Halo showcases creativity in one of the most aesthetically compelling new art forms: light art
– Anthony Bastic

A spectacular light and sound event has launched in Townsville, north-eastern Queensland in Australia.

Halo, which is created by Sydney-based AGB Events, will run in the evenings until 4 August, and is being staged in conjunction with the inaugural North Australian Festival of Arts.

The event will see Castle Hill, which looms above the city, lit up with a dramatic light and sound show for five minutes, every 20 minutes. Queen's Gardens will also feature theatrical lighting, including tree lighting using colour-changing LEDs, and the Halo "chandelier" ‒ a suspended light sculpture.

Anthony Bastic, CEO and creative director of AGB Events, said the city council wanted to create something "highly memorable that would truly mesmerise and captivate the public's imagination".

"Halo is a new event experience that showcases creativity in one of the most aesthetically compelling new art forms: light art," he continued. "Over the past decade, the light art movement has captured the attention and imagination of many people around the world, allowing lighting designers, artists and technicians to experiment with the latest advances in technology and create experiences that are compelling, spectacular and memorable."

Bastic said that by the use of a variety of techniques, including blending colour palettes, mixing silhouettes, varying movement speeds, warping angles, adjusting focus and scaling zoom, AGB is able to "create the story".

The light show will be accompanied by a musical soundtrack composed specifically for the event by electronic music and media production specialist Nick Wishart.

AGB Events has created a series of large scale, multimedia shows in Australia, including the country's largest annual event, the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, as well as Parrtjima, a light festival inspired by indigenous stories and culture in Alice Springs, and the Lights of Christmas in Sydney and Brisbane.