Lights of Wonder cancelled for 2026 as costs climb, future uncertain

Lights of Wonder 2023

A beloved holiday tradition in downtown Victoria is going dark, at least for now.

The Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) has announced that its annual Lights of Wonder event will not return in 2026, citing rising costs and aging infrastructure.

Since its launch in 2019, the free outdoor display transformed Centennial Square into a festive destination each December, drawing thousands of visitors and boosting traffic for nearby businesses.

But after five seasons, the lights themselves are showing their age. The original installation cost roughly $500,000 to build in 2018, and ongoing maintenance is now adding significant pressure.

According to the DVBA, repairing the display, on top of the already high cost of producing the event, has become financially unsustainable. Lights of Wonder costs hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, funded through a mix of commercial levies, sponsorships, and grants.

Securing that funding has become increasingly difficult.

For CEO Jeff Bray, the decision ultimately came down to long-term sustainability. For now, he says, the event is on hiatus.

“It takes three weeks to set up the event, so the setup costs are significant,” Bray said. “It’s a huge installation. There’s a whole team that puts it together, and once it’s up, you need staff on site for the entire month. You’re paying performers and running other activations—there’s just a tremendous amount of expense to put it on.”

“It’s a very expensive, month-long event to operate. In years past, sponsorship has been relatively strong and allowed us to cover a majority of the operating cost. The rest comes out of our budget, which is funded by businesses downtown, but in recent years, sponsorship has been more difficult.”

Bray says a $200,000 community events grant from the city helped support last year’s event, but that funding is not available again this year.

“We’ve always kept it open. No tickets, no fences, no gates,” he said. “Charging admission to try to defray costs just isn’t something that would make sense for this type of event.”

As a non-profit supported by downtown businesses, the DVBA says it must make careful decisions about how it allocates its resources.

While the cancellation may disappoint residents who have made Lights of Wonder part of their holiday tradition, the organization says it is not stepping away from seasonal programming altogether.

Instead, the DVBA is shifting its focus.

In 2026, it plans to invest in smaller, more flexible events spread throughout the downtown core, an approach aimed at encouraging visitors to explore beyond a single destination.

The shift aligns with the DVBA’s Events and Activations Fund, which supports businesses, organizations, and community members in creating new experiences year-round.

Still, questions remain about whether Lights of Wonder could return.

“Large corporate sponsorship is what would be needed for us to deliver something at the same scale, without charging the public and while still paying performers and staff,” Bray said.

The DVBA says the future of the event will be considered as part of ongoing planning, but for now, there is no clear timeline.

“As we look ahead to 2027 and beyond, we will still be doing things downtown during the holiday season,” Bray said. “We’re exploring options, one idea is to spread activities throughout downtown. Centennial Square is a fantastic location, but there are other areas that could also be activated and made enjoyable for the public.”

For many in Victoria, the loss marks the end of a short but impactful chapter, one that lit up the city during the darkest days of winter.

Whether Lights of Wonder returns in a new form remains to be seen, but its absence in 2026 will likely be felt by businesses and families alike.