Canterlot

**Canterlot** is a city first featured in the series' premiere episode as the residence of Twilight Sparkle, where she studies under Princess Celestia. The city holds the royal castle, making it the capital of Equestria. It is also the venue of important cultural events, like the Grand Galloping Gala. Rarity describes it as a glamorous and sophisticated city.

## Depiction in the series

The city features ivory towers with golden spires, and many waterfalls and rivers running through it.

The distance between Canterlot and Ponyville is traveled by Twilight Sparkle in a short amount of time, riding in a flying chariot driven by the Pegasus royal guards in Friendship is Magic, part 1. Princess Celestia travels much the same way in Swarm of the Century, and in Sweet and Elite, Rarity's friends manage to get from Ponyville to Canterlot within a day. In MMMystery on the Friendship Express, [[Pinkie Pie] and her friends travel from Ponyville to Canterlot via train on an overnight trip. The spires of Canterlot, protruding from the mountain, have been shown to be visible from Ponyville.

Many high-society ponies in the show hail from Canterlot, including Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, and Fancy Pants. The episode Sweet and Elite takes place in Canterlot, which features coffee shops, a high-class restaurant, a racetrack, a theater, and an art gallery. In that episode, the vast majority of the residents of Canterlot are unicorns. The city has a train station, first seen in Hearth's Warming Eve.

There is also a palace labyrinth area, which holds several statues depicting ponies in regal capes, including the statue depicting discord, which doubles as the stone imprisonment for the draconequus of the same name. There are libraries and archives, along with Canterlot Tower, where the Elements of Harmony used to be located from the defeat of Nightmare Moon for the second time to the reformation of Discord.

The city features prominently in A Canterlot Wedding, when Twilight Sparkle's brother, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadance get married. It is revealed that there is an extensive cave system underneath Canterlot that was mined for its precious gems by greedy unicorns until it was exhausted, sealed up, and forgotten, according to Queen Chrysalis. The cave system has a mine-cart and mine-railway running through it. During these events, a barrier was created by Shining Armor to protect it from a changeling invasions.

At the beginning of Magic Duel, Trixie gallops through an alley and enters a curio shop, where she persuades the shopkeeper to sell her the Alicorn Amulet. This location is unnamed in the show, but based on the file name, it is presumed to be Canterlot. The same location is seen in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1 during Tirek's introduction and confrontation with Discord, further implying that this is Canterlot.

Canterlot is the location of the Princess Coronation in Magical Mystery Cure to coronate Twilight Sparkle</nowiki> as the newest Alicorn princess, taking place in the same hall as >Shining Armor and Princess Cadance</nowiki>'s wedding.

In the season four premiere, Canterlot prepares for and holds a new Summer Sun Celebration, indicated to be the first such event since the one happening in Ponyville in the season one premiere.

### Social events

Canterlot hosts the Grand Galloping Gala, a formal royal ball held in the castle itself and attended by only select ponies, which is mentioned throughout season one in The Ticket Master, Suited For Success, Sweet and Elite, and featured in the episode The Best Night Ever.

Another high society event is the Canterlot Garden Party, held on the castle grounds, a very exclusive event that Rarity says is second to only the Grand Galloping Gala; it is portrayed in Sweet and Elite. In the episode "Hearth's Warming Eve", a pageant depicting the founding of Equestria is put on by the Mane Six, and it is implied that Canterlot is where Equestria was founded.

Other various events held in Canterlot include the Equestria Rodeo Competition and the National Dessert Competition.

### School for Gifted Unicorns

The city is also home to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, where Twilight Sparkle began her studies under Princess Celestia. Other notable students of the school include Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Moon Dancer, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra Heartstrings.

## Depiction in Equestria Girls

In *My Little Pony: Equestria Girls* and *My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks*, Twilight attends a school called Canterlot High School. When Fluttershy is handing out flyers in her flashback, she says that "Canterlot's animal shelter needs more volunteers," which means the community that the school is located in is named Canterlot. Princess Celestia's human counterpart is the school principal, and Princess Luna's human counterpart is the vice principal.