Swarovski to be part of the 90th Oscars set design

The 90th Academy Awards airs Sunday, March 4 on ABC.

Swarovski has partnered with Tony and Emmy Award®-winning production designer Derek McLane to create a spectacular set design for the 90th Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018.

This year’s show will mark Swarovski’s 11th year illuminating the Oscars stage, and the 6th year that McLane will incorporate Swarovski crystals throughout the show’s set design. McLane has earned Primetime Emmy Award® nominations for every year he’s worked on the Oscars telecasts and won in 2014.  Key features of this year’s Oscars set design include: a brand-new proscenium; the return of the beloved floating Oscars; and a signature backdrop curtain and opera box covers.

McLane visited Swarovski’s historic headquarters in Wattens, Austria, earlier this year to experience the heritage of Swarovski firsthand. McLane designed a new proscenium for the 90th Oscars featuring more than 45 million crystals. The piece will be constructed from octagonal tiles with a mix of crystal, metal, mirror and other materials to achieve its complex and beautiful shape.

Returning for the second year will be the spectacular floating Oscars, featuring over 140,000 crystals. The installation will also include an original backdrop curtain, shimmering with over 80,000 crystals. Finally, the theater’s opera boxes will once again be embellished with over 23,000 breathtaking Swarovski stones.

Swarovski’s history on the silver screen goes back to the early days of Hollywood over 85 years ago, when its crystals made their debut in the Marlene Dietrich film Blonde Venus.  

The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.