This year in Medellin, 14 and a half million lights will illuminate the 27 kilometers of the Christmas route at a cost of $6200 million (2.7 million USD).  The theme this year is called “Medellin, lights of life.” which EPM will proudly display to locals and visiting tourists from around the world from December 7 until January the 12th as a tribute life, the land and those who inhabit it.  It is also a message of reflection to remind us to look after and protect the earth.  A message that will be narrated by 14 million multicolored lights.

Although everyone is able to enjoy the lights from the  “Night of Candles”, the 7th of December the inauguration of the lighting will be an unparalleled event taking place on the 18th of December with a free concert hosted by the singer-songwriter Juanes.
 
It will be a spectacular music festival next to the Medellin River and all the lighting this year will be a tribute” said the mayor Alonso Salazar, who announced the official appearance of the famous artist.
 
The Christmas route will comprise of tons of paper foil and brightly colored waterfalls, thousands of miles of meshes and monumental steel structures. Those are the main elements to be used this December, although starting this year EPM will not include in its Christmas lighting any kind of incandescent bulb as a show of respect for the environment.  
 
50 sites have already been lit as the traditional lighting of the route will start at the Teatro Pablo Tobon Uribe, pass by La Playa Avenue Plaza Botero, Carabobo to San Juan, and will converge at the Medellin River, from San Juan to the Guayaquil Bridge. Also incorporated will be La Alpujarra, Plaza Mayor, The EPM Building, the Parque de los Pies Descalzos and Cerro Nutibara.

 The lighting will extend to all the major neighborhoods of the city, parks and other places of interest to add around 50 new sites from last year. However, as has never before happened, EPM has opted to renew some of the lighting elements from the previous year for use in other cities or to be installed on sites that have never before been part of this urban artwork.  This will be possible without generating additional costs to the project. 
 
Among the new sites are Las Palmas, 33rd Avenue to Medellin River, the aqueduct tanks of EPM located in strategic locations in some neighborhoods, the interior of the Botanical Garden “Joaquin Antonio Uribe” and the Parque Norte among others.

The sum of Christmas lights, 2008
 
1.000 volt spotlights                                                                       1400
Incandescente waterfalls                                                                 7.000
Brightly lit mesh                                                                             5.000
Cable lighting                                                                                 300 kilómetros
Papel foil                                                                                        5.8 toneladas
Iron                                                                                                220 toneladas
Steel Cable                                                                                     310 kilómetros
Posts (between 8 y 14 meters tall)                                                    515
Electricity towers (25 meters tall)                                                     2
Fibre Optic towers (25 meters tall)                                                   60
25 x 25m LED Screen                                                                       1
1400 wattt spotlights                                                                       3
Lightbulbs                                                                                       14´500 millones
Employees                                                                                       1.000
Total Cost                                                                                      $6.200  millones