Lighting the way

Lighting, drones, lasers, fireworks, and special effects are used by organisers to create memorable “wow” moments. Read on, as StandOut shines a light on the visually spectacular events being produced

Bristol Light Festival returned to the city on February 2. The fourth iteration of the annual event ran for 10 days and saw thousands of visitors interact with and immerse themselves in 10 spellbinding light installations.

Founded by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), the event featured everything from a life-sized projection of an astronaut drifting through a cosmos to a series of colossal inflatable illuminated arches.

SC Productions provided Bristol BID with site management and production expertise and Redwood Event Solutions provided preevent safety planning and event control and safety services during the festival’s muchanticipated 10-day run.

Since its inception, the festival has attracted thousands of visitors (250,000 in 2023) and welcomed an additional £3.3 million increase in spend. As the installations have got bigger and bolder, so has the event’s reputation and as a result, the event does change the make-up and

Sponsored by illuminate design demographic of the city centre between 5pm and 10pm. But it can only be expected as once-familiar locations and buildings are visually enhanced and transformed into spectacular sights to behold.

GAME-CHANGERS

Light festivals are certainly growing in popularity, as local authorities and BIDs realise that there is an appetite for visually spectacular events that engage the senses. In January, Battersea Power Station launched its first free light trail and this March, a new light festival called Beam – organised by Harrogate International Festivals – will illuminate the historic town for two nights.

Such events are in total contrast to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) latest “visually spectacular” development.

In February, it revealed details of a stateof-the-art LED floor, the first full video court to be installed for an NBA All-Star basketball game. Developed by ASB GlassFloor, the LED court was installed at Lucas Oil

Stadium, giving fans at the arena a “gamechanging” experience.

The digital court displayed customised court designs tailored to each event as well as fully interactive game moments and player statistics. During the same week, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium called on fans to take part in its first mobile phone light show ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash against Brentford.

Fans heeded the call to get involved and used the official Spurs App to take part in a “pre-match spectacle” by hitting “Light Up” on their phones. Subsequently, their phones synced to the music played in the stadium and the light show engaged supporters who relished the opportunity to be part of the pre-match atmosphere.

Memorable Moments

Both examples are demonstrative of how sport is leading the field in engagement, using lighting and LED to connect with loyal fans and customers who want memorable event experiences.

Special effects have long been a fixture in sporting events and Pains Fireworks is no stranger to supplying visual effects – such as daylight pyro, smoke jets, and flames – to the field of play. For example, Pains Fireworks worked with Progress Productions on the FA Cup Final in 2023, and Event360 on the MLB London Series. It also supplies pyrotechnic displays to The Hundred –organised by England and Wales Cricket Board – on matchdays.

“The impact and atmosphere created when some form of visual effects are used is incredible,” explained Tim Griffiths, managing director of Pains Fireworks. “Without it, some big moments can fall flat.”

He continued: “As you can imagine, there’s a big difference between daylight SFX and those used in the dark. There are various effects including flames, cold sparks, smoke jets, pyrotechnics, confetti and streamers which work well in both situations, but for maximum impact, you can use traditional fireworks, pyrotechnics, flame effects and virtually any effect when it’s dark. It’s all about coming up with the best solution for the moment that you’re trying to create, whether that be inside a stadium, out on a sports pitch, or in a large open space.”

Engage Audiences

Griffiths says that sports clubs/venues often report an upturn in revenue and performance when incorporating flames, special effects, and pyro (synced to music) to pre-match entertainment. Bar revenue is better, the atmosphere is greater, and eventgoers arrive earlier in anticipation of having a good time.

Titanium Fireworks recently delivered fireworks at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Celebrations and earlier in 2023, working with E1FX, supplied pyro to All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) highly anticipated UK debut at Wembley Stadium. Multiple pyro sequences were fired for the wrestler’s entrances as well as celebratory moments.

The event – delivered by Live Nation UK – was such a hit that its return in 2024 has been confirmed. Its founder and CEO, Tony Khan, created AEW because he wanted to create memorable entertainment and spectacular events, with light, sound, and pyro adding to the experience.

