The Joburg Zoo Festival of Lights, held in partnership with the Joburg Theatre and the City of Johannesburg, has transformed the city’s much-loved zoological gardens into a night-time wonderland for both young and old this festive season.
The city of Johannesburg is recognised as the world’s largest urban forest. Many of the trees at Joburg Zoo are more than a hundred years old and contribute to the city’s magnificent forest canopy. The Festival of Lights pays homage to these majestic forest giants by bathing them in light over the festive season for all to enjoy.
Johnny Scholtz, architectural lighting specialist at DWR Distribution, worked hand-in-hand with Joburg Zoo management and the City of Johannesburg to come up with a design for the temporary installation of lighting fixtures and audio equipment for this year’s festival. “There were a number of factors that we needed to take into consideration, such as the sheer size of the area that Joburg Zoo wanted to illuminate and bathe in sound as well as the impact of the installation on the animals that reside at the Zoo,” says Johnny.
The DWR team deployed 60 Longman Parco R350 units to wash the Zoo’s forest in dynamic colours. The wash effects provided colour and a sense of drama when used in conjunction with the hundreds of meters of fairy lights that add that special festival-season charm to the display.
In addition to the breathtaking lighting, the Jaco Beukes of DWR Distribution designed an audio solution for the Festival of Lights that features Quest MX601 speakers on towers that have been strategically spaced throughout the allocated area to provide even sound distribution. “We wanted to ensure that visitors were treated to an immersive experience, where the gentle sound of festive music contributes to the overall mood of the festival without being overwhelming,” says DWR installations manager, Andi Rodgers. Jaco decided to specify Quest audio equipment, as the boxes are compact and stand up well to the elements while providing even, clear audio output. “This is the largest area I have covered with a 100volt system, and my expectations were surpassed by the detail and coverage of this system. I am thoroughly impressed,” says Jaco.
The Zoo’s Grandstand, which is positioned in the centre of the area allocated to the Festival of Lights, will serve as a stage for some of Johannesburg’s most celebrated musicians, artists and dancers throughout the festival. In addition to chamber music, choirs, jazz performances and musical ensembles, the Joburg Ballet will be performing exerts from Tchaikovsky’s Christmas celebration, The Nutcracker, on selected evenings.
The Joburg Zoo Festival of Lights is running from 01 December 2019 to 05 January 2020. For the full programme of performances and to book your tickets, please CLICK HERE.
