Outstanding Lasers Above Budapest

Budapest, 30th of August, 21:00:

1.2 million people gather at the banks of the river Danube. The river itself is littered with hundreds of boats and excursion steamers. The ones who couldn't be present at the scene settle down on their balconies or attempt to secure a spot on the towers and roofs of the city. For several minutes, the entire nation is being supplied with live footage from the ground and the air.

Then, all at once, the lights in the city go out, making the usually bustling metropolis go eerily quiet. Suddenly, a loud metallic bang and a deep rumble break the silence. At the same time, glaringly bright laser beams cut through the dark sky from all directions and open up like fingers miles long, slowly and in sync to the music – which can barely be heard over the euphoric roars of the masses.

No, there are no aliens conquering the Hungarian Capital, but instead the laser wizards of the Germany-based laser specialist LOBO staging a gigantic laser spectacle in combination with fireworks in celebration of the Hungarian National Holiday.

Against the floods

Although the celebrations for the Hungarian National Holiday follow a centuries-old tradition, everything was different this year. The blame for this lies with the "flood of the century" – where the Danube flooded many areas in Hungary, as well. Although Budapest was well protected against the impending disasters by large dams, the peak of the flood wave reaching Budapest was just about to happen reach on the 20th of August – the very date of the National Holiday. This led to heated debate in the media about whether it is appropriate to stage a show of enormous dimensions while thousands of people were sinking into the mud.

On top of that, other issues of a more practical nature arose: The banks of the Danube, with all adjacent streets, were flooded, causing the event area that was necessary to accommodate the anticipated crowds to shrink with every day – a recipe for disaster.

For that reason, one day before the National Day, the Prime Minister – who also acted as the principal of the event – decided to postpone the celebrations to the 30th of August. At that point of time, all of the laser systems were ready to operate at the push of a button, and the company Pyro-Art from Berlin had already prepared tons of fireworks material (including 7 kilometers of ignition cables) on the Citadel on top of Gellert Hill. Despite the postponement of the event, the final rehearsal of the laser show took place, as planned, on the 19th of August; during the two-week enforced break, a LOBO technician kept the laser systems on-site on stand-by.

Technical Aspects

In terms of National Day celebrations, the Hungarians are very discerning. As long as anyone can remember, an outstandingly huge amount of fireworks is set off around Gellert Hill for the occasion. But this year, the organizers decided on an especially extraordinary idea: Lasers are supposed to carry the event directly into the city, surrounding the people with laser light.

Although this task appeared to be simple, the technical execution on the other hand was very complex; not only did the technicians have to deal with enormous distances while at the same time providing enough laser power to stand out against the fireworks and the lights of the city itself, but a technically feasible solution had to be worked out which allowed the synchronisation and operation of the laser projectors over several miles.

It is no wonder, then, that the organizers called upon the globally renowned laser specialist LOBO, who could not only offer the technical possibilities, but also the know-how and the creative potential to professionally execute a project of such dimensions.

At the beginning stood an intensive planning phase, including an on-site inspection in Budapest, several tests in the LOBO Studios in Aalen, and the analysis of the optimal locations for the projectors. Furthermore, it was essential to adapt each type of laser with its beam characteristics and its visual-optical quality as much as the infrastructural requests perfectly to the different positions. Last but not least, LOBO tried to incorporate especially visible locations – such as the Citadel on top of Gellert Hill, the Castle or the TV tower – into the project.

The final concept included nine independently-operated laser projectors spread all over the city. These were controlled digitally via five workstations of the LACON series, synchronized with each other. A large Laser Truck placed at the west bank of the Danube served as the control and programming station.

Diode-pumped solid state lasers of the latest generation were used for the projectors located in the city as well as for the ones which were up to 6 km away from the city center – these lasers stand out by their extremely high beam quality and an optimal visibility. Gas-ion lasers were used on the Castle and in the Laser Truck at the river. The latter generated a white light power of 57 Watt.

After only two days of setup, the entire laser system was ready for operation and during the remaining nights until the event, the seven-person setup team dedicated themselves to the adjustment and optimization of the show.

At the same time, the technicians of Pyro-Art wired 1.800 'bombs', 1.000 Roman lights, approximately 900 Bengali lights as well as many other special effects at the Citadel. Additionally, a Hungarian fireworks company installed about the same quantity of fireworks effects around Gellert Hill.

The Event

What previously has been planned as the official highlight of the National Holiday was now staged as a charity event initiated by the Prime Minister, broadcast nation-wide on TV, in order to support the flood victims. The stream of audience members concentrated mainly at the banks of the Danube, where additional highlights on stages, special events in hotels and on the excursion steamers were offered. Just before the event, the river police was very busy keeping away boats from the laser safety areas; in the streets, spectators climbed any object which ensured an optimal view onto the spectacle.

As the acoustic coverage of the event could only be effected in limited areas – and with enormous delays due to the local conditions – the complete soundtrack was broadcast by two radio stations, making sure that everyone, even in their homes, could hear the music in best quality.

The beginning and the end of the show were carried by lasers. Laser-driven passages with Japanese drummers on the Chain Bridge smoothly transitioned into a concept intertwined with laser and fireworks.

LOBO's Art Director: "We searched for strong synergetic effects between laser and fireworks. The task was to emphasize the advantages of each technology without diminishing any of the others. Therefore we decided to primarily bring out the percussion parts of the music with laser while the fireworks supported the melody line. Although we never had the chance to rehearse the combination of laser and pyrotechnics in advance, I have to admit that I was really overwhelmed by the result – which immediately made me forget the long nights of hard work."

A brilliant finale with massive laser effects and endless fireworks cascades culminated in an gigantic pyro 'waterfall' raining down from the Elisabeth Bridge into the Danube, while written messages were projected with laser onto the Gellert Hill, the Castle and the building facades along the riverside thanking the Hungarian people for their generous donations.

The unprecedented storms of enthusiasm in the audience, especially caused by the laser effects, spark hopes that this may not have been the last laser show presented at a National Day.