The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest set design featured Claypaky Tambora Linear 100 high-power LEDs and Skylos white-laser source searchlights.
Fredrik Stormby from Stockholm-based Green Wall Designs, selected the Claypaky fixtures. He joined Production Designer Florian Wieder and the senior production team to help create, design and deliver the show.
The set was a 360-degree experience placed in the middle of the audience and shaped like an equilateral cross with movable LED cubes, LED floors, lighting, video and stage technology creating an array of visual variations for the artists. The centrepiece of the design was a video and light installation suspended above the stage embracing the artists and their performances.
The lighting and stage design had to support the very quick changes between acts, which allowed about 45 seconds for the crews to reset.
“Eurovision has a long, long relationship with Claypaky,” said Ola Melzig, from M & M Production Management AB in Stockholm, who served as Senior Technical Director for ESC 2024. “We world-premiered the Sharpy Wash in 2013.”
“I love Claypaky fixtures,” he declared. “Their lights are extremely reliable and the ratio is very important for me: size, weight, output and power consumption. That’s critical when you’re trying to be sustainable; every watt counts, every gram counts on a 210-ton rig.”
“Groundbreaking. It was the first time in the round and was in same venue where we introduced a standing audience (for ESC) in 2013. This year’s design from Florian Wieder featured a lot of straight lines in all directions. So linear fixtures became very important for us to outline and highlight the shape of the set. We put automation on everything using 199 hoists. Everything in the ceiling could move; the stage could constantly create new shapes and looks, it was a never-ending toolbox,” Melzig commented on the show design.
Melzig explained that Niclas Arvidsson of Interlite, Claypaky’s distributor in Sweden, introduced the lighting team to the Tambora Linears. “He was great at helping us to source them since we needed 396 active Tamboras mounted on the [overhead] LED cubes, a real truckload. They were perfect for this show.” Melzig explained.
“The Tambora Linear was chosen for its look, features and size. I needed a compact, low-weight, bright linear fixture in large numbers that could act as a graphic element outlining the flown pods, but also work as a strobe,” Stormby added. “In addition to this they were also fully mapped in the disguise server, allowing for video content to be played out over the lighting rig. The Tambora Linear, with the black ND lens, was a perfect combination for us, allowing them to blend in with the black cladding of our pods and set.”
Twenty-five active Skylos searchlights were also employed for the show. “Fredrik wanted a big fixture with great punch,” Melzig said. “He just loved what he could do with the Skylos, and I loved them, too. They delivered quite a punch and were very attractive.”
“The Skylos fixture was something I knew I wanted on the show somehow,” added Stormby. “I love big bold xenon beam and flower fixtures and this is a new take on those. We ended up having them flown in an automated truss in front of the LED screen, that we could use in various heights, and flown along the sides of the stage over the bleachers. There were also five units positioned on the floor used for various specials. It worked great doing what it does. One of the things I’m mostly impressed with is the pan and tilt speed. It’s superfast, almost like a sharpy on steroids!”
The Associate Lighting Designers were Mike Smith and Michael Straun. Creative Technology acted as official event supplier of ESC 2024 with the support of Motion Rental for Claypaky units.
