Over 670
Clay Paky fixtures amazed two sold-out audiences of 68,000 at the first
European Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, held June 12 and 28 at the
Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. The fixtures were the backbone of the
incredible lighting design by Bob Dickinson and Ted Wells, assisted by lighting
director Travis Hagenbuch. Assistant lighting director was Charles
Dabezias. Executive Producer was Scott Givens of Five Currents.
The newly built 225,000-square-meter stadium was
embellished with 437 units of Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330, 66 units of Sharpy and
174 units of Clay Paky Mythos. The fixtures were placed essentially everywhere,
from Mythos on the field of play surrounding the stage and lining the top of
the stadium to the Sharpy and Sharpy Wash 330 fixtures filling in every level
in between.
The inaugural event was broadcast throughout
Europe and beyond and featured almost 6,000 athletes from 50 countries
competing in 20 sports. The Opening Ceremony featured Lady Gaga performing
“Imagine” by John Lennon, and the show featured approximately 2000 performers
depicting the arrival of spring along with acts showcasing Azerbaijani
heritage. The light output and sharp beams of the Clay Paky fixtures around the
stadium provided stunning effects, even keeping up with the massive pyrotechnic
display overhead.
The artistic
direction of the Opening Ceremony was led by Dimitris Papaioannou with
production designers Thanassis Demiris and Eva Manidaki. Eric Tucker was
pyrotechnic designer and Scott Willsallen the audio designer.
The Closing Ceremony was an equally dramatic
jaw-dropper, including over 500 LED hexagon panels carried by individual
performers to create images on the field of play, accompanied by three Buta
stages featuring hip hop dancers. Azerbaijani traditions were featured as well
as a representation of the country\’s oil-fueled rise to economic prominence. In
one signature sequence, a model of a 12th-century tower opened to reveal gleaming
modern skyscrapers, highlighted beautifully by the Mythos.
The Closing
Ceremony was led by artistic director James Hadley with creative director Libby
Hyland and production designer Josh Zangen. Nick Eltis was senior technical
director and Ola Melzig was the senior technical manager. Anders Karlsson was
the technical production manager, and Toomas Vann the senior production
manager. All Clay Paky fixtures were supplied by PRG.
“Really so
beautiful,” said one spectator, who was fortunate enough to attend both the
Opening and Closing, “It was such a proud event for Baku and the performances
showed our city in a lovely way – blending the past and the present. I saw a
flying carpet, mountains rise from the stage, dancing and music both old and
new, and even a really big pomegranate. I looked up at one point and it felt
like a hundred light beams were meeting in the sky above our heads to create a
ceiling. I was so proud to be part of this historical event.”
The shows
went off to perfection, gaining international acclaim and making the event the
biggest of 2015 and one of the most talked about events worldwide.
Photo: Ralph Larmann
