Dark Spectrum was created as a new touring immersive experience that could activate unused urban spaces – such as power stations, subways, mines or other industrial sites. By combining a sense of discovery and renewal with cutting-edge spectacular technology and art, Dark Spectrum is able to leverage a wide local audience by enticing people with a promise of seeing a part of their city that may have gone unused for years, and enthralling them with a genuinely immersive light art experience. The first iteration of the project was staged in Sydney’s historic Wynyard Tunnels – a one kilometre long stretch of abandoned tram tunnels that run under the city’s central business district. Over 10,000m2 of passageways, tunnels and old station platforms was transformed into a eight room subterranean journey.
Dark Spectrum is a groundbreaking, completely original and unique immersive experience that surrounds visitors in a spectacular series of monochromatic rooms. Staged inside unused spaces - such as the world premiere season in Sydney's abandoned Wynyard train tunnels, this touring experience seeks to challenge people's perceptions of urban space while immersing them in a series of fun experiences using light and skillful scenic design. The experience features high tech, custom-made lighting and laser fixtures, thousands of pixels of custom-made LED and even a number of two tonne robots that perform a choreographed dance sequence to amazed visitors. Established as a light walk that could run at any time of the day and year, Dark Spectrum can be activated in any dark urban space up to a kilometre long.
Dark Spectrum is a partnership between Sony Music, Mandylights and Culture Creative and is available to tour worldwide.
Activating Abandoned Urban Spaces
A New Immersive Experience
When every event in the market is labelled as an “immersive experience,” Dark Spectrum is a genuinely different, immersive and all surrounding experienced. Staged in a completely dark environment and free of any event buzzwords, the event eschews ideas of virtual or augmented reality and disregards commonplace projection mapping. Instead, Dark Spectrum features a series of completely unique pieces of light art that guests are free to explore, touch and interact with at their own pace. The added layer of discovery that comes from the project’s original setting adds further to the sense of immersion, where unexpected installations and architecture collide.
A Huge Success
Dark Spectrum attracted over 150,000 guests in its first season and received widespread critical acclaim from the public and arts reviewers alike. The experience was the most popular event on social media during Sydney’s Vivid Festival of Light, Music and Ideas. The 2023 premiere season of Dark Spectrum received the Australian Event Award for “Best Technical Achievement” and the project has been featured in international media as a successful, innovative immersive experience.
Mandylights' Complete Design and Production
Mandylights created Dark Spectrum from scratch, with every element designed in house including the soundtrack, guest experience and all scenic and light-based installations. Our in-house production team then built and delivered every component of the experience – from conducting extensive building surveys and venue 3D modelling through to load in, design of safety systems and operation of the six week experience. Leveraging relationships with long time suppliers and partners from Europe, Asia and the USA, the Mandylights team designed and developed new technology utilising laser, video, LED and robotic elements to create Dark Spectrum – along with all the supporting technology to safely control and monitor over a thousand guests who might be inside the experience at any one time.
