Lights over Seville – Interview with J. J. López Clemente on Iconica 2025

Every summer, Icónica Sevilla Fest transforms the iconic Plaza de España into a vibrant open-air concert stage, uniting world-class music with one of Spain’s most breathtaking landmarks. Since its premiere in 2021, the festival has brought together national and international artists to celebrate music, architecture, and culture in perfect harmony. Surrounded by majestic arcades and bridges, the Plaza becomes more than a venue—it becomes a protagonist. In this extraordinary setting, lighting plays a crucial role in shaping the festival’s visual identity. For the 2025 edition, lighting designer J. J. López Clemente created an immersive, architectural lighting experience powered entirely by Cameo fixtures. We spoke with him about his design process, the challenges of illuminating a monument, and why Cameo was the perfect match for this unique venue.

Tell us something about yourself. How long have you been working as a lighting designer and how did you get started?

J. J. López Clemente: I’ve spent literally half my life in the entertainment industry. I’m 40 now, and I started working as a lighting assistant at the age of 19. For the first 17 years, I focused on technical work. It was only four years ago that I began transitioning to the creative side of lighting. I don’t regret that long journey, it allowed me to observe hundreds of shows and work alongside brilliant lighting designers I admire. All of this has helped me reach this new, creative stage, where I feel much freer to make artistic and design decisions.

How did you get involved in this production? Have you worked for the festival before?

J. J. López Clemente: I’ve been involved since the very first edition of Icónica . In the early years, I worked as a technician, assisting designers who had the honour of lighting up Plaza de España, people like Fernando López Olivas, Edu Valverde, Iván Espadas… serious talent. They all did an outstanding job. But over time, the organizers wanted someone who could go further, not just light the plaza, but design a show where the lighting would take on a dynamic, leading role, not just fade into the background. That’s when they called me. And of course, I said yes. Opportunities like this don’t come along every day.

“This year, after several creative meetings, we decided to go more aggressive: sharper effects, faster BPM, to get Plaza de España moving and surprise the audience.”

J. J. López Clemente, lighting designer

Plaza de España is massive… What challenges did you face in creating a lighting show for that space?

J. J. López Clemente: The biggest challenge is full coverage. The building is huge and packed with architectural details. Even a single dark spot can ruin the overall impression. To avoid that, you need a large number of fixtures, each with a specific purpose, lighting a designated area. It’s essential to know the rig inside out – every fixture ID – and be meticulous when selecting fixtures and creating groups. Honestly, creating the console layout – creating layouts, groups, a clean and detailed patch – took me almost as long as programming the show itself.

How would you describe the overall visual concept of the light show? What was your creative vision?

J. J. López Clemente: In the past two editions, Icónica  Sevilla Fest featured a mostly flamenco-inspired musical show with some rock elements. This year, after several creative meetings, we decided to go more aggressive: sharper effects, faster BPM, to get Plaza de España moving and surprise the audience. At the same time, we wanted to incorporate classical music and keep references to Andalusian culture and heritage, which is part of Icónica’s visual identity. I collaborated with Ana Sosa, a lighting programmer whose work I deeply admire. I knew her creativity would be the ideal match for this year’s concept.

Why did you choose Cameo for this production? What makes the ORON H2 and ZENIT W600 good choices?

J. J. López Clemente: The ZENIT W600 was a clear choice from the start. It’s been used in previous editions to colour the monument, and the result is unbeatable. What sets it apart is the 100° diffusor. That makes it perfect to cover a large area from short distances. The overlap from multiple fixtures creates seamless, even lighting across the building’s surface. And the reliability is outstanding. We used 226 ZENIT W600 units across two summers—intense heat, heavy rain—and not a single failure. I’m genuinely impressed.

The ORON H2 fixtures were the big addition for 2025. I needed a beam-type unit with a clean, long-range beam into the sky. The phosphor-emulsion-based laser technology caught my attention, and the ORON delivered exactly what I had hoped for. Both fixtures are IP65-rated, which was essential since they were installed outdoors for nearly two months. They’ve proven to be robust and maintenance-free.

“We used 226 ZENIT W600 units over two years—under heat and rain. Not a single failure. I’m genuinely impressed.”

J. J. López Clemente, lighting designer

Tell us more about your setup. Where did you place the fixtures and what was their role?

J. J. López Clemente: Credit where it’s due: Edu Valverde (Experiencias Visuales) laid the foundation during the second edition. He introduced the idea of splitting the plaza façade into three levels—floor, gallery, and roof—and lighting each with ZENIT W600s. This structure remains the foundation. From there, I made some tweaks. I added focus on the North and South towers – areas that had often been overlooked because they’re behind the audience. But aerial footage showed the gap. So this year, I added 14 ZENIT W600s per tower to fully light them—even the hidden sides. We even placed one ORON H2 on top of each tower dome, simulating a lighthouse effect. This was inspired by 1929 texts referencing Aníbal González’s original architectural intent. No one had attempted this before—partly because of the difficulty in accessing the domes.

Is there a particular fixture you’d like to highlight?

J. J. López Clemente: Definitely the ZENIT W600 with the 100° diffusor. They’re the cornerstone of the entire setup. The final result wouldn’t be the same without them.

How would you describe your lighting design for Icónica Festival in three words?

J. J. López Clemente: Powerful. Immersive. Emotional.

The following Cameo products were used for the Icónica Festival:

#Cameo #ForLumenBeings #EventTech #ExperienceEventTechnology

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Further information:
iconicafest.com
cameolight.com
adamhall.com