“Macao Light Festival 2019 – Explore the Light” is set to dazzle different places in Macao from 1st to 31st December, manifesting the sound development of the Macao Special Administrative Region since its establishment 20 years ago through the splendour of light artistry. Staged for the fifth year, Macao Light Festival will illuminate the city’s northern district for the first time, and once again feature participation of non-local teams just as last year. Four teams coming from Spain, Portugal, Japan and Shenzhen will join two local teams to present an array of projection mapping shows. The organizer, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), joined hands with the co-organizers Municipal Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau and Sports Bureau to hold a press conference and unveil the splendid event program today (21st November).
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Head of Department of Cultural and Recreational Affairs and Civic Education of Municipal Affairs Bureau, Patsy Ko Pui San, Head of Sports Facilities Management Department of Sports Bureau, Ho Wa, and Head of Division for Planning and Developing Cultural and Creative Industries of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Candice Kuong Chan Mei, were present in the press conference among others.
Light Festival will dazzle northern district for the first time
Non-local performance teams increase to four in total
In her remarks, Senna Fernandes expressed that over the past five years, MGTO has listened to opinions from different circles while assessing and evaluating the impact of the event. By making continuous enhancement on the program, the Office has strived to develop the Macao Light Festival into Macao’s annual signature event and internationally prestigious brand of its kind. Last year, MGTO started inviting non-local teams to join the Festival, taking steps forward to augment the scale of the event and its level of international participation and profile. The event created opportunities for exchange among local, Mainland and overseas light artists, making an ongoing effort to take the performance quality and program diversity to the next level.
Senna Fernandes added that in terms of route design, the event seeks to channel visitor flows into different local districts to bring greater economic benefits to different businesses and foster community tourism development. This is the first year for the Macao Light Festival to extend into the northern district, with the hope to lead more visitors into the community. The event will also feature four non-local production teams for mapping shows, an increase from two teams last year. The mapping shows are created to highlight the celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR. Through the process of data research, design, production and performance, she believes the teams will gain deeper insights into Macao, in turn leading to wider publicity of the destination.
Abundant check-in and selfie opportunities en route to“Explore the Light”
Held for the fifth year, the Macao Light Festival will be staged from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from 1st to 31st December (the last projection mapping show will begin at 9:50 p.m. daily). On the night of 31st December 2019, the light installations at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Anim’Arte Nam Van and the white canopy at Nam Van will be illuminated until 0:10 midnight on 1st January 2020. Themed as “Explore the Light” this year, the Festival will once again present an extravaganza of projection mapping shows, light installations, interactive games and more, covering 15 locations across four districts including the newly-featured northern district, enabling residents and visitors to experience the unique charm of each community. Audiences can appreciate the light artistry while sharing their dazzling journey to “explore the light” in the city with selfie and check-in opportunities en route. Macao Tourism Mascot “MAK MAK” will join local and visiting spectators to explore four glittery routes and Macao’s evolving cityscape over the last two decades through different angles in the art of light. The adventure will be reminiscent of stories and memories belonging to the people of Macao, and evoke the joy brought by celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR.
1.“Light of Age” in the northern district will connect different places including Leisure Area in Rua do General Ivens Ferraz, Leisure Area at Baía Norte do Patane on Rua Norte do Patane and Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome. Various spots will be festooned along the route to sparkle like a star-studded sky. Spectators can get lost in the beauty of “Eight Planets” at Leisure Area in Rua do General Ivens Ferraz, hop onto a future spaceship for an experience of “Space Travel”, or enjoy a walk down the memory lane through different decades in Macao with the mapping show “Memory of Macau Canidrome” at Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome.
2.“Light of Memory” in the central district and St. Lazarus’ Parish will connect Leisure Area at Largo da Sé, Ruins of St. Paul’s, Rua dos Ervanários, Largo do Pagode do Bazar and Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro. Spectators can experience the fun of “Swinging Cascade” and “AR Magic Sandbox” at Largo do Pagode do Bazar. “Homey Lamp” at Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro, will project different home lightings commonly used in different ages, which will mirror the changes in people’s life in Macao.
3.“Light of Colors” in Nam Van and Sai Van Districts will cover Anim’Arte Nam Van, Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, the white canopy at Nam Van as well as St. Joseph’s Seminary Church. The route will feature a cascade projection titled “Floating Wonder”, a mega light installation “Glistening Lotus” and more, besides an encounter with “Big Mak”, a huge 12-meter-tall balloon “MAK MAK” at Anim’Arte Nam Van. Audiences can enjoy “Flow of Melody”, a piano performance paired with light installation, or shop for local signature delicacies and cultural and creative products in “Anim’Arte Market”.
