Melbourne has stared at the Fed Square Big Screen for 24 years. Now it's been rebuilt.
The upgraded Fed Square Big Screen now runs 2.6 million pixels across 116 square metres of high-resolution LED, replacing gear that had not been touched since 2018 and marking the first overhaul in eight years.
The shape is the bigger story. An ultra-wide rectangular format lets Fed Square split, stack and reconfigure what goes up there, opening the door to programming that a single fixed frame could never carry.
That format also matches a widely used industry standard, so independent filmmakers, artists and community groups can supply work without rebuilding every file to suit an unusual aspect ratio.
Fed Square’s Big Screen
- 2.6 million pixels across 116 square metres of LED
- Ultra-wide rectangular format matched to a standard industry ratio
- New in-picture interpretation window for improved accessibility
- Operating now
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
View this post on Instagram
The screen first went up in 2002 and has been overhauled twice before, in 2007 and 2018. It has since carried the 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations, appearances from Oprah and Robbie Williams, and massive crowds for a range of events.
The rebuild also introduces an in-picture interpretation window, placing interpreters inside the frame across events, films and other programming. Fed Square didn’t stop at the main display either. The digital panel on the side of Transport Hotel facing Flinders Street Station has been upgraded, and a new screen now sits under the stage canopy, tying the precinct together as one connected digital surface.
“The Big Screen has been part of some of Melbourne’s biggest shared moments for more than two decades, and this upgrade ensures it can continue to play that role well into the future,” Fed Square director Katrina Sedgwick said. “Importantly, we’re also opening more doors for independent creators, community groups and partners to bring their ideas to Fed Square, and showcase their work to new, highly engaged audiences.”
Fed Square funded the upgrades, delivered in partnership with Sharp EIT.
Creators can already pitch. Fed Square accepts video submissions of up to five minutes for the screen, offering full credits and a 12-month non-exclusive licence.
For more information, head here.
