Harbour Bridge lights up
Auckland’s harbour became a multimedia stage in a massive light and sound show on Saturday night.
Ninety thousand LED lights and 100 floodlights beamed and flashed from the Harbour Bridge in time with original music, delighting thousands who packed viewing points around the city to watch.
Every visible beam, arch, pile, girder, strut and pylon lit up for a six-minute show which was repeated at 9.30pm, then every half hour until midnight.
The celebration on February 27 – entitled Vector Lights – was billed as a salute to Auckland’s diverse cultures and featured Polynesian drumming and te reo Ma¯ ori lyrics alongside the dazzling lights.
Dozens of boaties took to the water for the show, while thousands watched it live at energy company Vector’s Facebook. The music was also streamed in sync on Coast FM.
Viewers described the show as ‘‘magical’’, ‘‘awesome’’ and ‘‘spectacular’’.
‘‘Great to see the bridge all dressed up,’’ one said. The lights will be re-programmed for a different show on Waitangi Day.
The bridge is believed to be the first major one in the world to be lit entirely by solar power, drawing its energy from 600 solar panels feeding into fridgesized Tesla batteries. Vector has committed $10 million to the project for installation and maintenance costs over the next 10 years.