The show is a spin-off of the Eurovision Song Contest, produced by the European Broadcast Union (EBU). This was the fifth year for the programme, showcasing performances by 17 countries. Each act consists of performers aged 10-15, who must compose their own music and lyrics.
This year's theme was Make a Splash! and was reflected creatively in each of the stage elements, which included water screens, an onstage waterfall and large water drop props hung from the arena ceiling. Five 8m tall moving video screens projecting images of water and rain completed the look.
Lighting designer Henk-Jan van Beek created the lighting scheme, using a wide array of colour and effects to complement the theme. The truss consisted of circular sections and incorporated LEDs along with a large number of moving lights and conventionals. All sections of truss were covered in white muslin to give it a very clean look overall. Van Beek included the rig itself in his design, and it became as much of a scenic element as the stage.
Flashlight supplied all lighting including 33 High End Systems Showguns and 90 Studio Commands.
"Showgun satisfied a lot of important requirements for this particular show," said van Beek. "Not only did I want to have a good backlight, but I put some of the Showguns between the rig for effects, and the LED ring was a perfect complement to the circular design in the ceiling.
"Ahoy is a rather big venue, so I placed about half of the Showguns around the stadium, which has a pitch of almost 60m," van Beek continued. "The beam shows off well at that distance."
The lighting rig still has a busy month ahead. Ahoy hosts four different shows during December with the same lighting provided from Flashlight, although the stage will change for each show. "The raindrops will go away after this show, and the water screens will only be used once more. Different elements will be added for future shows like a flying track system for one show and a big staircase for another. But the rig is the same, which is why it was important to have flexibility," explained van Beek, who will design all four shows.
(Jim Evans)
