17-04-2025
Public Square becomes a nightly spectacle with new Illuminate CLE show
Cleveland is once again the City of Light.
State of play: Destination Cleveland unveiled an after-dark light show Tuesday that will be on permanent display on Public Square.
Dubbed Illuminate CLE, the immersive experience includes high-powered spotlights and "supercharged projectors" on 16 custom utility poles.
Plus: An array of rooftop lighting fixtures to create color washes and aerial effects downtown. A six-minute show featuring original music and commentary from Clevelanders will run alongside the lights every night at the top of each hour from dusk until 11pm.
What they're saying: Lighting innovation is in Cleveland's DNA, as CEO David Gilbert noted. This month marks the 146th anniversary of Charles F. Brush's first public demonstration of electric street lighting on Public Square.
"With Illuminate CLE, Cleveland becomes the first city in Ohio to develop and install permanent fixtures to light a major public space with experiential lighting on a nightly basis," he said in a statement.
Vincent Lighting Systems, a Solon-based company, designed the display. It previously coordinated the rotating lights on the Terminal Tower, which has been lighting up to celebrate local teams or commemorate special events since 2016.
The intrigue: Illuminate CLE was initially slated to launch in 2024.
Per working out logistics with property owners in the vicinity proved to be a lengthy and complicated ordeal.
Follow the money: Destination Cleveland funded half of the project — about $5 million — independently, and received financial support from the city and county, the Cleveland Foundation, KeyBank, Sherwin-Williams and other corporate donors.
