City of Perth (2019 – 2025 Display Hire, Installation, Maintenance and Removal)
The Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail is the City of Perth’s flagship festive event, transforming the CBD into an immersive light experience that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Since 2019, we have played a key role in delivering large-scale, innovative installations that enhance visitor engagement and support the event’s continued growth and success.
The City of Perth delivers the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail as a key part of its annual events and placemaking program, transforming the CBD into a vibrant, festive destination. As the governing authority for Perth’s central city, the organisation focuses on driving economic activity, tourism, and community engagement through large-scale public activations.
The Christmas Lights Trail is one of its flagship initiatives, designed to attract visitors, support local businesses, and create accessible, family-friendly experiences. Backed by principal partner Rio Tinto in recent years, the event has grown significantly in scale and reputation, becoming a key highlight of Perth’s festive calendar.
The Brief
The City of Perth requires the delivery of high-impact, large-scale illuminated installations to anchor the Trail and create memorable visitor experiences across key precincts.
Key objectives include:
Our Solution
Since 2019, we have been a key delivery partner for the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail, evolving our contribution in line with the event’s growth in scale, ambition, and audience reach. Working closely with the City of Perth, we have consistently delivered a suite of high-impact, custom-designed installations that form key anchors along the Trail, helping to define the visitor experience and guide movement throughout the CBD.
Our approach combines creative design, engineering expertise, and full-service delivery, ensuring each installation achieves strong visual impact while meeting the practical requirements of a large-scale, outdoor public event. All displays have been designed for high durability, weather resistance, and strong daytime/night-time visual appeal.
Across multiple years, we have introduced a mix of traditional festive elements and uniquely local concepts, including bespoke Australian designs and Perth-inspired features, keeping the Trail fresh, relevant, and engaging for returning audiences.
In 2025, our contribution included the delivery of several landmark installations, including large-scale sculptural features, interactive elements, and immersive environments such as the Elizabeth Quay Bridge of Light and the Santa’s Sleigh at Exchange Tower. These installations were strategically positioned to activate key precincts and create memorable moments for visitors.
Complemented by feature lighting elements such as the Christmas Chandeliers displayed at the City of Perth Library, our contributions have balanced spectacle with refinement, promoting a cohesive and elevated city-wide experience.
Through ongoing collaboration and innovation, our work has helped strengthen the visual identity of the Trail and support its evolution into a leading, award-winning event.
Outcome
The Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail consistently delivers strong outcomes across attendance, economic impact, and city activation. The event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and plays a significant role in driving foot traffic into the CBD. This influx supports local retailers, hospitality venues, and tourism operators, contributing to a broader festive economic uplift valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars across the Christmas period.
The Trail has also achieved significant industry recognition, reinforcing its position as a leading national event. It has received multiple prestigious awards, including Best Community Event at the 2023 Australian Event Awards and recognition at the WA Tourism Awards in 2021. These accolades highlight the event’s scale, innovation, and ability to deliver meaningful community engagement while supporting the local economy.
From a visitor experience perspective, the installation program creates highly engaging, interactive, and photogenic environments that encourage social sharing, repeat visitation, and extended dwell time within the city. Strategically placed installations activate key precincts and pedestrian routes, distributing visitors across the CBD and enhancing overall vibrancy.
Through our ongoing involvement, we have contributed to the evolution and success of the Trail, helping to sustain its visual impact, strengthen its identity, and support its growth into one of Australia’s most recognised and loved festive events.
