When satellite television company Sky realised that their ever-growing staff numbers and hectic production schedules were making it harder and harder to host a traditional staff Christmas party, they invented a completely different alternative: Skyfest, a mid-summer outdoor festival exclusively for Sky’s staff and their guests. Running over two days in London in July for the London-based staff, then two days in Edinburgh in September for those working for Sky in Scotland, Skyfest this year featured lighting from leading entertainment lighting specialist White Light.
Brought in to the project by event organisers The Rouge Partnership, White Light provided a complete lighting service to both the London and Edinburgh Skyfests, including equipment rental, installation, show operation and load-out. The company was responsible for lighting the main arena, the main outdoor stage, viewing tents, the drinks tent, and the catering tent.
The lighting for Skyfest used a wide range of equipment from White Light’s extensive collection of lighting gear, each product chosen to best suit the varying requirements of the different areas. A particular highlight of the main stage was the stunning kinetic backdrop created from the Illieum Fusion 672 LED panels, which allowed colour, movement and abstract graphics to be played behind the performers – Fusion’s high output rendering the effects clearly visible even before the sun went down.
The White Light crew on-site was led by White Light Project Managers Dominic Yates and Richard Stirzaker, with the remaining crew sourced locally to each Skyfest to reduce the environmental impact of staff travelling long distances to the Festivals.
Despite taking place in slightly inclement weather, Skyfest London was judged an enormous success – as witnessed by it still being discussed in excited terms when White Light travelled to Sky’s television studios the following week to supply lighting to the Sky Arts Theatre Live performances!
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