In the absence of a week for the official start of the Carnival, the stage of the Fairground already has the main structure assembled, that is, the platform and the LED screens that this year, together with the lighting, will be the only elements of a scenario that pretends to be futuristic, and that, to know the scope of its dimensions, we will have to wait for that first inaugural gala on June 3. It is not yet known how you will be able to attend that gala, nor on what exact date you will be able to buy the tickets for the rest of galas and contests.
Yesterday, the Councilor for Fiestas, Alfonso Cabello, only pointed out that Fiestas is working to put them up for sale at the end of next week, or the beginning of the next.
Cabello also advanced that the capacity that is handled, lower than in previous years, due to the layout of the stage, will be between 5,000 and 6,000 people, depending on each show, and that, in the case of the murgas final, “ We are studying that there are tickets so that there is a standing public, although, unlike 2020, they will be much closer to the stage, ”said the mayor. In any case, this type of tickets will be sold at a lower price than the rest. The final amount of this type of localities will be the one set by the self-protection plans that are being worked on.
These data were provided by Festival Councilor during the visit he made to the stage implementation works. He was accompanied by the artistic director of the Carnival, Enrique Camacho; the set designer, Carlos Santos, and the lighting designer for the events and competitions, Juanjo Beloqui. Cabello stressed that the stage is marked by being “a multipurpose stage, which adapts in light, color and development to the shows that are made at any given time.” “Around here, as a public, almost 90,000 people are going to enjoy it over 20 days,” he said.
The design of this edition, by the set designer Carlos Santos, has a total area of 2,405.93 square meters and 200 square meters of LED screens on the sides of the 600 meters of truss that support the roof, also new in this edition, which allows you to place many more technical elements to enhance the final result. To lift the entire structure, 110 motors, two crane trucks and four articulated lifting machines have been used.
The lighting, by Juanjo Beloqui, is fully integrated into the scenery. Circular shapes have been used when considering the placement of the luminaires, which will allow the placement of 276 mobile spotlights, 130 effects devices, remote-controlled tracking cannons and six laser machines are some of the light elements that will give spectacularity to the space, added to the fact that the stage itself has 1,600 meters of LEDs and 1,500 glitter-coated ribbons. For the capacity of the space, 3,000 m2 of curtain have been used.
Lighting of the stage where the contests of the Santa Cruz Carnival will be held
Beloqui admitted to being “very happy” with the development of the lighting assembly and excited about the game that they will be able to give him on stage. After 36 years dedicating himself to the world of lighting, he admitted that, more than pressure for everything to go well, what he feels is excitement to see the final result on stage of the innovative lighting system.
The person in charge of lighting admitted that what has cost them the most is having all the materials on time, as well as combining this assignment with the rest that his company develops. “Since Carnival is in June, everything is a little more complicated because there are more shows, concerts, the May Festival, and to this we must add the delay with the arrival of materials that has affected us all.” Even so, on Friday, June 3, he assures him, everything will be ready to start the Carnival.
It will be then when the space where the competitions and galas of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2022 will take place invites a space trip to the parallel universe of the Carnival, with the ellipse as the main element of the composition, the orbits of the solar system, the idea of the wormhole, black dwarfs, the folding of the universe materialized with the pergolas that are on the roof. It is a portal that invites us to go through the parallel universe of Carnival in which we transform ourselves to be different for a while.
Some 150 people from six different companies are directly and indirectly involved in the construction and implementation of the 2022 Carnival stage and the rest of the necessary infrastructure to have everything ready for the Opening Gala on June 3.
Less capacity
The layout of the stage, which this year changes from being mounted along the width of the Fairgrounds, has reduced the capacity that other years could have. The Councilor for Fiestas insists that “this format was designed for a Carnival in February, to be able to adapt it to the restrictions that existed at all times.”
With the move to the month of June, and without restrictions, the capacity for the public is somewhat less. In the murgas final, for example, in 2019 the capacity was 6,400 people, and in 2020, when the PSOE was still in power, standing tickets were put on sale to exceed 7,000 people. This year, as confirmed by Cabello, work is being done so that the capacity is 5,500 people in that final. For the Queen’s Election Gala, work is also being done around these figures.
Both Cabello and the artistic director of the Gala, Enrique Camacho, defend that this arrangement allows the entire audience to have a clear view of the stage, without blind spots, in addition to providing “a more immersive experience” for the audience, who will be able to enjoy the show. both from the side stands and from the front of the stage.
Precisely, the implementation of screens and the possibility that each stage looks different thanks to the lights is what Fiestas defends, which is the main novelty of the scenography.
In addition to the lights and the CuePilot program, which will allow control of the production as if it were a television program, the stage will have a central catwalk on which the turntable that has been seen in other editions will be installed and which will carry the stage to just over half of the Fairgrounds.
