Brighten up your festive event:
5 lighting ideas to transform your celebration
Lighting your festive event is absolutely fundamental, yet it is often overlooked. Paying close attention to lighting can be the difference between a seasonal celebration that feels ordinary and one that feels truly immersive Lighting does far more than simply highlight performers or decorations; it creates atmosphere, enhances festive visuals, and works in harmony with architectural features and dynamic fixtures to craft a captivating experience that will leave your guests enchanted.
The advanced lighting displays used by Encore Event Technologies have evolved dramatically since the days of humble tungsten and halogen incandescent filaments. Since the development of the first high-powered blue LED in the 1990s, the theatrical lighting industry has progressed in ways that once seemed unimaginable.
1. Use LEDs for event lighting
LEDs are around ten times more efficient than traditional tungsten bulbs, consuming far less electricity for the same brightness. They also last longer, emit less heat, and are more economical to maintain, which makes them perfect for extended festive events.
With RGBW LED chips (red, green, blue and white), you can create any festive colour combination – from classic Christmas reds and greens to icy blues and warm golds. Unlike traditional gels, colours can change throughout your event, adding dynamic variety to your celebrations.
Moving or ‘intelligent’ heads can be programmed to sweep colour and light across your venue, adding movement and sparkle to Christmas parties or New Year’s Eve events. They create vibrant effects that bring your festivities to life.
2. Create stunning visuals with pixel mapping
LED technology has enabled the creation of equipment that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago. Because LEDs can be manufactured in very small sizes, they can be grouped closely together to instantly alter the quality of the light they emit. This technique is known as pixel mapping, and it offers a wide range of exciting creative possibilities.
Image Pixel Mapping
Pixel mapping technology allows you to transform LED fixtures into vibrant canvases for festive imagery. Whether displaying twinkling snowflakes, flickering flames, or your company’s holiday logo, pixel mapping creates dynamic visuals that enhance the atmosphere.
Video Pixel Mapping
For larger events, video pixel mapping can project coordinated animations across multiple fixtures, turning walls or stages into immersive winter wonderlands or festive cityscapes that mesmerise your guests.
3. Animate light with moving heads and gobos
Moving heads pre-date the LED revolution, but early versions were large, unwieldy, and prohibitively expensive – used only in top-tier theatres and major concerts. Today, moving head fixtures employ digitally controlled motors that allow for a wide range of light movement. Thanks to advances in technology, they’re now common even in budget-friendly setups. A must-have for any professional event.
The Gobo
In combination with LEDs, rotating lenses, and other innovations, moving lights have breathed new life into one of the oldest lighting techniques: the humble gobo. Originally, a gobo was a piece of metal with a pattern of holes cut into it, placed in front of a light source. These were used either for diffusion or to project simple shapes, such as geometric designs or foliage effects.
As lighting technology evolved, glass gobos were introduced, allowing for the inclusion of colour and intricate detail. With modern LED fixtures, moving heads paired with seasonal gobos can project delightful festive patterns such as stars, holly leaves, snowflakes or festive messages onto walls, floors or even ceilings. Modern LED fixtures allow for multi-layered gobos, creating richly detailed textures and colours to evoke warmth and cheer throughout your event space.
4. Create an immersive world with video projection
New types of moving head LED fixtures can now be used as video projectors. But these are far from your average projector, these fixtures can dynamically adjust focus, angle, width, brightness, and colour in real time.
Advanced moving head LED fixtures can act as dynamic video projectors, adjusting focus, brightness and colour in real time. Project looped festive scenes such as softly falling snow, flickering candles or glowing fairy lights to transform your venue into an immersive holiday experience. These projections can be subtle washes or bold statements, perfect for Christmas dinners, winter galas or seasonal product launches.
5. Brighten your festive space using LED tubes
LED tubes are incredibly versatile for festive décor. Use them to outline architectural features on buildings with festive colours or hang them like glowing icicles or chandeliers. They add a contemporary yet festive flair to any event, from Christmas parties to winter festivals.
What makes LED tubes so popular is their adaptability. LED tubes can be mounted almost anywhere: stage edges, entranceways or around seating areas. Controlled from the lighting desk, they can pulse gently to mimic candlelight or ripple with waves of festive colour. Arrange them in circles to create eye-catching centrepieces, perfect for holiday dinners or special seasonal occasions.
Lighting plays a starring role in creating unforgettable festive events. Whether you are planning a corporate Christmas party, a community winter festival or an intimate seasonal gathering, these lighting ideas will ensure your celebration sparkles with warmth and wonder.