Wintjiri Wiru Drone Light Laser and Sound Show 2023, Australia, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
A permanent drone, light, laser and sound show in the heart of Australia
Set against the backdrop of Uluru, Wintjiri Wiru is a world-first permanent installation that brings to life a chapter of the ancient Mala story of the Anangu people, through utilising drones, lasers, projections, light, and sound. This groundbreaking platform shares indigenous culture with the world through cutting-edge innovation in a very challenging natural environment.
Using the expanse of the central desert and the night skies of Uluru as the theatrical canvas, Wintjiri Wiru showcases breath-taking visual imagery that dances across the desert floor and rises up to 200 metres in the sky, accompanied by Indigenous narration and Inma (songs) over a beautifully spacious musical soundtrack. The vision was to tell ancient Anangu stories—imagery traditionally found in the caves beneath Uluru—through a contemporary medium of light, colour, and movement, involving deep listening, understanding, and collaboration with the Anangu working group to authentically interpret and sequence a story of how the Anangu people came to Uluru. This creative exchange enriched all involved, with the narrative unfolding through Indigenous voiceover and Inma, grounding the show in cultural authenticity while presenting it in a form that resonates with global audiences. The production comprises a combination of powerful, cutting-edge technologies, including 1,200 Nova drones, 6 Kvant lasers, 7 Panasonic 15k projectors, and 29 ACME lights, while the viewing platform features laser-cut Corten panels embedded with Indigenous-inspired artwork, illuminated with backlit lighting to extend the storytelling into the physical environment. The technology was carefully chosen to balance intimacy and scale: projectors and lights bring the audience close to the land’s finer details, while drones and lasers expand the canvas to extraordinary dimensions, with drones painting images across a 7,800-metre-wide by 200-metre-high sky space, and lasers stretching across a 1.5-kilometre-wide by 10-kilometre-long show box. This combination created a layered experience of foreground, midground, and background, giving the ability to bring the show close to the audience while expanding it to appear as if sitting among the stars.
https://ramus.com.au/work/uluru-wintjiri-wiru/
https://ramus-videos.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/Wintjiri+Wiru_BR+CUT_09HD+1.mp4
Details
Building or project owner : Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Architecture : RAMUS
Project artist/ concept/ design/ planning : RAMUS
Structural engineering : GHD, FredBuild
Light design : RAMUS
Technical layout light : RAMUS
Display content/ visuals/ showreel : RAMUS
Light hardware (LED hardware) : ULA, Panasonic, Bluebottle, Xenian, Lumina Visual Productions
Lighting control software : CORE
Project co-ordination : RAMUS
Interaction design/ programming : RAMUS
Descriptions
Kind of light creation : Light, Laser, Drone and Sound Show
Urban situation : Located in the desert of Central Australia, Uluru sits in one of the most remote and environmentally challenging regions on earth.
Description of showreel : A group of people step into the vast desert of Central Australia, gathering on a viewing platform to witness a breathtaking drone and laser light show, with the majestic Uluru as the backdrop.
Participatory architecture & urban interaction
Community or communities involved : Aṉangu Working Group
Host organization : Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Mediacredits
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
RAMUS
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
RAMUS