Rivale Profile illuminates the Roman Theatre of Sagunto: technology to illuminate 2.000 years of history

For many years now, the Roman Theatre of Sagunto has become a benchmark for open-air theaters with a historic heritage. Every summer, its ancient stones come alive with major theater, music, and performing arts festivals. The most famous of these is Sagunt a Escena, which brings together top-level artists and companies, making this jewel of the Valencian Community an essential meeting point for culture lovers.

This year, the theater has taken another step to continue shining... literally! It has incorporated nine Ayrton Rivale Profile, distributed by Stonex, so that their lighting matches the emotions experienced on the stage. We visited the Sagunt a Escena on the opening day to see how the theater's lighting will change since its incorporation.

Shedding light on history is no easy task.

Illuminating a space like the Roman Theater is a real challenge. It's not just about ensuring that the audience and artists see and experience every detail, but also doing so while respecting the aesthetics and protecting a place that's more than 2.000 years old.

Lighting an open-air space requires working with equipment that can withstand the most demanding conditions. The Rivale Profile, with its certification IP65K, was the perfect option to resist the rain, humidity and heat of the Valencian summer.
Its compact and discreet design, with its more square lines, visually blends with the architecture without disrupting the monument's aesthetic. As Ramón Jiménez, technical director, points out, "They are not devices that attract attention or disrupt the aesthetic; they blend perfectly with the proportions of the space."

More real light, better uniformity

In a setting with distances as great as those of the Roman Theatre, the power and quality of the light make all the difference.
According to Ramón, the Rivales offer more light and, above all, impeccable uniformity. Even when the beam is narrowed, the result remains powerful and balanced, allowing the audience to perceive every detail of the scene.

Installed at key points on the stage

The installation of the Rivale has been strategically thought out in the most used positions of the technical plane: 5 main front positions, in addition to 4 on wide sides and some support points.
This ensures that any company performing in the theater always has a powerful and versatile lighting base, with all the creative options offered by the Rivale: a wide color palette, interchangeable gobos, and a 4° to 52° zoom.

Along with them, the theater also has 4 units of Ayrton Diablo, which complete the set, providing flexibility and a variety of resources for productions. The combination of both models reinforces the space's commitment to modern lighting, designed to respond to very different production profiles.

A technological leap for technicians

Beyond the quality of light, the Rivales have also improved daily operations. The interface is more intuitive and allows quick access to a large number of functions from the display itself, which speeds up programming and facilitates work on tight production schedules.
As Ramón comments, "There's a technological leap forward compared to what we had before; everything is more accessible now, and it's easier to work with.".

The Sagunto Roman Theatre's Rivale lights are part of the permanent installation, ready to be used in theater productions, concerts, or dance performances. Their combination of durability, power, and precise control allows for the creation of everything from the most basic lighting to complex atmospheres, adapting to any artistic style.

At Stonex, we love it when technology and heritage meet. The Roman Theatre of Sagunto not only keeps history alive through culture, but now does so with a more powerful, uniform, and durable light, ready to continue shining for many more summers.