Where Light Becomes Story:
CELESTIA Transforms Denver’s Saint John’s Cathedral Into a Living Canvas
There are experiences that entertain. And then there are experiences that *transcend.* CELESTIA — the breathtaking new immersive light and music show now open at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver — belongs unmistakably to the latter.
From the moment you step through the doors of one of Denver’s most iconic Gothic Revival landmarks, you are no longer simply an audience member. You become part of a living, breathing story told entirely through light, projection, and an original orchestral score — a story that wraps around you, moves through you, and leaves you, quite simply, changed.
A World Premiere, Right Here in Denver
Tickets are available now at CelestiaExperience.com.
· Tickets start at $29 for Adult
· General Admission Seating
· “Star Level” Reserved Seating: Limited availability for each show.
· Live chorale performance on Friday & Saturday Evenings
CELESTIA is not just new to Denver. It is new to the world!
“It is a world premiere, the very first installment,” shared Kurt Baker, a representative of the team behind the experience. And the choice of Denver was anything but accidental. “This was the perfect city because of the art, and the people are adventurous. They want to explore and have fun. And then this building itself is just incredible — it’s awesome, really amazing to look at on its own.”
That building, of course, is Saint John’s Cathedral — a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture that has anchored the corner of 14th and Washington since its completion in 1911. Rising from the ashes of a fire in 1903, its Indiana limestone walls, soaring vaulted ceilings, intricate Oberammergau carvings, and luminous stained glass windows by the Frampton and Connick studios have long made it one of Denver’s most awe-inspiring spaces. Now, for the first time, that grandeur is reimagined through the lens of cutting-edge technology — not to overshadow its magnificence, but to celebrate it.
“We want people to walk in and experience something that they might have experienced in 1911 when they walked into this incredible building,” the team shared. “To be moved in that same way. Back then, we didn’t have the technology we have now — so we’re really just leveraging that technology to emphasize this incredible grandeur of architecture.”
Over 100 Hands, One Vision
CELESTIA is the product of an extraordinary collaboration. More than 100 people worked to bring this experience to life — and more than 50 of them were local to Denver. The show itself taking just under 2 years from conception to completion.
At the helm is Paquin Entertainment, a company with nearly 40 years of experience producing immersive cultural spectacles, including the globally celebrated Immersive Van Gogh and Monet experiences. With over 10 million tickets sold worldwide, their expertise in transforming beloved spaces into emotional journeys is unparalleled.
Alongside them is Normal Studio out of Montreal, the creative force responsible for much of the design, projection work, lighting, and sound architecture that gives CELESTIA its visual heartbeat. And woven throughout is the sacred partnership with Saint John’s Cathedral itself — a collaboration built on deep mutual respect.
“We had to work very, very closely with them to make sure that we’re honoring this incredible, incredible architecture,” the team emphasized. “The diocese is allowing us into their sacred space. We need to be trusted with that.”
That trust has clearly been earned. Justin Paquin, CEO of Celestia and President of Exhibitions & Theatricals at Paquin Entertainment Group, reflected on the magnitude of the moment: “We are immensely proud to open CELESTIA and welcome audiences into this extraordinary journey. The response leading up to opening has been incredible, and we are excited to share this experience with audiences in Denver and visitors from around the world.”
The cathedral’s own voice is equally moved. The Reverend Canon Paul Keene, Canon for Parish Life at Saint John’s Cathedral, offered: “This is a truly extraordinary moment for Saint John’s Cathedral and for Denver. We are thrilled to welcome visitors of all backgrounds into our beloved cathedral to experience something deeply moving, uplifting, and unforgettable.”
Five Acts. Ten Scenes. One Unforgettable Journey.
CELESTIA unfolds as a seated, multisensory experience structured across five unique acts — *Awakening, Becoming, Transformation, Belonging, and Radiance— carrying audiences through ten immersive scenes that tell a story of creation, awakening, and belonging.
Celestia presents its narrative through music, imagery, and emotion rather than words — inviting every viewer to interpret the story through the lens of their own life and heart. “We want you to leave and have your own experience,” the team explained. “Everyone will have a different experience, but we want you to be uplifted, inspired. Really enjoy yourself.”
The projections are 360° and fully mapped to the architecture of the cathedral — meaning the vaulted ceilings, stone columns and stained glass windows all become active participants in the storytelling. The experience doesn’t simply happen in the space. The space literally IS the experience!