And he’s not on his own. From large brands and local authorities to festival promoters and sporting boards, the desire to create visually stunning and “Instagrammable” events shows no sign of waning. Events and campaigns that capture the imagination, engage audiences and leave guests in awe are the dream. And, if they can have a huge impact on social media and increase campaign or brand awareness, even better.

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THE HUNDRED

For example, Boss recently kickstarted its spring/summer 2024 campaign by projecting 10-metre-high holograms of its brand ambassadors Lee Minho and Gisele Bündchen in London’s Potters Fields Park. Production house Kaleida and Video Design worked on the project, which used smoke and moving lights to create the illusion.

Nadia Kokni, SVP of global marketing and brand communications at Hugo Boss, said that using the hologram technology achieved consumer impact at scale, whilst creating intrigue. Not only was the content captured immensely shareable, but Kokni also believes that it encouraged customers to engage more deeply with the brand.

FLIGHTSHOWS: MOVEMBER

Out Of This World

Samsung also turned to tech and Celestial, the drone specialist, when it wished to create hype to celebrate the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 mobile phone. Using 552 drones to create a spectacle over the River Thames, Celestial partnered with agencies Taylor Herring and St Mark’s Studios to bring the launch to life.

In keeping with the Galaxy theme, the drone animations lit up the night sky with objects from the solar system and beyond. Taking place after Samsung’s annual Unpacked event, “Galaxy AI is here” was prophetically written in the stars, in an opening visual that stretched 160 metres wide across the city and took 650 hours to be designed and programmed.

Identify A Core Visual

When planning a drone display, Tom Rees, director of AeroAVA, advised organisers to think about the core visual at enquiry stage, so the quantity of drones can be assessed as a minimum and as an optimum. This is because quantities will impact budget.

Getting the right balance is critical from the off, Rees commented. Therefore, event organisers should consider the creative early on in the process, especially if there’s to be a major reveal or audience surprise.

Rees explained: “Giving the audience an eye-catching experience with impact can leave a lasting effect on them, if planned well. With the right tools and skills, a deep emotional message can be visually delivered, especially if it is reinforced with sound and other atmospheric enhancements.”

He continued: “It is essential that the display serves the event’s goals and enhances the overall visitor experience too, rather than just catch the audience attention fleetingly. Visual effects should be like a sound effect, they should be carefully planned, balanced and executed to complement other elements, so that they feel natural and in place.”

Give Me 10 Minutes

Before producing an impressive drone show for guests at Event Buyers Live 2023, FlightShows produced a massive 120-metre-wide drone-formed moustache to mark two decades of Movember.

The spectacle, aptly named The Mo Drone, gracefully soared above the landscapes of four major UK cities. The drone moustache tour kicked off at London’s picturesque Greenwich Park before making stops at Stanley Park in Liverpool, Inverleith Park in Edinburgh, and the Angel of the North in Gateshead.

The drone display was the perfect way to mark two decades of Movember changing the face of men’s health.

FlightShows has always been a fan of “drones for good”. In this instance, it used a drone light show to help spread the word about the charity in a unique and special way.

But it’s not the only visually spectacular event that the drone specialist has been involved with recently. In November, it also worked with North Yorkshire Council to commemorate the re-established Scarborough Fair and the council’s new yearlong programme of events.

The overarching strategy of the Scarborough Fair project is to bring significant economic and social benefits to the coastal town by creating events and activities that will be entertaining for residents and tourists.

FlightShows produced a drone show at Scarborough Castle. It was one of 15 events and artworks that comprised Scarborough Lights. Using 100 drones, FlightShows told Scarborough’s story.

Eoin O’Grady, director of FlightShows, said: “Visually spectacular events have to have some scale and when they start they have to make you go ‘wow’ in those first few seconds. But they also have to keep you entertained and engaged throughout the whole show.

“Sometimes people ring me and say they want to create a 45-minute drone show,” O’Grady concluded. “But 10 minutes is the sweet spot. In 10 minutes, you can put your story across and get your money shot.”