Event type
Public & destination
Client
Örebrokompaniet
How Örebro Castle became Santa’s secret workshop and attracted 50,000 visitors each year.
The Magical Machine transformed the iconic Örebro Castle into a Christmas wonderland, captivating over 50,000 visitors annually with its enchanting format. Each December, the imaginative tale of two curious dormice exploring Santa’s workshop drew crowds to the town centre, gaining nationwide media coverage and sparking a massive buzz on social media. It quickly became a beloved attraction, furthering Örebro’s reputation as a Christmas destination.
“The Magical Machine revealed the secret location of Santa’s workshop – and it’s not at the North Pole.”
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In 2017, Örebro municipality set an ambitious goal to become Sweden’s fourth-largest event city. To support this vision, Bright Blue presented The Magical Machine, an animated projection mapping show on the iconic 750-year-old Örebro Castle.
This immersive Christmas experience aimed to establish The Magical Machine, alongside the Town Hall Advent Calendar and O, Holy Night, as a premier attraction, further positioning Örebro as a must-visit holiday destination. The show features two curious dormice and cleverly incorporates the castle’s architecture, revealing that Santa’s workshop isn’t at the North Pole, but hidden inside Örebro Castle! Stunning 3D-mapped animations transform the castle into a dazzling wonderland, morphing it into a toy factory, a ball pit, a Pac-Man game, and more.
Shown twice daily for three weeks leading up to Christmas, the ten-minute spectacle attracted around 50,000 visitors annually. National media coverage and social media buzz amplified its success. Key elements included financing, scripting, production, and technical execution, all while considering and curating the castle’s dignity. No commercial messages were allowed on the facade, and sponsors were acknowledged through a “Made possible by…” model.
Probably the world’s largest gaming monitor
Each year brought new storylines and interactive experiences like The Castle Games, where visitors challenged e-sport stars in FIFA, Mario Kart, and VR Beat Saber, using the castle as a giant gaming screen.
In 2019, the event expanded with a New Year’s Eve concert projected onto the castle [link] featuring Örebro stars Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Millencolin, Lolita Pop and more, drawing an additional 35,000 visitors.
The success of The Magical Machine sparked interest from cities across Sweden and abroad, driven by the show’s extensive media coverage, social media buzz, and influx of visitors to Örebro. Many inquired about producing a similar event in their towns, highlighting its significant impact on destination development.
But then Covid arrived…
Exceptional events made to wow.
Bright Blue creates live and digital events for corporate, public and destination audiences. We also help clients develop strategies in change, growth, communication, positioning and brand experience.
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