BARCELONA SET TO BECOME THE ‘LIGHTHOUSE TO THE WORLD’ AT THE LOUIS VUITTON 37th AMERICA’S CUP MATCH OPENING CEREMONY
Ahead of the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, the ‘Match’ between the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand and the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Barcelona is set to become the ‘Lighthouse to the World’ with a spectacular opening ceremony from 9pm on 10th October 2024 at Platja de Bogatell.
Aligned with the values and passion of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, the opening ceremony will highlight the power of sport, fused with art and culture as agents of change and a capacity for commitment. This spectacular event will herald the crescendo of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, being staged in Barcelona for the first time, and is an America’s Cup Legacy project supported by America’s Cup Event and their partners, and the host institutions coordinated through the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation.
With America’s Cup Event leading the production and distribution, the television signal will now be broadcast globally for an international audience and on La2, TV3 and Betevé. An unprecedented show is planned with stunning visuals featuring drones, laser constellations, LED screens, Avatars and seas of light all paired to beautiful soundtracks, musical performances and immersive symphonies, designed to take the viewer on an emotional journey that will captivate audiences around the world.
Barcelona, a city renowned for its innovation and culture, is the perfect setting for this event fusing technology, art and nature. The ceremony, inspired by the sea, wind and sail, symbolises human ingenuity and collective effort, creating a narrative that promises to re-connect audiences with the power of nature and the magic of maritime exploration.
Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, spoke ahead of the announcement, saying: “Our connection with Barcelona, its people, culture and identity has resonated with the values we’ve sought to promote at the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup – Sustainability, Diversity, Inclusion, Technology and Innovation.
“This concert is designed to showcase those values whilst competing with unforgettable memories from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 1992 – a memory seared in the minds of everyone who witnessed it. It will be a fitting spectacle and a lasting legacy for what has been an incredible summer of sailing in Barcelona ahead of the final ‘Match’ of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.”
Leslie Ryan, Event Director of America’s Cup Events (ACE) Barcelona, captured what this special ceremony meant ahead of the conclusion of this unique sporting contest, saying: “Ever since we selected Barcelona as our host venue, we have felt the unique energy, which is what makes Barcelona such a special and iconic city on a global level. We are convinced that fans around the world will appreciate such a spectacular and memorable concert, one that will continue to showcase the successful partnership between Barcelona and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.”
The ambitious and artistically creative show, orchestrated by Catalan composer Albert Guinovart, will feature world-renowned and regionally important artists including the Castellers de Vilafranca, the Liceu Orchestra and Choir, the Escolania de Montserrat, and the musicians, Sara Blanch, Arnau Tordera, and Arturo Calvo.
Stage Director Hanzel Cereza, captured the essence of the ambitious spectacular, saying: “The sea, the wind, and sailing will be central to a show that we hope will remain in the collective memory of the city, and that will be united by light and music, the guiding threads of a work that will culminate with an epic ending.”
Albert Guinovart, composer and director of the soundtrack of the ceremony, echoed these words, saying: “We believe that the contrast between artists helps us to magnify the message of the show and to reach a transversal audience, which will be able to feel identified with the image that Barcelona and Catalonia want to project to the world through the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.”
The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup opening ceremony is part of the legacy projects of the event coordinated with the host institutions through the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation and will be a cornerstone celebration of the ‘Barcelona, far al món’ ceremony – the show that will encapsulate the endeavour of the oldest international sporting contest, for the famous 173 year old trophy, the America’s Cup.
