U2's regular show designer Willie Williams and lighting director Bruce Ramus worked with the band to create a simple background to complement the mega group’s performances. Working closely with head of projection Anne Johnston, Williams chose Fourth Phase in the USA to supply products for the duration of the world tour: initially the design used four projectors but, due to the greatly increased size of the audience at Slane Castle, Fourth Phase London was asked to supply an additional four projectors.
Integral to the production, the E/T/C Audiovisuel PIGI projectors were used to project abstract images (the work of acclaimed Irish artist Catherine Owens, and a team of English artists) and to alter the atmosphere and colour temperature during the concerts. In line with worldwide ticket sales for the tour, over 200,000 tickets for all eight of U2's UK shows sold out within hours of going on sale in March. Ticket sales for the Slane Castle concert sold out in under an hour, and left thousands of U2 fans disappointed. Subsequently, special permission was granted for the band to put on a historic additional performance on September 1. The culmination of the Elevation Tour at Slane Castle marked the band's first concert appearance in Ireland in four years and the 20th anniversary of their last performance at the same venue in 1981.
