Inspired by the unique dynamics and diversity of urban life, the set design for Holiday on Ice – Horizons created a kinetic a city skyline to host world-class figure skating and acrobatics.
// 2024
// Show
// Europe
Holiday on Ice blends world-class skating with dazzling costumes, stunning lighting, and elaborate stage designs. The show has entertained over 330 million spectators across more than 80 countries, making it the most visited ice show in the world. Horizons marks STUFISH’s fourth project with Holiday on Ice, following productions in 2003, 2017 and 2019.
Drawing from Metropolis and urban architecture, platforms, walkways, and staircases form a dynamic cityscape through and around which the performers can move. The automated tower blocks float across the ice as parkour artists perform stunts jumping between them. Above, LED cubes descend from the ceiling, creating a city skyline that transforms with each scene, from the initial town square beginning to more expansive city scenes.
The set incorporates props like hidden jukeboxes, graffiti walls, and interactive spaces, creating an immersive urban fantasy. Colossal flowers emerge dramatically within the Palm House, an otherworldly scene that utilises UV lighting, transforming the space into an enchanted garden.
The technical aspects of Horizons push the boundaries of what is possible on ice. A central figure in the show is STUFISH’s 5.6-meter-tall robot, which emerges from a stack of speakers and transforms before the audience. This mechanical giant, akin to a transformer, belches smoke as it rises, its arms and head extending into a fully animated figure. The set is assembled on a modular basis, with heavy-duty motorisation built into the base to move the frames; a construction weighing hundreds of kilograms. Power is also supplied from the base, allowing the set blocks to be completely wireless when moving on the ice.
Creative Director Robin Cousins Production Manager Nils Lunow & Bogdan Lewko Lighting Design Chris Moylan Costume Design Michael Sharp Video Design & Animation Drop the Spoon Staging Supplier Fisheye Stage Design STUFISH
