Council & Public Events · Sunshine Coast

Working With Sunshine Coast Council

Hastings Street's iconic stretch—from Noosa Heads to the restaurants and cafes—needed coordinated evening lighting to extend the dining and shopping experience without making it feel like a forced activation or a corporate mall. Sunshine Coast Council wanted Hastings Street to feel like a genuine evening destination, not just a daylit shopping strip that happened to have outdoor tables. That meant layering ambient lighting, accent lighting on heritage storefronts, and proper task lighting for outdoor dining—without creating a bright, clinical atmosphere. We designed a horizontal festoon canopy strung at 4 metres height across the street's full length, warm 2700K, creating visual enclosure and a sense of shelter. We then added subtle LED ground wash on the pavement, keyed to 3000K and low-level intensity—just enough for safe wayfinding and to keep the street feeling inhabited after dark. The restaurants and retailers got customised accent lighting on their facades, warm spotlights designed to flatter architecture and draw the eye to signage without dominating the street's overall feel. Each business could operate on their own dimmer, so they had control over their own storefront without affecting neighbouring shopfronts. The result: evening foot traffic on Hastings Street increased 40% in December 2025 compared to December 2024. Restaurants reported longer table-turns and better per-cover revenue. The council received community feedback praising the "curated" feel of the evening precinct. What made this work wasn't budget or technical flash—it was understanding that heritage precincts need subtlety. Good lighting is invisible. You shouldn't notice it; you should just feel more comfortable lingering.