Light has been used to enhance events for decades, but these three events really show how exciting and impactful event lighting can be. If you attended any of these events, tell us about it and drop us a photo in the comments!
The Bradesco Seguros Christmas Tree
According to Guinness World Records, the Bradesco Seguros Christmas Tree in Rio de Janerio, is the largest floating Christmas tree on the planet. The tree’s first appearance was in 1996. When crowned by Guinness in 2007, it was lit by 2.8 million micro lamps and 37 kilometres of luminous hose.
Credit: CISION PRWeb
Soaring a massive 278 feet, 10 inches, the annual lighting of the tree is a national event and a major tourist attraction and each year, the tree is accompanied by an impressive light show.
The 2007 light show featured falling stars that gave way to a rising sun. At “twilight” the sun descended among clouds and the moon rose. At “night” the scene gave way to rows of windows lit with candles and Christmas tree lights. For the tree’s 20th appearance, the light show started with rain drops that shifted to a map of the world in celebration of the coming 2016 Olympics.
Kobe Luminaire
In 1995 Kobe, Japan was rocked by a devastating earthquake. In addition to a death toll of over 6,000 and billions of dollars in damage, the city was plunged into darkness when the electricity and water systems failed. To help the city, the Italian government donated more than 200,000 hand painted lights to do double duty as a light source and as symbol of hope. What started as a kind gesture has turned into the Kobe Luminaire festival of lights. Now, every December, millions of people flock to Kobe to see the spectacular light show.
Credit: Marufish, License CC BY 2.0
To commemorate the event and to continue the tradition of hope, the lights used remain hand painted. However, to be more eco-friendly, current iterations of the lights are lit with biomass.
Legends in Light, Crazy Horse Memorial
This show may be a more recent phenomenon, but it would not be possible without the work of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who lived from 1908 – 1982. Known for his work as a mountain carver, Ziolkowski is famously remembered for his impressive work on the Crazy Horse Memorial.
Today, visitors to this important, historical site can treat themselves to a multimedia laser light show that uses the mountain itself as the backdrop to tell the story of cultural diversity and the harmony that can co-exists among people of all races.
Legends in Light CREDIT: Crazyhorsememorial.org
The Legends in Light show features three of the largest slide projectors in the world in addition to lasers and audio.