The Opening Ceremony took place on the evening of 26 May with a gala event in which some great past champions also took part. During the Champions Festival evening shows, Clay Paky took the field with its lights: 28 Alpha Beam 300s and 15 Alpha Spot HPE 700s.
The Champions Festival stage set up in Milan's Piazza del Duomo was illuminated thanks to the work of lighting designer Massimo Gasbarro from BOTW. Jerry R. Romani dealt with the programming. The events began with a gospel choir, and went on with a selection of DJs, like Benny Benassi, and much loved singers, who took it in turns to entertain the audience.
It is estimated that the final act of the world's most important club soccer event brought half a million people to Milan during its week-long climax. It was seen on television by more viewers than those that watched the Superbowl, and was produced with advanced technological innovations.
The Alpha Spot HPE 700s were either hung on the central battens, or the rearmost battens as backlighting. The lightweight HPE 700s, with their unparalleled brightness, magnificently cut the space occupied to a minimum and ensured considerable power savings.
"I used the speed of the electronic zoom in the lights to illuminate the whole gospel choir from behind, and light the musicians in the bands that played and DJs who performed on the stage from above," says Massimo Gasbarro.
(Jim Evans)
