People Had Thoughts About the Space Needle's Virtual New Year's Eve Display

Tara C. Mahadevan
·2 min read

Image via Getty/ View Pictures

While Seattle’s Space Needle usually hosts a huge fireworks show on New Year’s Eve, the pandemic forced organizers to do things a bit differently this year.

For Thursday night, officials decided to host a show that was accessible from home, according to CBS News. Instead of fireworks, the landmark created a trippy digital light show that featured dazzling visuals depicting life, science, and other illusions.

Organizers employed sky-mapping technology and video footage to produce the display, which could only be seen on screen. People who went in person to the landmark only saw the Space Needle lit up in a magenta hue.

Twitter, of course, was quickly commented on the stunning show, with many comparing it to taking hallucinogenics, aliens, science fiction, and more.

Terry Morgan, the show’s visionary, told The Seattle Times that the light show was a product of a dream he had earlier this year.

“I was semiconscious in the dream and the sky was just beautiful colors and faces, all just kind of floating like clouds in the sky,” Morgan told The Times. “And it was really one of those landmark dreams.”

Morgan then took the concept to Karen Olson, the chief operating officer and chief marketing officer at the Space Needle—and the idea was developed in a couple months.

“This was not something that has been planned for a year,” Morgan said. “Once the Space Needle decided they were physically not doing fireworks because of the social restrictions due to COVID, this really kind of popped up and became an alternative.”

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