An ‘Orchestra of Light’ wishes the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day

Dublin, Ireland, March 17th 2021 – An Orchestra of Light from Ireland

Watch the fantastic film below featuring a swarm of 500 drones animating the skies of Dublin has today been unveiled to wish the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day. Each drone weighs just 340 grams (less than ¾ of 1lb) and is purpose-built for use in drone light shows. This film, entitled Orchestra of Light features the Intel Drone Light Show Premium, Intel’s brightest, most dynamic drone light show – animating the skies of Dublin and illuminating some of our well-known landmarks, and was pre-recorded in Dublin in early March.  The piece features animations by St. Patrick’s Festival designer Aiden Grennelle.

The Orchestra of Light tells a story of Ireland’s global influence, and how a small island on the edge of Europe has spread its culture and traditions across the world. Orchestra of Light was created by St Patrick’s Festival, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council and can be enjoyed as part of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Festival, which has gone online for 2021.

The drones light up the night sky, illuminating some of the Dublin’s well-known landmarks such as the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) and the Samuel Beckett bridge over the River Liffey.

Symbols of Ireland’s world-famous traditional music and dance culture, normally a central part of St Patrick’s Day celebrations on the island of Ireland, play out over Dublin skies in this spectacular light show. The drones swarm into the image of a globe turning green and formations of Celtic art, before wishing the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day in an explosion of glowing shamrocks. This short film is scored by Irish composer Eimear Noone and her husband Craig Stuart Garfinkle. Along with RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the duo have collaborated with Irish band Picture This on the score, which features an orchestral remix of the band’s latest single, Things Are Different.

Orchestra of Light joins hundreds of famous attractions and sites around the world that are lighting up to mark St Patrick’s Day as part of Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening. The Sydney Opera House will be among the famous sites to go green, joining the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, the ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas, the London Eye, the Sky Tower in Auckland, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, the Cibeles Fountain in Madrid and the most northerly ‘greening’ in the world ever – a postbox at the summit of Øretoppen Mountain in Norway, 350 kms above the Arctic Circle.

Although St Patrick’s Day public celebrations will not take place this year, communities around the globe will feel connected as the world turns green today, helping to bring positivity to the 70+ million people with links to the island of Ireland. 2021 marks the 12^th year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening. This year, a record 690 iconic landmarks and sites in 66 countries around the world will be illuminated in green.

Orchestra of Light was created by St Patrick’s Festival, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council and produced by ShinAwil, delivered in collaboration with Intel and Actavo Events.

Wishing you a Happy St Patrick’s Day from the island of Ireland.

Note: Featured image at the top of the blog is of the “Orchestra of Light for St Patrick’s Day 2021 in Dublin City” © Allen Kiely