They say Christmas seems to get earlier every year, but one thing that doesn’t change is the traditional switching-on of the Oxford Street Christmas lights in London. This year’s event, organized by Clear Island Productions in conjunction with the event’s media partner Heart FM, was staged before a crowd of 10,000 on a custom-made platform built and installed by Vertigo Rigging, above the main entrance of Selfridge’s department store and featured live performances by All Saints, Katie Price, and Peter Andre.
Vertigo Rigging constructed the platform on twin truss legs, and it was mounted atop Libera flat section truss, using the company’s latest decking product, Flightdeck. The structure, pre-rigged and lifted in and out by crane, was secured to the building’s canopy using rigging points previously installed at Selfridges by Vertigo for a promotional event in 2004.
Clear Island Productions supplied the PA and lights, while Mojo Barriers provided barriers. Security, which included closing a section of Oxford Street to all traffic, was coordinated by the New West End Company, which is also responsible for securing the Christmas lights themselves.