London welcomed 2024 with its biggest ever New Year’s Eve fireworks, lights and drone show on the banks of the Thames River. Lighting Designer Tim Routledge returned for a second year to light the giant London Eye ferris wheel choosing laser-source Claypaky Skylos fixtures to deliver spectacular beam effects from each of the Eye’s 32 pods. The festivities featured more than 12,000 fireworks, 600 drones, 430 lights and a varied soundtrack of songs and voice-over clips. Attending the huge party were 100,000 lucky ticketholders while millions around the world watched on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Routledge positioned 32 Skylos in the Eye’s passenger pods or capsules to create amazing beam effects that complemented the fireworks and drone display in the night sky. Neg Earth supplied the Skylos fixtures, which are much more than classic searchlights. Skylos is an ultra-versatile and weather-resistant fixture with incredible light output and outstanding construction features. Its custom 300W white light laser source provides an extremely parallel, uniform beam. Considering its light output and the size of the front lens, the body of this remarkable light is lightweight and compact – a must for mounting high up on the London Eye. The fixture’s IP66 rating was also a plus for this challenging application.
“We used Skylos as a new fixture this year, as we had been looking for something new that could cut through the fireworks and the sheer amount of smoke they generate,” explains Routledge. “Skylos did us proud with punchy, bright beams that looked even more stunning when used with the prism effect that gave us a unique look with hundreds of beams emanating from the Eye’s architecture. They helped create a great night that really packed a punch.” James Scott programmed the lighting for the event.
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