The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis is one of the most recognizable buildings in the Twin Cities and has been for decades. From the outside, Minnesotans can see the church’s stained-glass windows and its bright, white, granite exterior.

Inside, beneath a vaulted ceiling, is the nave, which is the main hall in a church where the congregation sits. “There’s no columns,” says Clayton Ferguson, the general manager of Luminscence, “so every single seat in that nave has a direct view of everything around them.”

That feature has made the Basilica an ideal place for weekend Mass. Over the past few years, it’s also been a popular site for community events in the arts.

Since the late 90s, the Catholic church has hosted the Basilica Block Party, a two-day musical festival (it didn’t happen in 2020 or 2025.)

Through the beginning of February, the Basilica of St. Mary has turned to another event: Luminiscence.

The immersive light and sound show features kaleidoscopic projections across the church’s nave and onto the ceiling. Some showings also offer music from a live choir or orchestra. Produced by French company Lotchi, Luminiscence began in Europe over a year ago.

The Basilica of St. Mary series is the first time Luminiscence has ventured outside Europe. The Basilica will host more than 100 shows through Feb. 1.

Ferguson says it started when he said he emailed Rev. Daniel Griffith, pastor and rector of the Basilica of Saint Mary, floating the idea of hosting shows in Minneapolis.

Ferguson adds he was drawn to the Basilica because it was, for years, the largest nave in the world. Plus, he notes: the love people have for the arts in Minneapolis.

Father Griffith tells Twin Cities Business: “The Basilica is honored to host this extraordinary experience for our community. Luminiscence beautifully weaves together the unique history, faith, and artistic heritage of the Basilica, offering a visual and musical expression of what we cherish most about this sacred, iconic church.”

Ferguson says he told the Basilica that Luminiscence worked well in cathedrals in Europe, and served to help the churches financially.

The Basilica of St. Mary has a financial agreement in place with Luminiscence, according to the church. “The organization will donate a portion of its proceeds from the performances to the restoration of the Basilica,” says Mae Desaire, the Basilica’s communications director.

Another benefit is growing the congregation.

The Luminiscence shows are quite a financial undertaking. Ferguson wouldn’t disclose the exact cost but estimates millions of dollars.

The shows require 20 light projectors. Each projector costs $50,000, amounting to $1 million.

Costs for the show are broken into two buckets of money, Clayton explains: capital expenditures and operational expenses. The company deems these costs as amortization, because Clayton says they plan to use the projectors over several years.

There are still over a dozen shows scheduled. Clayton says 93% of the performances get sold out on average. There are over a dozen more showings scheduled through February at the Basilica, but availability continues to dwindle.