Ahead of the climax of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, the ‘Match’ between the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia, Barcelona became the ‘Lighthouse to the World’ with a spectacular opening ceremony at Platja de Bogatell.

Aligned with the values and passion of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, the opening ceremony on the night of Thursday October 10 highlighted the power of sport, fused with art and culture as agents of change and a capacity for commitment. This spectacular event heralded the crescendo of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, being staged in Barcelona for the first time, and is an America’s Cup Legacy project supported by America’s Cup Event and their partners, and the host institutions coordinated through the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation.

Broadcast globally to a truly international audience, the unprecedented show featured stunning visuals, including: a spectacular drone show, laser constellations, LED screens, avatars and seas of light, all paired to beautiful soundtracks, musical performances and immersive symphonies, that took viewers on an emotional journey and captivated audiences around the world.

Albert Guinovart, the composer and director of the soundtrack, reflected on a simply stunning evening, saying: “We believe that the contrast between artists helps us to magnify the message of the show and to reach a wide audience to identify with the image that Barcelona and Catalonia want to project to the world through the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.”

Barcelona, a city renowned for its innovation and culture, was the perfect setting for an event fusing technology, art and nature. The ceremony, inspired by the sea, wind and sailing, symbolised human ingenuity and collective effort, creating a narrative that promised to re-connect audiences with the power of nature and the magic of maritime exploration.

Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, talking about the ceremony, said: “Our connection with Barcelona, its people, culture and identity has resonated with the values we’ve sought to promote at the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup – Sustainability, Diversity, Inclusion, Technology, and Innovation. This concert was designed to showcase those values whilst competing with unforgettable memories from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 1992 – a memory seared in the minds of everyone who witnessed it. It has been a fitting spectacle and a lasting legacy for what has been an incredible summer of sailing in Barcelona ahead of the final ‘Match’ of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.”

Leslie Ryan, Event Director of America's Cup Events (ACE) Barcelona, expressed what this special ceremony meant ahead of the climax of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, saying: “Ever since we selected Barcelona as our host venue, we have felt the unique energy which is what makes Barcelona such a special and iconic city on a global level. Fans around the world have been treated to such a spectacular and memorable concert, one that has showcased the successful partnership between Barcelona and the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup.”

An estimated 60 thousand people watched the free concert from the Platja de Bogatell and from local beaches, along with an 800-strong audience from the America's Cup community viewing from inside the America's Cup Fanzone. The opening ceremony of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup was a memorable spectacle and befitting of the oldest continually contested event in international sports – the 173 year old America’s Cup.

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match between Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS Britannia begins on Saturday 12 October when these two top flight teams will go head-to-head on the waters off Barcelona in the opening two races of the first-to-seven points series.