The visit took place from July 23rd to 28th with the motto “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28, 19). The Pontiff visited numerous people and places - often on foot for which he won over many hearts and minds - and participated in multiple different events on his first international trip since being named as Pope earlier this year.

Sao Paulo-based rental companies LPL Professional Lighting and Apple Produções provided lighting equipment for Brazilian lighting designer Naldo Bueno of KN Projetos which was used at four key sites.

These were: the Main Stage at Copacabana Beach - where The Pope undertook the Final Mass of his visit; at the local Galeão Air Base utilised as the Papal airport; at the Municipal Theatre where he met Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and other leaders… and at the Guanabara Palace where the Papal Solemnity took place.

At the Main Stage on Copacabana Beach - where Final Mass was attended by an estimated one million people - six lighting towers provided rigging positions for the fixtures illuminating the performance area and the huge audience, plus a special truss onstage which was used for backlighting.

The fixtures in action were 16 x ColorWash 2500E ATs and 16 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs plus 48 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs along the back.

At all the other locations, a mix of Robe ColorWash and ColorSpot 2500E ATs fixtures were used to ensure that the amassed world and local press had the correct lighting for their photography and camera crews.

Despite the bad weather, everything ran extremely smoothly for the production of each event. Erich Bertti of LPL comments: “Robe’s fixtures worked flawlessly as always, despite all the rain and damp. Their strong output really helped light the Copacabana stage which was 60 metres wide!”

LD Naldo Bueno worked with Sergio Almeida and Erich Bertti in programming lighting for  this Final Mass with Erick Hervella as the crew chief, organising 21 technicians in Copacabana over a total of 20 days which were taken for the full stage build and set up. LPL’s Rafael Auricchio was event co-ordinator and manager.

The World Youth Day happens every two or three years in different dioceses across the world, providing a chance for religious followers of all ages and countries to meet the Pope over a whole week of different activities.
This year around 3.7 million people from 175 countries gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the occasion.