London Rocks opens May 23, 2014 at Busch Gardens
BUSCH GARDENS® SETS OPENING DATE FOR LONDON ROCKS™
Busch Gardens’ newest show, London Rocks™, will premiere at the park’s Globe Theatre on May 23, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. An international team of more than 500 artists and craftsmen are working on London Rocks, which takes guests on a musical journey to explore the roots of British rock-and-roll through a rousing 25-minute live-action and multimedia rock spectacular.
London Rocks marks the permanent return of live entertainment to the Globe Theatre after a nearly 20-year absence.
“We are returning the Globe Theatre to its rightful place as Busch Gardens’ premier live performance space,” said Scott Gasparich, vice president of Entertainment for the Williamsburg theme park. “London Rocks has been four years in the making and takes Busch Gardens’ live performances to an unprecedented level in terms of technological innovation and creative talent.”
A new stage has been constructed for the show, along with a monochromatic set representing London’s pre-rock era that bursts into a colorful psychedelic journey through the heyday of British rock music. The transformation takes place through 110,000 lumens of video-mapped imagery produced by five state-of-the-art projectors. Considering a typical high-end home projector produces about 3,000 lumens of brightness, the projectors used inside the Globe Theatre will light up the London Rocks stage.
A rock-and-roll show would not be complete without concert-style lighting and the nearly 2,000 audio speakers—79 audio speakers around the perimeter of the theatre and two speakers in every seat—that will provide immersive surround-sound experiences for guests regardless of where they sit.
The entire England village at Busch Gardens is getting a makeover to go with the new show. The park’s design team is creating a village teeming with life and energy that embraces the roots of British rock.
“The contemporary theme elements we are adding to the English village will complement the show and create a new experience for guests while still retaining the charm of the area that our guests love,” Gasparich said.
Some fun facts about the London Rocks stage and set:
- 110,000 lumens of mind-bending video mapped imagery
- 56,000 foot candles of rock-and-roll-style lighting
- 876 hidden peace signs
- 323.5 vinyl records
- 76 miles of audio, video and electrical cables
- 60 spiral stair steps
- 18 performance platforms on the stage
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