Giant Kinetic Dragonfly is Half Helicopter, Half Light Show
Art and technology came together to create a dramatic stage show with music, video, and lasers.
Edited by EE Staff
Stage Events
Jan 13, 2026
Music
Under a sky pulsing with music, fire, and anticipation, one of the world’s most electrifying festival stages lit up in spectacular fashion as Arcadia’s Dragonfly took flight. This legendary kinetic sculpture—part helicopter and part creature of light—is now bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever. With a fresh wave of creative ambition and technical wizardry, CPL delivered its most dazzling projection package to date, transforming the Dragonfly into a living, breathing canvas of motion and story.
The Dragonfly, a 13-metre-long repurposed Royal Navy Sea King helicopter turned kinetic sculpture, is the newest centerpiece of Arcadia’s performances. Known for blending fire, light, music, and movement, the installation has evolved into a symbol of transformation and unity. In 2025, Arcadia expanded its creative vision by incorporating the tail of the Dragonfly into the projection canvas for the first time, creating a fully animated, 360-degree visual experience.
See the people behind the project:
Video elements of the project were a collaboration between Arcadia founders Bertie Cole and Pip Rush, technical manager Katie Davies, and creative partners including Dave Whiteoak of Video Illusions, Ben Rushton-Vaughan of Cucumber Productions, Dickie Burrow of CPL Enhanced Technology and content creators Astral Projekt. The show also incorporated the powerful Waraloo ceremony, developed in collaboration with the WadjukNoongar nation of Perth, Australia to blend ancient Aboriginal storytelling with cutting-edge visuals, lighting, and performance.
The team needed to project high-resolution, high-brightness visuals onto the Dragonfly’s complex geometry of curved and angular surfaces, including its newly integrated tail section, while maintaining perfect synchronization with LED and lighting effects. Outdoor conditions, the scale of the structure, and the need for seamless integration with other media systems added further complexity to the task. The presentation required flawless integration for smooth synchronization across projection, LED, and lighting effects while providing reliability throughout the multi-day festival.
Meeting Unprecedented Demands
CPL deployed six Barco UDX-4K32 laser projectors, each delivering 31,000 lumens of brightness and 4K UHD resolution for vibrant and clear projections even in challenging outdoor conditions. Their 3-chip DLP technology provided the color fidelity needed to bring Astral Projekt’s custom animations to life. Fitted with TLD+ 2.74–4.43:1 4K UHD lenses, the UDXs allowed for precise mapping onto the dragonfly’s curved and angular surfaces.
Projectors were double-stacked, meaning two 4K images were overlaid to increase the brightness to the level needed to match that of the dragonfly’s head, which was constructed from transparent hexagonal LED screens, and allowed for the precise mapping onto the complex geometry of the dragonfly structure. The high brightness and 4K resolution ensured that every detail of the projection was visible, allowing festival attendees to fully immerse themselves in the Warraloo story while appreciating the transformed helicopter.
The use of Barco UDX-4K32 projectors significantly enhanced the visual impact of the Dragonfly stage and were crucial in creating the immersive experience that Arcadia is known for. By combining Barco’s cutting-edge technology with Arcadia’s visionary creativity, CPL helped transform a repurposed machine of war into a radiant symbol of unity, culture, and innovation. The expanded projection mapping—especially the dramatic tail visuals—added a new dimension of movement and storytelling to the Dragonfly. Together, CPL, Arcadia, and their partners set a new standard for immersive festival experiences.
For information:
TLD+ 2.74–4.43:1 4K UHD lenses