Light Festival kicks off presenting new highlights

The Macau Light Festival 2018, themed “Time Travel in Macau,” has kicked off, illuminating routes that connect a string of new locations this year.

The month-long event features projection mapping shows created by local and overseas teams, light installations and interactive games, along with an array of new highlights such as “Food Truck x Light,” a Gastronomy Night Market, a virtual reality game and a Cultural and Creative Night Market.

 Speaking at the opening ceremony on Sunday, director of the Macau Government Tourism Office Maria Helena Senna Fernandes recalled that before preparations began for the inaugural edition in 2015, MGTO had paid inspection visits to several countries where light festivals had been held.

“We hope that as an international tourist city, Macau can also stage its unique light festival, [which] connects tourist spots in different neighborhoods through projection mapping shows, light installations and interactive games, leading to a wider choice of nighttime entertainment and longer length of visitors’ stay in Macau,” said the official.

“For the first time, we invited production teams from Portugal, Belgium and Macau to design and produce three different projection mapping shows at the Ruins of St. Paul’s during different periods. It is an entirely new idea to deliver, with the hope of transforming the Light Festival into an international event,” Fernandes added.

The opening ceremony of the festival featured a drone show for the first time. In the event, 150 drones lined up to form characters and patterns.

The festival has woven together local elements of gastronomy, humanity, architecture, culture, creativity and other realms, portraying nostalgic stories and childhood memories of local residents.

This year, the festival has three distinctive themed routes covering eleven locations across five districts, connecting a string of new locations and leading visitors into different local districts.

Five projection mapping shows are staged at three locations, in addition to an itinerant projection show at the Taipa Municipal Market.

Three projection-mapping shows have been produced by teams from Portugal, Belgium and Macau.  Another highlight is the “Food Truck x Light,” which is being launched for the first time, offering illuminated drinks and souvenirs for redemption.

The public can complete various designated activities in exchange for luminous drinks, cotton candy and souvenirs at food trucks parked at three locations.

The Gastronomy Night Market also unfolds with local signature delights at the square in front of Pak Tai Temple as another new highlight.

The festival also brings together a series of interactive games and light installations, including “Rhythm Time”, “Nostalgic Hopscotch”, “Macao Cloud”, “Fluorescent Staircase” and “Future Mailbox.”

A “Fly over Macau – VR Experience” at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre is also featured, giving participants a virtual reality experience, where they may enjoy a panoramically scenic flight by putting on the VR goggles and robotic arm. 

To be held until December 31, an Outdoor Local Concert will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.