“Sometimes if you’re sitting in the front, you look towards the back and you’ll notice the stained glass window light up in a different way you might not see from the back,” Kurt noted with a smile. “There are amazing moments — I’m not gonna spoil anything — but there are some with nature, and those moments happen in different areas, so…”
The mystery is clearly part of the magic.
Sound That Holds You Like a Warm Embrace
Underpinning every visual moment is an original, full orchestral score composed specifically for CELESTIA — music designed to move with the space, swell within its arches, and resonate through its stone walls in a way no ordinary concert hall could replicate.
“The way that the sound resonates through here,” one team member described, pausing as if finding the right words, “it kind of creates a soft, little, warm hug.”
On select Friday and Saturday evenings, that embrace deepens further with the addition of a live choir performance featuring vocalists from Denver’s own prestigious Lamont School of Music, under the direction of award-winning conductor Catherine Sailer. Their voices weave into the orchestral tapestry for an experience that transcends the visual entirely and enters the realm of the profoundly spiritual.
“We are incredibly proud that our emerging artists have been invited to perform as the professional choir for this immersive arts experience in our own city,” said Dean Brian Pert, Director of the Lamont School of Music. “It is a wonderful opportunity for them to showcase their talent and be part of a production that celebrates the power of music, art, and community.”
“It touches you on all of your senses,” the team shared. “It’s almost tangible because of the artwork being displayed around you. It’s meant to be uplifting.”
A Mission Bigger Than the Stage
What moves through CELESTIA is more than light and music. There is an intention at its core that speaks to something the world, right now, deeply needs.
“In a world that can at times feel divided and people are feeling lonelier than ever, we were looking to bring communities back together,” Kurt reflected “We wanted to give people a chance to take a moment out of their life to have a unique and meaningful experience with other people in the room to share in a moment of collective effervescence”
Located right in the heart of downtown Denver, the team expressed a particular hope that CELESTIA would serve as a bridge — drawing not only those who typically seek out arts experiences, but welcoming communities who may not always see themselves reflected in those spaces.
“It is made to be enjoyed by people of all ages, all levels of society,” they said. “Having it right downtown in Denver is a beautiful opportunity to have some of these local communities come in and experience it. I love having it in the inner city and being able to really have that outreach.”
And for those who may wander in drawn simply by curiosity or the glow of the cathedral at night? There may be something waiting for them beyond the art itself — an undertone of something quietly transcendent.
“People just passing by may not understand at first, and may be drawn to the art — but then they get that underlying message,” pausing. “That’s what we’re opening up to. And I get goosebumps thinking about it.”
Plan Your Visit
CELESTIA is currently on sale through Labor Day (early September), with eight performances per week — Thursdays through Sundays. Because the experience relies on the natural darkness that makes the stained glass windows come fully alive, show times vary with the season, running later in the long summer evenings and gradually shifting earlier as fall approaches.
The sanctuary seats approximately 400 guests, with both general admission and reserved seating options available. Tickets are affordably priced, making it possible — and honestly, tempting — to return and experience CELESTIA from a different vantage point entirely.
“I’ve been watching it from different vantage points,” Kurt shared. “You can sit in the very back, the very front, the middle — and the projection happens all around you. There are moments in different areas, so…”
A companion web app is also available, offering deeper insights into the cathedral’s history and the narrative of the experience for those who wish to explore more fully before or after the show.
Photography is warmly welcome (no flash, please), and the experience is fully wheelchair accessible.
The World Is Watching Denver
CELESTIA has plans beyond Colorado. The team is in early conversations about expanding to other cities and venues across the country — and potentially in partnership with dioceses worldwide. But each installation will be uniquely shaped by the architecture it inhabits, making Denver’s world premiere a singular chapter in what may become a global story.
“The experience will be so transitional,” the team said of future cities. “And hopefully people will want to see it in a different venue and see what’s done differently.”
But for now, the story begins here — in a cathedral built more than a century ago, lit by something neither its original architects nor its faithful congregation could ever have imagined: a 21st-century celebration of creativity, community, and the enduring human need to be moved.
As the team put it simply: “Just enjoy your evening. Experience something that has no words.”
CELESTIA at Saint John’s Cathedral
1350 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80203 (Enter via E. 14th Street)
Thursdays – Sundays | Tickets & showtimes at CELESTIA EXPERIENCE
Hope you have a fabulous time enjoying the show & as always, stay tuned to Xposer Magazine.
It’s where YOU go to be scene!
Ciao,
Bella