Sky Ladder Art Installation Was Not a Tribute to Led Zeppelin
The Claim
The fireworks display in the following video took place in Japan and was meant to be a tribute to Led Zeppelin’s song Stairway to Heaven.
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The claim first appeared in 2019 and continues to be shared across social media platforms.
Misbar’s Analysis
Our investigation found that the firework display was not meant to be a tribute to Led Zeppelin but was an art installation. It was created by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and took place in 2015 in Quanzhou, China. Guo-Qiang is a pyrotechnical artist who specializes in works that use gunpowder as a medium. The installation was the subject of a 2016 Netflix documentary.
The flaming ladder was created by Guo-Qiang to commemorate his grandmother’s 100th birthday and had nothing to do with Led Zeppelin’s hit song. The 500-meter (1,640 foot) wire ladder was attached to a large weather balloon that pulled it into the sky. It was lined with fireworks and gunpowder which created the spectacular display.
This was Guo-Qiang’s third attempt at creating the impressive ladder. His first trial took place in 1994, more than two decades earlier.
