"Memory of Water" Opening Ceremony of the 17th FINA World Aquatics Championships
How did we improve on the timeless perfection of such a historic city, already recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site? How did we plug such a monumental technical set-up into the heart of a city that was never intended as an entertainment venue? This was the challenge facing the ECA2 team.
The biggest sports event in Hungary’s history began in Budapest on July 14th 2017 with a spectacular opening ceremony.
Completely breaking the mold of other sporting events ceremonies, a mesmerizing troupe of 500+ live performers interacted with sophisticated multimedia technologies, merging innovative dance with a maelstrom of special effects such as ten-meter-high flames, hyperactive lasers, night-beating lightbeams, fireworks and drones.
Going even further, ECA2 applied their unique technical expertise to “borrow” the Danube, channeling its waters to take a powerful starring role as choreographed jets, sprays, and ingenious mid-air water screens where fabulous projected video images leave each spectator breathless.
For this one night only, the Danube, the Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge… it all became a single vast theatre covering a total area of 200,000sqm including a challenging floating set-up right there on the river with a size equivalent of 3 football fields.
