DUBAI: As the world welcomed 2026, Dubai once again delivered a jaw-dropping New Year’s Eve spectacle of epic proportions, as lighting, video, lasers and fireworks erupted from the Burj Khalifa in a mixed visual media extravaganza organised by EMAAR and produced by Our Legacy Creations. Central to this year’s celebration was a newly introduced 20-minute, full-tilt pre-fireworks performance staged across a 450-metre open performance space on Burj Lake, setting the stage for the iconic 60-second countdown and fireworks finale fired from the 828-metre-high tower dominating Downtown Dubai’s skyline.

Lighting for this vast, high-pressure environment was designed by Dom Smith and Paul Johnson of UK-based design studio NeonBlack, with ROBE iFORTE LTX moving lights selected as the primary key lighting solution. A total of 86 iFORTE LTX fixtures were deployed to illuminate a complex performance involving 25 custom floats, boats, waterboards and jet skis, a cast of 570 performers, and a dramatic tightrope walk spanning 450 metres, suspended 60 metres above the lake between the shopping mall structures. The show was creatively directed by Tiziana Pagliarulo of OLC and broadcast to a global audience, with 36 cameras under the direction of Marcus Viner capturing every moment.

One of the key challenges for Smith and Johnson was achieving sufficient intensity and consistency of key light across extraordinary throw distances, ensuring that performers registered clearly both live and on camera across the enormous performance field. For the tightrope sequence in particular, 24 iFORTE LTX fixtures were positioned on the roof of Dubai Mall to light the wire, while the only viable followspot locations were situated on top of the souk market, approximately 150 metres away.

Reflecting on the outcome, Paul Johnson commented, “We were somewhat concerned about how much light we could get into this area, and were pleasantly surprised when we opened out the iFORTE LTXs from that huge distance away … and they proved absolutely perfect for the job – both creatively and practically!”

Dom Smith reinforced this assessment, stating, “Robe’s iFORTE LTX was the only option to light the 150 – 200-metre longest throw distances involved; the only luminaire that could give us the consistency and quality of lighting to make it look great on camera and for everyone watching live.” He added that, over the past two years, the iFORTE LTX has become a go-to key lighting tool for their work on large-scale productions.

The Robe fixtures were supplied by Dubai-based technical equipment rental contractor Media Pro, forming part of an overall lighting inventory of approximately 3,000 fixtures used across the show, including the Burj Khalifa’s permanently installed lighting system. Most of the iFORTE LTX units were positioned around the lake on permanent PA speaker towers, with additional fixtures mounted on custom truss towers fabricated by Media Pro. The tightrope itself was illuminated by the 24 iFORTE LTX units installed on the souk rooftop, while two additional fixtures were positioned on the roof of the souk bazaar and used exclusively to track the artist as she crossed the line, controlled via a Robe RoboSpot system located alongside the luminaires for precise targeting.

Many of the 60 iFORTE LTX fixtures deployed around the lake were also integrated into a remote follow system using multiple fixed cameras to manage the enormous field of view that effectively became the stage. Commenting on performance consistency, Smith noted, “The iFORTES were absolutely solid … Not only do they retain their intensity and flat beam field across these very long distances, once you dial in the desired colour temperature, this replicates that perfectly and consistently – very impressive!”

All key and white lighting for the production was programmed and directed by David Wolstenholme, while effects lighting was programmed by Eliot Jessep and Josh Musgrave during pre-visualisation in the UK, and by Alex Douglas on site in Dubai. Beyond the lake-based performance, the lighting design also extended to large Rio-carnival-style parade floats that travelled along Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard at the start of the entertainment, as well as the façade of the Burj Khalifa itself. Even the fireworks ‘conductor’, elevated up to 15 metres on a hydraulic platform, was tracked using iFORTE LTX fixtures.

Working alongside a large multidisciplinary crew, Smith, Johnson and their teams helped ensure that Dubai welcomed 2026 with energy, precision and visual ambition, delivering a world-class lighting spectacle that added a powerful new layer to the Burj Khalifa’s globally watched New Year’s Eve celebrations—long before a single firework was launched into the night sky.