Banijay frames Luminiscence as a win for heritage preservation, claiming ticket sales and donations generated by shows actively contribute to maintaining historic churches. The company insists each production is bespoke, tailored to the host venue's unique architecture — in Seville's case, the red brick and ochre Baroque facade of Parish of San Jacinto.
Insiders note that Banijay's live entertainment division saw a staggering 101.5% year-on-year revenue jump in Q1 2026, driven partly by Milano Cortina Olympics fanfare AND Luminiscence running in six countries simultaneously. Sources suggest the company is under pressure to keep scaling fast after acquiring creator Lotchi in January 2025 — which means more churches, more cities, more profit targets.
Banijay acquired immersive experience producer Lotchi (creator of Luminiscence) in January 2025. The live experiences segment grew 18.2% last year from €336 million to €397 million ($465 million). Q1 2026 revenue for that segment was up 101.5% year-on-year, with Banijay attributing the spike partly to continued strong performance of Luminiscence in six countries.
Banijay is betting big on turning sacred architecture into a global franchise — and Seville's iconic Parish of San Jacinto just became the latest venue caught in that ambitious machine.
Banijay Iberia has confirmed plans to bring its blockbuster immersive experience "Luminiscence" to Seville's historic Parish of San Jacinto, located in the city's vibrant Triana district. The production is set to debut in October 2026 and will mark the third Spanish city to host the global phenomenon, following successful runs at San Sebastián's Buen Pastor Cathedral and Barcelona, where a staggering 115,000 people attended over 500 performances during its first season alone.
The Seville installation promises to be tailored specifically to the church itself — Banijay is billing it as a "bespoke visual spectacle" designed to capture the Parish of San Jacinto's distinctive red brick and ochre Baroque facade, three-nave structure, and impressive dome. A choir composed of local Seville voices will perform a specially curated repertoire of sacred music live during each show, adding what Banijay Iberia calls a "distinctive local dimension" to the multisensory production.
The venue's Triana location is steeped in history — the neighborhood has long been associated with flamenco dancers, bullfighting culture, and sailors who set sail for Spain's New World territories in the Americas. The move comes as no surprise given Luminiscence's explosive growth trajectory since launching in 2023. To date, the experience has sold nearly two million tickets across eight countries — France, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, and the U.S. — staging events at some of the world's most visually striking churches, cathedrals, and historic landmarks.
Banijay Live, a division of Banijay Entertainment, acquired Lotchi — the Paris-based producer and creator behind Luminiscence — in January 2025. Lotchi founder Bruno Sarfati previously framed the experience as one that "breathes life into our heritage while actively contributing to its preservation through the donations generated by our shows." The financial stakes are enormous. In Banijay's latest quarterly results covering January through March 2026, the live experiences and other segment saw revenue surge 101.5% year-on-year — jumping from €336 million ($393 million) to €397 million ($465 million).
The company specifically highlighted Luminiscence as a key growth driver running live in six countries simultaneously. While Banijay maintains its core business in TV content production, it has aggressively diversified into sports and live entertainment over recent years with notable results. Juanma López Espino, director of production at Banijay Iberia, offered a diplomatic statement praising Seville's "extraordinary historical and artistic heritage" and the unique character of Triana as an ideal setting.
But behind the polished press releases, the expansion raises persistent questions about whether historic sacred spaces should serve as backdrops for commercial immersive spectacles — no matter how visually stunning the 360-degree video mapping and monumental projections may be. With Luminiscence now eyeing a third Spanish city in under three years, critics will be watching closely to see whether Seville's Parish of San Jacinto becomes another trophy venue in Banijay's global franchise or a cautionary tale about heritage commodification.
