Event Profile- Muscat Festival in Oman
The Arab nation of Oman, located in southwest Asia, may not get as much attention as many of its neighbors recently—it’s one of the most developed and stable countries in the region—but when it comes to its annual Muscat Festival, it knows how to pull out all the stops and let the bells and whistles blow.
The festival, which began in 1998, was extra special this February because it celebrated the 40-year reign of the country’s beloved leader, Sultan Qaboos. A 28-day extravaganza of special events, sporting competitions, cultural events, performances and even fashion shows, the festival drew more than two million people. Considering that the country’s population is just over two million, it truly was a national celebration.
One of the highlights of the festival was a stunning 30-minute multimedia show produced by German powerhouse LOBO, a manufacturer and rental company for laser show and multimedia systems that has has worked in more than 60 countries around the globe.
This laser show took place each evening of the festival over a large artificial lake at the Festival area’s Qurum Park in the heart of the capital city of Muscat. And the team had less than six weeks to design, lay out and produce the show. “The video content and most of the laser content had to be developed exclusively for the show. They included many blue-screen recordings and uncounted 3D computer animations of future and existing landmarks of the country,” said Creative Director Alexander Henning.
The Festival organizers wanted everybody around the lake have a perfect view of the show. This required seven ultra-bright laser systems, 24 fog generators with wind machines, a generous set of special outdoor laser mirrors and four video systems. LOBO brought in partners to supply three water screens, one of the world’s largest mobile fountain systems and 20 pyrotechnic effects. More than 90 high-powered searchlight-type fixtures were also on the scene.
During the show, the lake was transformed into different abstract dream worlds with 3D laser sculptures, hologram images, lights, water, fire and sound—a spectacle that not many Oman citizens will forget for a long time.
