At this year’s Glastonbury Festival, audiences were treated to an extraordinary spectacle: a retired Sea King military helicopter reimagined as a massive, living “Dragonfly,” brought to life through the power of LED illumination and cutting-edge projection mapping.
Retired millitary helicopter turns into a dragonfly with LED and projection at Glastonbury Festival
Towering 13 meters wide above the festival grounds, the installation became a beacon of technological artistry. The project was spearheaded by Arcadia, working alongside Cucumber Productions, Video Illusions, and visual creators Astral Projekt. For the first time, the entire visual ecosystem was driven by HIVE’s next-generation media platform, showcasing how advanced projection and LED systems can elevate experiential storytelling.
Transforming a military aircraft with its irregular curves and complex surfaces into a dynamic visual canvas required more than conventional techniques. Six Beeblade Nexus units—compact media servers designed for high-resolution playback—were installed both within the Dragonfly’s head and across projection towers. These units handled dual 4K NDI feeds with alpha transparency, allowing layered visuals to flow seamlessly across the helicopter’s skin.
High-powered projectors wrapped the fuselage and tail with richly detailed animations, while a transparent LED screen—composed of over 200 interlocking hexagonal panels—formed the Dragonfly’s glowing face and DJ booth. This combination created the illusion of a creature that pulsed with energy, shifting between lifelike motion and surreal spectacle.
LED displays form the hexagon eyes of the “dragonfly”
HIVE’s versatile software suite played a crucial role in synchronizing all elements. The Obj Map Tool accurately mapped content onto the hexagonal LED eyes, ensuring every pixel aligned perfectly. The Warp Grid Tool provided real-time warping of projections, adapting visuals to the helicopter’s complex geometry. A newly developed Pixel Map Page controlled Art-Net LED fixtures that highlighted the Dragonfly’s features, bringing extra depth and contrast to the projection.
Timecode integration kept the entire 10-minute programmed sequence locked in perfect rhythm, blending pre-rendered content and real-time feeds into a seamless visual performance.
Cyrus Bozorgmehr, Arcadia’s Head of Creative Communications, reflected on the impact:
“This was a real demonstration of how modern LED and projection systems can transform a static structure into a living, breathing spectacle. The clarity and vibrancy of the visuals were simply stunning.”
Despite its scale, the Dragonfly was remarkably efficient. HIVE’s CTO Dave Green explained:
“Our compact players replaced bulky, power-hungry legacy servers. We delivered the same high-impact visuals at a fraction of the energy consumption and cost. It was a milestone in sustainable live production.”
With its blend of immersive LED displays and precision projection mapping, the Dragonfly installation redefined what’s possible in festival art. As the crowd looked up at its shimmering eyes and luminescent wings, they witnessed a retired helicopter reborn as an unforgettable symbol of creative technology.