4.“Light of Harmony” at Our Lady of Carmel Parish will cover the Taipa Houses, Largo dos Bombeiros and the square in front of Pak Tai Temple. “Tide of Love” will project light effects resembling ocean tides at Taipa Houses, creating harmonious scenery imbued with romantic aroma. A mapping show named “Carnival” will be staged at Largo dos Bombeiros to showcase the cultural gems and culinary delights from Portugal, bringing to life the creative dynamic of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Mapping Shows in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR
A total of six teams will present projection mapping shows this year, including the teams from Spain, Portugal, Japan and Shenzhen as well as two local teams. Themed in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR, the shows will be staged at two attractions in the World Heritage Site – “The Historic Centre of Macao”, namely the Ruins of St. Paul’s and St. Joseph’s Seminary Church (the last mapping show will start at 9:50 p.m. every night).
The following mapping shows will be staged at the Ruins of St. Paul’s:
Created by a Spanish team, the mapping show titled “Bloom” will highlight the quaint beauty of the architectural design of the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Macao’s unique cultural legacy. Portraying the incessant growth of different elements in nature, the show will celebrate birth and prosperity. Its background music will be a blend of modern tunes and traditional instrumental music from China and Portugal, emitting festive and colorful vibes. “The Adventures of Snow”, created by a team from Shenzhen as a city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, will unfold the adventures of a snowflake which will float past attractive delicacies, enjoy the thrill of motorsport and visit a magnificent church. Surprises will be discovered along the journey, paying tribute to Macao with dreamlike imagination brought to life. A local production “The Time of Joy” will weave colorful lively patterns and lines, paired with the vigorous rhythm of its original music, into the story of Macao as a fishing village in the old days, the cityscape in cultural harmony and the joyful celebrations of the 20th anniversary.
The following mapping shows will be staged at St. Joseph’s Seminary Church:
“Macao’s Light Journey” presented by a Portuguese team will lead spectators to revisit Macao’s historic moments. With the art of projection mapping, the vibrant, colorful and festive show will manifest the East-meets-West cultures, World Heritage, gastronomy and diversity of events and festivals in Macao. Coming from Japan, the show “Prism” will depict Macao’s historic stories. Combining the light effects made possible with 20 new-model programmable LED lights, the show paints the city’s budding harmony highlighted by the exquisite architectural style of St. Joseph’s Seminary Church, expressing best wishes for Macao’s continuous progress in harmony. Another local production “Let’s ‘20’ Together!” will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR through diverse and colorful projections. Images of sprout, lotus, festive carnival and other elements will be incorporated into the show to embody Macao’s flourishing development in the last two decades and visualize the city’s future brimming with dreams and hopes.
Interactive light installations bestow blessings upon Macao
“Macao Light Festival 2019 – Explore the Light” will feature interactive light installations in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR. Beneath the white canopy at Nam Van, “Joy to the World” will allow residents and visitors to send their best wishes for Macao onto the huge screen on-site via the mobile app for Macao Light Festival 2019. Another interactive light installation known as “Memory in Time” at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre will offer audiences a window into Macao’s journey over the last 20 years from 1999 to 2019, highlighting the momentous times since the Macao SAR was established 20 years ago.
Redeem gifts via sharing on Light Festival mobile app or social platforms
The mobile app for Macao Light Festival 2019 (with content available in Traditional/Simplified Chinese and English) offers event information, route navigation as well as features for commenting and gift redemption. The mobile app can be downloaded for free on App Store or Google Play as the Light Festival arrives. The public can complete different activities for gift redemption via the mobile app or social media platforms according to instructions. Gifts of Macao Light Festival 2019 can be redeemed at designated information stations located at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Anim’Arte Nam Van, Largo do Pagode do Bazar, Leisure Area at Baía Norte do Patane and the Taipa Houses.
Opening Ceremony on 1st December
Macao Light Festival 2019 will be unveiled with an opening ceremony at Anim’Arte Nam Van in the evening of 1st December, inviting residents and visitors to “Explore the Light” in Macao. For more information about Macao Light Festival 2019, please stay tuned on MGTO’s website (www.macaotourism.gov.mo), MGTO’s WeChat ID (“mgtoweixin”) and themed pages on Facebook (2019 Macao Light Festival) and Instagram (macaolightfestival2019). The public can also download the mobile app for Macao Light Festival 2019.
MGTO will continue to take into consideration opinions from different sectors and evaluate the effects of the event, dedicated to forging the Macao Light Festival into Macao’s annual signature event and internationally prestigious brand of its kind, diversifying the tourism products and experiences Macao has to offer in line with the city’s development into a world centre of tourism and leisure.
