Melbourne’s historic Plaza Ballroom lighting goes LED

Built in 1929 and meticulously restored in the 1990s, the Plaza Ballroom is renowned for its opulent Spanish Rococo design, featuring a grand staircase, high ceilings, intricate plasterwork, red carpets, blue silk windows, and spectacular chandeliers. As part of the heritage-listed Regent Theatre, the ballroom presents a unique blend of architectural and theatrical lighting challenges, demanding both subtle ambient coverage and bold performance-grade illumination.

The venue is now utilising state-of-the-art Infinity and Showtec fixtures from Highlite International thanks to the comprehensive lighting overhaul supplied by Clearlight Shows. The upgrade enhances the venue’s flexibility, energy efficiency, and visual impact, while carefully preserving its architectural heritage.

Having worked closely with Marriner Group for many years, Clearlight Shows was invited to deliver a solution tailored to the venue’s specific needs. “Colour accuracy, flicker-free performance, and warmer colour temperatures are crucial in a space like this, especially for live events and broadcasts,” said John McKissock, founder of Clearlight Shows. “We brought in Infinity and Showtec fixtures for the venue team to evaluate, and they were immediately impressed.”

After a decade-long search for viable LED replacements, including years of trialling fixtures with insufficient output or unsuitable colour profiles, the venue finally found a breakthrough with Highlite’s advanced product lines. Key to the decision was the ability to reuse existing Selecon SPX lens stock with Infinity TS260C7 Profile Engines, thanks to lens adapters, freeing up budget for a more comprehensive upgrade.

One pivotal discovery was the Showtec Performer Profile Zoom 150 Q6 RGBACL. “We were sceptical at first, relying only on spec sheets,” noted Production Managers Michael Taylor and Janet Huang, “but once it was rigged, the performance blew us away. After an extended trial, we committed to a full redesign of our lighting system, moving away from our traditional Fresnel and PC-based rig to a more focused, profile-driven approach.”

The final rig supplied by Clearlight includes:

• Infinity Furion S201 Spot moving heads
• Infinity iW-1941 RGBW Wash lights with zoom
• Infinity TF260C7 7-colour Fresnels
• Infinity TS260C7 Profile Engines
• Showtec Performer Profile Zoom 150 Q6 RGBACL
• Showtec Phantom 1220 Zoombars
• Showtec ACT Par 200 W RGBAL spots

This combination delivers precise, versatile lighting with dramatically reduced power consumption and lower maintenance costs.

“The Furion range in particular impresses with its smooth movement and high brightness”, adds John McKissock. “Designers are now specifically asking for Infinity by name, which speaks volumes about how well these fixtures are performing in the Australian market.”

“We’re proud to work with Clearlight so closely” the Plaza Ballroom team concluded. “Their attention to detail and service has been exceptional over the years and the Highlite product range is an impressive asset to their already extensive theatrical and architectural solutions.”

www.clearlight.com.au