---
title: Hydraulics in the Entertainment Industry
description: Hydraulics are found in many industries to help productivity and safety but what many people don't know is that hydraulics are found in fun activities too!
---

[Brennan UK Blog](https://blog.brennaninc.co.uk)

# [Hydraulics in the Entertainment Industry](https://blog.brennaninc.co.uk/hydraulics-entertainment-industry)

 Written by [John Joyce](https://blog.brennaninc.co.uk/author/john-joyce) | 207/07/2023

As with  the rest of the world, entertainment in  the UK is  a major industry, with  a 2022  value of nearly £ 12  billion. There  are two primary sectors :  first, music, performance and visual arts, estimated at £ 11.5  billion. This  includes cinema, stage theatre along with  music festivals and concerts. Second is  amusement and theme parks, which were reported separately at a value of £ 909  million. This is  clearly an enormous market where hydraulics play a major role. Here  are the primary entertainment industries which rely on  hydraulics :

 

## Hydraulics in Amusement Parks

As  the most popular paid tourist attraction in  the United Kingdom with  over three million visitors annually, the 120  metre diameter **London Eye** is  a cantilevered observation wheel and the tallest in Europe . Electric  pumps drive hydraulic motors which rotate the wheel. The  hydraulic motors turn large rubber tires mounted at the base  of the structure along the wheel rim, acting as  friction rollers to provide the power to turn the wheel.

 

Aptly  named, **The Big One**  at the UK' s Blackpool Pleasure Beach  theme park was considered the tallest rollercoaster in  the world at 65  metres tall when it  opened in 1994 . As with  most roller coasters, a hydraulic braking system safely brings the cart to a complete and safe stop for loading and unloading. Passengers  are kept safe by the automatic activation of the hydraulic brakes to keep the carts from bumping into each other.  Hydraulic  components are used throughout amusement park rides and entertainment, from hydraulic fittings, hoses, power units, valves and cylinders in  everything from pendulum rides to shock absorbers on  bumper cars.

 

## Hydraulic Use in the Theatre

Motion base  seating in  some theatres provides big thrills for  audiences who want to feel what it's like to fly with  the **Royal Air Force's Red Arrows** , one of the world 's premier aerobatic display teams. This is made possible by the safety, durability, reliability and low maintenance of hydraulic proportional valves.

 

London's **Theatre Royal Drury Lane** incorporates hydraulic lifts that use pressurized water to power a moving bridge as part of the stage setting. Two independently driven, hydraulically powered rams support and operate smooth lifting and lowering of the bridge. The hydraulic pump system can also operate independently, providing a tilting effect. The high-pressure hydraulics are connected to the cylinder bottom, creating enough force to push the attached ram upwards to operate the bridge. These same types of hydraulics are used to raise and lower stage sections in many theatres throughout the UK. Hydraulics are also used in stage lighting and other areas of theatre production.

 

## Hydraulics in Animatronics

Hydraulics are heavily used in animatronics, from moving set designs in movie and TV production to operating large objects and other special effects. The animatronics in dinosaur theme parks, such as **ROARR!** in Lenwade, Norfolk and **The Dinosaur Park** Tenby rely heavily on hydraulic power. Electric motors are not fast or powerful enough to move these large, dynamic creatures. Instead, hydraulics using double-mounted bearings create fast, smooth and safe actions like raising up, knee motions, tilting side to side, blinking eyes, three-axis hip motion and calf rotation. Hydraulic valves pump pressurized hydraulic fluid through narrow hoses and tubes to operate cylinders, which create the dinosaur's movements.

 

## Hydraulics in stadium concert productions

One of the first major stage productions to rely heavily on hydraulic power was U2's 360° Tour. For the first time ever, high-pressure hydraulics were used to assemble and dismantle the 230 metric tonne construction known as the claw. The hydraulically operated system elevated the modular stage construction to a height of 30 metres safely and quickly, giving the audience all around the stage an unobstructed view. Erecting the stage was also a challenge- since 450 tonne capacity heavy mobile cranes were impossible to fit inside the stadium venues, they used hydraulic strand jacks. Connected to an electrical supply and operated by a computer, the ready-to-use unit was a highly effective solution incorporating high-pressure hydraulics. This was back in 2009. With a few advancements, the same hydraulic technology is used in major outdoor concert productions today.

 

## Conclusion

From water rides, Ferris wheels, 3D ride simulators, drop rides, theatre productions and animated dinosaurs, hydraulics play a major role in our entertainment industry. Because equipment in the industry involves direct or close proximity to people, the hydraulics must provide:

- Demanding envelope requirements
- High performance and repeatability
- Low noise
- Safe high-power and heavy-lift capacities

And because "The show must go!", the industry depends on the low maintenance and minimal downtime hydraulics provide.

 

**Sources include:**

- [CE&CR](https://info.cecr.in/london-eye/)
- [Completely Hydraulic](https://comphydraulic.com/theatre-use/)
- [Fluid Power Journal](https://fluidpowerjournal.com/hydraulics-fun/)
- [House of Lords Library](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/supporting-the-performing-arts/#:~:text=Performing%20arts%20sector,-The%20performing%20arts&text=In%202022%2C%20music%2C%20performance%20and,bn%20to%20the%20UK%20economy).
- [Product Design & Development](https://web.archive.org/web/20140904044544/http:/www.pddnet.com/news/2009/08/u2-stage-sets-trendsetting-hydraulics)
- [World Wide Hydraulic Professionals](https://whyps.com/the-jurassic-park-series-animatronics#:~:text=For%20this%20animatronics%20T%2DRex,movements%20of%20T%2DRex%20dinosaurs)
- [York Precision Machining & Hydraulics](https://yorkpmh.com/resources/hydraulic-systems-on-roller-coasters/#:~:text=Hydraulic%3A%20In%20a%20hydraulic%20system,back%20to%20its%20starting%20spot)

   
  <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/chart-countries-produce-lithium-world/>

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