Flight Safety was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award for Video of the Year for "Coast Is Clear". They are currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The group consists of vocalist ...

. *2008:

Serena Ryder Serena most commonly refers to: * Serena Williams (born 1981), professional tennis player Serena may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Serena (genre), 13th-century Occitan poetic genre * ''Serena'' (1962 film), a British crime th ...

, the Canadian Tenors,

Alex Cuba Alexis Puentes (born 1974), better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won two Juno Awards for World Music Album of the Year: in 2006 for '' Humo de Tabaco'', and in ...

Dragonette Dragonette is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara. Originally an electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2005, the band consisted of Sorbara with her husband Dan Kurtz as bassist and producer (also in The ...

, DJ Denise Benson, DJ Tony Sutherland, Andrew Craig,

Toya Alexis Toya Alexis (born July 16, 1980) is a Canadian vocalist and actress from Ajax, Ontario. Career Alexis won a "Rising Star" contest and sang at the Apollo Theater. In 2001 she appeared, as LaToya Lesmond, as a contestant on season one of ''Po ...

Zack Werner Isaac "Zack" Werner is a Canadian artist, producer, entertainment lawyer and manager. Early life and education Born in Winnipeg in 1960, Werner attended the St. John's-Ravenscourt School. He received a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and ...

and the final three

Canadian Idol ''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show ''Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore ...

contestants of the season. * 2014: Maestro Fresh Wes, Kardinal Offishall, and Shad

References

External links

{{Commons category, Cavalcade of Lights
Main website (City of Toronto)
*https://vimeo.com/80768345 Festivals in Toronto Christmas in Canada Light festivals