Latest news with #LumaEnchanted
Otago Daily Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Bring on the drones
An Australian-based company is pitching drone light shows for Queenstown over three months that'd not only be an amazing spectacle, but could potentially also drive big visitor numbers, especially during shoulder seasons. Drone Sky Shows, the southern hemisphere's largest drone light show provider, put on Dunedin's first Matariki drone show last winter, with a New Zealand-record 201 drones, and is doing it again this month. Its first show in Perth, in 2022, drew an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people. Shows feature illuminated, synchronised and choreographed groups of drones arranged into various aerial formations — just about any shape can be brought to light. Local Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sharon Fifield believes the shows, each about 10 minutes long, would be perfect for Queenstown. ''What I like about the concept is it's something a bit different, it's low-impact to the environment, unlike fireworks, and then people can come into Queenstown and have a bit of a show before they head out to dinner and to the bars. ''Even our animals might like it. ''Events are perfect for these quieter times and for getting locals to come into town. ''We've lost Luma from the Gardens but it's almost taking Luma into the sky with a kind of light show.'' Luma — now transitioned into a winter-long 'Luma Enchanted' show at Kiwi Park — ran in the Gardens for almost 10 years and last year attracted about 32,000 visitors over King's Birthday Weekend. However, organisers pulled the plug due to rising costs. Drone Sky Shows owner Josh Van Ross believes Queenstown's an ''exceptional'' light show venue. He's proposing a 300-to-500-drone show over the Gardens ''which would point back at the town and just blow the socks off anyone who would come there''. ''We'd do a weekly show, Friday or Saturday night, we'd change it up multiple times and we'd love to really drive traffic back to Queens-town when it's shoulder season.'' Van Ross says there could be a ''family-friendly'' 6pm show and another at 9pm. ''This would be a first of its type for New Zealand as a residency — it's the same as kind of what the Maldives and other really high-end tourism destinations have.'' According to a proposal sighted by Mountain Scene, a 'standard' 100-drone show could cost $45,000, rising to $100,000 for 300 drones. Van Ross says the set-up costs are massive, ''but if we can set up there for two or three months the price per show comes down drastically''. A sponsor who came onboard could also have their logo beamed at the end of the show, he suggests. He'd be keen to collaborate with a local artist ''who can really make it speak to the people of Queenstown''. As far as setting up the show, Van Ross' NZ CEO and 'mission commander' is Queenstown-raised Shane Wild, who lives in Cromwell and stores almost 250 drones himself. Wild, who commutes to Queenstown most days, says a show would take just three months to organise. ''Mate, I can't believe we haven't done one here yet.'' scoop@
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Luma in a new light
Queenstown's Kiwi Park's hosting 'Luma Enchanted' from tomorrow night till the end of winter. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A nature park by day, Queenstown's Kiwi Park's hosting from tomorrow night a "whimsical" iteration of the popular Luma light show which ran in the Gardens for the past 10 years. Formerly staged over King's Birthday Weekend, it returns again this same holiday weekend as 'Luma Enchanted' — from 5.30pm tomorrow — but this time runs nightly till the end of winter. Local Screentime New Zealand CEO Philly de Lacey filmed the penultimate murder in her first A Remarkable Place to Die TV murder mystery series during last year's Luma. "I approached them and said, 'look, I would love to get my hands on Luma because I would love to see if we can do something different with it'." As it happens, Luma's organisers soon after decided to pull pin due to funding constraints. De Lacey says "I did a deal with them to kind of give myself six months to find a property where we could host it, but obviously to run it for a whole winter it couldn't go in the Gardens". A Luma organiser, Luke Baldock, put her in touch with new Kiwi Park boss Richard Wilson, "and he was like, 'Ireally want to do something with the park, and this is exactly the sort of thing I've been thinking about"'. She says they've appropriately lent into the theme of NZ native animals, both extinct and living, "and then we've gone completely off-piste, but generally it sits within that natural world". For her first off-screen production, De Lacey's tapped about 40 creative brains from both her film world and Luma's. Her guiding light, as it were, is "people feeling like the minute they walk into Kiwi Park they've entered a wonderland, and until they leave they're in this wonderland". De Lacey also thinks it provides locals and visitors with a much-needed family-friendly nighttime attraction. She adds the voiceovers from Queenstown Alpine Ski Team youngsters and two Arrowtown School kids "sound absolutely incredible". She's also thrilled with the finger food local restaurant Momentos by the Lake has created "in kind of weird colours and things". Luma Enchanted tickets are for sale via
Otago Daily Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Light show's new iteration on its way
Queenstown's Kiwi Park is hosting ''Luma Enchanted'' from tonight until the end of winter. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A nature park by day, a light show by night. Queenstown's Kiwi Park is hosting a "whimsical" iteration of the popular Luma light show which ran in the gardens for the past 10 years. Formerly staged over King's Birthday Weekend, it returns again this same holiday weekend as "Luma Enchanted" — but this time runs nightly until the end of winter. Screentime New Zealand chief executive Philly de Lacey, of Queenstown, who filmed the penultimate murder in her first A Remarkable Place to Die TV murder mystery series during last year's Luma, initiated the change with some ideas to refresh it. "I approached them and said, 'Look, I would love to get my hands on Luma because I would love to see if we can do something different with it'." As it happens, Luma's organisers soon after decided to pull the pin due to funding constraints. Ms de Lacey did a deal with the organisers to give herself six months to find a property where it could be hosted, but obviously to run it for a whole winter it could not remain in the Gardens. A Luma organiser, Luke Baldock, put her in touch with new Kiwi Park boss Richard Wilson, "and he was like, 'I really want to do something with the park, and this is exactly the sort of thing I've been thinking about". She said the group had lent into the theme of New Zealand native animals, both extinct and living, "and then we've gone completely off-piste, but generally it sits within that natural world". For this, her first off-screen production, Ms de Lacey has tapped about 40 creative brains from both her film world and Luma's, bringing a diverse range of artistic expressions. To differentiate it from the former light show, it focuses more on storytelling, integrating light, nature, and narrative elements to create a more engaging and interactive experience. Her guiding light was "people feeling like the minute they walk into Kiwi Park they've entered a wonderland and until they leave they're in this wonderland". Ms de Lacey also thought it provided locals and visitors with a family-friendly nighttime attraction. The voice-overs from Queenstown's Alpine Ski Team youngsters and two Arrowtown School children "sound absolutely incredible".
