light

French National Day – July 14 @ Paris/France

Posted on by François

The July 14 in Paris is one of the most iconic dates on the French events calendar. Each year, the capital transforms into a vast open-air stage where heritage, music, light, and pyrotechnics come together in a spectacular celebration of the national holiday.

At the heart of this exceptional setup, I had the opportunity to take part in the lighting design for this unique evening on several occasions — 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025 — in collaboration with international artistic and technical teams. The show combines lighting scenography, programming, musical synchronization, and visual effects to accompany a moment that brings together hundreds of thousands of spectators on site and millions of TV viewers.
(The 2020 edition remains special: in the midst of the pandemic, the show took place without an audience in the streets of Paris. A strange and unique moment, designed primarily for the television broadcast.)

The Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars then become the focal point of a monumental tableau where light engages in dialogue with the architecture and the Paris sky. Each sequence is designed to heighten the audience’s emotion and underscore the symbolic power of this event.

This large-scale production requires extreme technical precision and close coordination among the various disciplines — lighting, video, pyrotechnics, sound, and artistic direction — to create an immersive experience worthy of this national occasion.

Taking part in this show is always a special moment: working in the heart of Paris, on an event followed worldwide, is a reminder of how light can become a true language in the service of collective emotion.

French National Day – July 14 @ Paris/France

Texas Aggies: Into the Battlefield

Posted on by François

Through a spectacular and immersive production featuring nearly a hundred artists and extras alongside projections on the Mardasson, enhanced by grandiose pyrotechnic effects, this show conceived by Luc Petit constitutes a poignant tribute to the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge.

An event befitting the duty of remembrance required by the commemoration of this crucial chapter in history, evoked through the fate of five young Texans plunged into the hell of winter 1944. A vibrant tribute to those who fell around Bastogne and to the veterans who wrote and shaped our contemporary history.

Client: Luc Petit Creation

Position: Project Manager – Light Designer – Light Operator

Texas Aggies: Into the Battlefield

Pulse of Light

Posted on by François

The sky of Riyadh was transformed into a theater of luminous choreography.
Throughout the Noor festival, lasers shot out from the city’s most iconic skyscrapers along King Fahd Avenue: the Kingdom Centre, the Faisaliah Tower, and the Majdoul Tower, connected to each other by beams of light.
LSE handled the complete installation and programming of lights and lasers throughout the city, as well as the wireless synchronization and control of the show between each skyscraper.
This artistic work was crowned with the Guinness World Records for the largest laser show (surface area covered) and the longest distance traveled by a laser beam, over 6.01 km.

Pulse of Light

Kuwait: National Day 2023

Posted on by François

Once again, LSE is in charge of the complete production of this show.
Over a distance of 3.5 km, the audience was amazed by a full show including sound, video, light drones, laser drones, lighting, video, fireworks, water screens, …

Position: Site manager – lighting designer – lighting operator

Kuwait: National Day 2023

StaySafe.Events

Posted on by François

StaySafe.Events was a Belgian initiative launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to support the event industry in the face of health restrictions. It helped organizers maintain safe events through guidelines, sanitary equipment, digital solutions, and the CERM risk analysis tool. Corporate events, conferences, seminars, and shows could thus be organized under specific conditions. The initiative also carried out symbolic actions, such as projections of thank-you messages for healthcare workers on iconic buildings (e.g., in Brussels), light and sound installations, and adapted outdoor and hybrid cultural events. Driven notably by d-side group, StaySafe.Events aimed to prevent the complete shutdown of the sector by offering safe and responsible alternatives.

StaySafe.Events

The Roads of Liberty – Belgium

Posted on by François

As part of the commemorations of the Roads of Liberty, we participated in the lighting design and operation for several shows conceived by Luc Petit.
Staged at various locations, these events combined historical narration, artistic performances, and large-scale scenic installations, set in outdoor environments rich in symbolism.
We developed a lighting narrative to serve the story, aiming to structure the space, accompany the scenes, and enhance the emotional dimension of the show, while respecting the specific constraints related to the venues and outdoor conditions.
Our involvement was in close collaboration with the artistic and technical teams (sound, video, effects), requiring precise synchronization and great adaptability in live conditions.
We ensured the operation of the lighting systems for all performances, maintaining a high level of reliability, consistency, and precision.

Position: Light designer and operator
Art direction and staging: Luc PETIT
Organizers: The City of Bastogne
Production: Les Nocturnales ASBL

The Roads of Liberty – Belgium

Les Féeries de Beloeil (2nd edition) – Belgium

Posted on by François

As part of Les Féeries de Beloeil, we contributed to the lighting design and operation for this production staged by Luc Petit, deployed at the heart of the Beloeil Castle estate.
Conceived as an immersive route combining aerial performances, on-water interventions, and outdoor scenes, the show unfolded within a rich landscaped setting, between gardens, planted vistas, and heritage architecture.
We developed a lighting concept aimed at structuring the spaces, revealing the site’s depth, and supporting the various artistic sequences, seeking a balance between atmosphere, clarity, and visual impact.
Our involvement required a comprehensive approach to the site, integrating outdoor constraints, multiple viewpoints, and coexistence with other disciplines (acrobatics, music, effects), requiring precise synchronization and strong adaptability under live conditions.
We ensured the operation of an extensive lighting setup, with a high level of rigor in terms of consistency, precision, and reliability.

Les Féeries de Beloeil (2nd edition) – Belgium

And the stone became light.

Posted on by François

A show where architecture comes alive.
With “And the stone became light”, the Collegiate Church of Huy transforms into a true scenic jewel. The show follows the tradition of heritage operas conceived by Luc Petit, where stone, steeped in history, becomes the starting point for an immersive experience blending light, dance, music, and performance.
In this context, light does not merely illuminate: it reveals. It highlights Gothic lines, redefines volumes, and constantly interacts with the architecture. Each scene enhances the venue, transforming matter into emotion.
Our work on this project was guided by this logic: to design lighting capable of existing on a grand scale while remaining precise, sensitive, and deeply connected to the location. A luminous design conceived to accompany artists, structure spaces, and guide the audience’s gaze to the heart of the show.
Between visual power and narrative finesse, light here becomes a language in its own right — a direct link between stone and life.
A project where heritage and contemporary creation meet to give birth to a timeless experience.

Production: Les nocturnales
Direction: Luc Petit
Text: Michel Teheux
Light designer / operator: François Vandermeeren

And the stone became light.