2026 is a prime year to see rare pink Northern Lights across Canada

2026 is shaping up as one of the best years in the past decade to spot pink Northern Lights, as energetic particles penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and interact with nitrogen molecules to produce the distinctive colour.

Research by Icelandair comparing 35 aurora-viewing destinations across 8 countries evaluated sites on darkness, accessibility, likelihood of viewing, scenery, and the vividness of pink auroras captured. Canada scored well overall, with multiple locations ranking among the world's best.

Maligne Lake in Jasper, Alberta has been crowned the world's best place to see pink Northern Lights in 2026, described as showing "a dominant vivid rose-pink" in auroras. The lake has a Bortle rating of 3.2 — a low rating meaning darker skies for easier visibility of aurora colour and detail. It's surrounded by mountains and Spirit Island, creating prime aurora photography conditions, and is accessible by road and relatively easy to reach from Jasper's main resort area. Icelandair rates the likelihood of seeing aurora at Maligne Lake as "medium."

Prelude Lake near Yellowknife ranks second-best globally, with a "very high" likelihood of seeing pink Northern Lights from September through April. Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-Northwest Territories border offers viewing opportunities, with best conditions likely in winter months starting in December.

Pink Northern Lights can be photographed with an iPhone by enabling maximum exposure, turning off flash, and adjusting exposure level to a negative value. No specific dates in 2026 have been announced for when pink Northern Lights will occur.