Council & Public Events · Sunshine Coast

Working With Sunshine Coast Council

Carols by Candlelight happens in late December, outdoors, in natural ambient twilight. The lighting challenge is counterintuitive: you need enough light for safety and visibility, but the *aesthetic* of the event is candlelit and intimate. Too much light and you destroy the atmosphere; too little and people feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Sunshine Coast Council's carols event draws 3,000+ attendees. We designed a three-layer approach: First, a warm LED wash at 2200K (nearly orange, very warm) at low intensity (30%), positioned to provide soft ambient coverage of the entire gathering area without creating shadows or overly bright zones. Second, subtle task lighting on the performance stage—enough for the choir to be visible and for audience sightlines to be clear, but warm-toned and dimmed so it felt like candlelight rather than stage floodlights. Third, decorative festoon stringing overhead (positioned after sunset to feel integrated with the event rather than exposed infrastructure), which provided both light and visual decoration without requiring additional fixtures. The result was perfect: the gathering area felt safe and visible, the performers were well-lit for singing and visibility, and the overall aesthetic was warm, intimate, and celebratory. No one consciously noticed the lighting; they just experienced a beautiful evening of carols in a comfortable, well-designed space. Council feedback included specific praise for the lighting's attention to atmosphere—not just functional safety, but emotional design. That distinction is the mark of maturity in event lighting.