De Boer’s stunning Pink Galaxy takes on Europe!

De Boer’s most distinctive structure – the eye-catching Pink Galaxy – has embarked on an ambitious tour of five high-profile events... in four different European countries. 

Pink Galaxy
The vivid structure, which is normally housed at the company’s UK headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire, has just made its 2009 debut as the venue for a major cycling festival attended by thousands of sports fans in the Netherlands. 

Diverse range of events
It is now travelling back across the channel, to be used at next month’s Playtex MoonWalk charity fundraiser in London – before heading to France, then Scotland, and then Wales. 

Distinctive temporary structure
The hectic schedule, the most ambitious yet for the dazzling structure, means the Pink Galaxy will travel 2,000 miles and will house tens of thousands of people for events as diverse as brass-band competitions and celebrations of gay and lesbian culture. 

Stunning success
De Boer Key Account Manager Kate Hunter, who will oversee the construction of the structure for the Playtex MoonWalk, said: “The Pink Galaxy has been a stunning success ever since first appearing in London three years ago. But its reputation has now spread, establishing it as the most dramatic – and head-turning – structure not just in the UK but in the whole of Europe.” 

Flexible structure
One of the key factors behind the structure’s success is its flexible size, with maximum dimensions of 152 metres by 60 metres – equivalent to two football pitches. It features a series of King Poles, each 20 metres high, which can be added or removed in pairs depending on the specifications required by each client. 

Shelter for thousands of sports fans
The Pink Galaxy’s opening assignment of 2009, at Tilburg in the Netherlands, saw the structure transformed into a huge velodrome, housing a 200-metre cycle track and accommodating crowds of up to 2,500 people at a time. The six-day Zesdaagse gathering, between March 30 and April 4, attracted sports fans from across Europe. 

Organised by Walk the Walk
Next month’s Playtex MoonWalk, which is organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, will see the structure house 15,000 people in London’s Hyde Park as they prepare to embark on a night-time power-walk through the capital. Now in its 12th year, the MoonWalk on May 16 will be looking to exceed the staggering £5.8 million raised in 2008 for vital breast cancer causes. 

European tour
The Pink Galaxy’s European tour then takes it to Scotland, for charity Walk the Walk’s Edinburgh MoonWalk, being staged on June 20. Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser involves 12,000 people power-walking through the streets of the city – a challenge that has previously raised more than £7 million towards improving the quality of life for cancer patients across Scotland. 

High-profile assignments
And finally the structure will head to its closing assignment of 2009, when it is transformed into the main pavilion for the National Eisteddfod of Wales, being hosted by Meirion and District between August 1 and 8. The pavilion will form the centrepiece of the spectacular annual gathering, housing a series of high-profile ceremonies, pageants, competitions and concerts – ranging from choral to brass bands. 

Versatile events
Kate Hunter said: “Seeing the Pink Galaxy being used for events as diverse as musical concerts, cycling competitions, charity fundraisers and celebrations of gay culture bears testament to its tremendous versatility and its huge appeal. This summer it seems everyone is keen to think pink!”