AURA INVALIDES is an immersive nighttime experience inside the Dôme des Invalides. Showcasing the iconic monument’s rich architecture and heritage through light, video mapping, and music, AURA INVALIDES takes visitors on a spectacular journey worthy of its setting. The experience invites them to (re)discover the historic site in a new light.

Moment Factory (creator of immersive experiences) and Cultival (operator of cultural sites) formed a partnership in 2019 to introduce the AURA concept within heritage sites in France. The collaborative proposal not only provides exceptional heritage sites with a fully integrated solution encompassing creative direction, technological infrastructure, operations, promotion, and long-term marketing. Cultival, with a history of working closely with Les Invalides for daytime tours, proposed the introduction of the AURA experience, to be presented to the public inside the dome starting September 2023.

AURA Invalides is a monumental creation where the interplay of light, orchestral music, and video mapping meets the majestic architecture of the Dôme des Invalides, which houses the Tomb of Napoleon and whose elaborate beauty has illuminated the Parisian sky for over three centuries. It offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of historical and architectural heritage.

Every evening, after sunset, beneath the 90-meter-high painted Dôme des Invalides, visitors share a 55 minute, timeless experience where classical architecture meets digital creation through a series of enchanting, immersive scenes.

Produced by the Cultival agency and designed by Moment Factory, in collaboration with the Musée de l'Armée, AURA Invalides invites you to shed a new light on the heritage of the Dôme des Invalides and rediscover its rich history.

Moment Factory is widely recognized as a world leader in creating immersive experiences that highlight heritage sites around the world. For the past 22 years, the studio has consistently pushed boundaries to enhance exceptional heritage landmarks and earned opportunities to collaborate on UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

By preserving the integrity of the historic site of the Dome des Invalides, the studio used 3D scanning to undertake the technical challenge of a 360-degree immersion, using 28 projectors providing over 568,000 lumens, covering more than 45 million pixels. Collaborating with the directors of the stie (DRAC) was essential in creating an immersive experience that didn’t compromise the architecture, while keeping technological innovation at the core of our mission.