Lighting
Every night, the CN Tower lights up to honour major Canadian cultural moments, charities and special causes.
![top of the tower with colourful lights. The elevator shaft is also lit up](/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_scale_and_crop_medium/public/images/lighting-schedule.jpg?h=5ce0254a&itok=Ky0YpJV1)
Upcoming closures:
Open: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The CN Tower installed an intelligent LED illumination system that is energy efficient, cost efficient and provides a number of added unique benefits.
Each microprocessor-controlled fixture can produce 16.7 million colours. Intelligent digital control makes the system programmable from a single computer console. Each fixture has a unique “address” that can be programmed individually to create a nearly infinite variety of lighting effects.
Directional lighting
Unlike conventional light sources, one of the unique benefits of LEDs is that they are directional. This means that the lights’ output can be controlled and precisely directed to illuminate the Tower while ensuring light output does not “spill” or interfere with nearby hotels, office towers or residences.
Low maintenance
The LED technology installed at the CN Tower is designed to achieve excellent performance standards. Unlike conventional lighting systems, the new system will not require frequent replacement and disposal of light bulbs. LEDs radiate little to no heat. Further, they do not emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation or infrared (IR), which makes them ideal for illuminating areas at the Tower without affecting the radome and other sensitive areas.
The best view
The lights turn on at sunset, but typically aren’t visible for 30 minutes until the sky is dark enough.
For groups looking to gather to witness their organization’s lighting request live, we suggest that the best vantage points are located a short distance away from the CN Tower in nearby parks such as Roundhouse Park or HTO Park. City of Toronto permits may be required for certain gatherings. For more information, please visit the City of Toronto website.