Lighting

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11 February 2025

UK - Oliver! has made a triumphant return to the West End at the Gielgud Theatre. With Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Shanay Holmes as Nancy, and Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, this latest revival brings Charles Dickens’ tale of young Oliver Twist to life once more.

Cameron Mackintosh’s new production, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, with co-direction by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, showcases a lighting design by multi-award-winning Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs. To realise their creative vision, they turned to White Light – a d&b solutions company – to supply the show’s lighting rig.

Since its original West End premiere in 1960, Oliver! has seen numerous revivals, yet each iteration brings a fresh perspective. Paule Constable, having previously lit the 2009 Theatre Royal Drury Lane production, relished the opportuni

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11 February 2025

UK - IPS (Impact Production Services), supplier of staging and structures, technical production, and equipment hire to the events industry, is proud to announce a major milestone in its growth and development: the opening of a new, state-of-the-art, purpose-built warehouse in Milton Keynes this April. This expansion represents a pivotal chapter for IPS as the company continues to build on its steady growth since the pandemic, strengthening its capacity to deliver efficient, sustainable, and innovative services to clients.

Since its inception, IPS has experienced remarkable growth, doubling in size with each move to larger facilities. This latest expansion, located just a mile from the current site, is no exception. The impressive 6.5-acre site features newly constructed buildings purposefully designed to meet modern standards, with significantly upgraded inf

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11 February 2025

Japan - Creative studio FragmentNine (F9), led by Jeremy Lechterman, was asked by creative director/production designer Jason Ardizzone-West of JAW Studio to collaborate on the lighting elements of an impressive production design for J-pop singer/songwriter Hikaru Utada’s 2024 tour. The artist returned to live performance after a six-year hiatus for an extensive tour of Japan and Asia, supporting a new album project, Science Fiction.

The lighting design included large amounts of Robe fixtures including 81 x Esprites, 72 x MegaPointes, 26 x TetraXs and three Robe BMFL Wash Beam EVs running on a three-way RoboSpot system, all supplied in Japan by lighting vendor Kyoritz.

Jason’s initial discussions with the artist started a year prior to the tour. "We talked about wormholes, portals, Kubrick's monoliths, Emma McEvoy's sand dune photographs

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11 February 2025

Europe - Following an award-winning debut at LDI in Las Vegas this past December, Elation’s new Paragon LED profile moving heads are now shipping worldwide.

Paragon was recognised with LDI’s Best Debuting Product Award. The fixture is the result of years of development and feedback from designers demanding a lighting solution that could adapt to any environment without compromise.

"We listened to lighting designers who wanted more flexibility, greater output, and a streamlined system that could do it all,” said Eric Loader, global vice president of sales at Elation. “From concept to execution, we refined every detail - ensuring Paragon isn’t just another moving head, but a true workhorse that raises the bar for lighting technology.”

Since its debut, Paragon has already been specified for major concert tours, broadcast studios, and

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10 February 2025

Spain - Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2025 wrapped up ‘a highly successful week’ in Barcelona. The exhibition showcased its highest number of exhibitors with 1,605 and the largest show floor space with 92,000 sq.m net.

ISE 2025 welcomed 85,351 unique verified visitors from 168 countries, marking a 15.5% increase from the previous year.

Attendance from the DACH region saw a significant increase of 7% at ISE 2025, coming close to the numbers last seen during the event’s years in Amsterdam, highlighting the region’s strong and growing engagement with the show.

Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, stated: “ISE 2025 has surpassed all expectations, setting new milestones in both attendance and innovation. The energy and engagement from our attendees and exhibitors have been truly remarkable. From the dynamic sh

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10 February 2025

USA - The official announcement for Apocalyptica’s just launched North American tour refers to them as ‘cello rockers’.

The three classically trained musicians from Helsinki's prestigious Sibelius Academy fuse two different worlds, playing metal rock (often covers of Metallica hits) on their cellos with ‘an unbridled ferocity that ranks with the best bone crushing bands of the genre’.

Among Apocalyptica's admirers is renowned lighting designer Mikki Kunttu, who has worked with them on a few occasions since 2007. "I love the band, and it is always so great to work with them," said Kunttu. "I have the highest appreciation for what they do – and for who they are."

Kunttu is showing this appreciation in stunning fashion with his lighting design for Apocalyptica's current APMB4C Vol 2. tour, which began its 24-city North American leg 6

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10 February 2025

Europe - Prolights has announced the release of the Astra Profile900, a moving head designed to address the needs of lighting professionals in live productions, studios, theatres, and events. Combining brightness, adaptability, and advanced motion technology, the Astra Profile900 represents a key addition to the company's range of professional lighting solutions.

The Astra Profile900 is available in two configurations to meet specific application requirements. The High Performance (HP) model delivers up to 43,000 lumens, suited for large-scale productions and events that demand high brightness levels. The high-quality (HQ) model, with a CRI of up to 96, is optimised for applications requiring precise colour rendering, including television studios and other on-camera environments.

With a 185mm front lens and a 5°-52° linear zoom, the Astra Profile90

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07 February 2025

South Africa - Truth Nightclub in Midrand Johannesburg, recently celebrated its official reopening with a new lighting setup from Elation. The Production Warehouse, Elation’s exclusive partner in South Africa, collaborated closely with the venue to select the equipment for the upgrade.

The installation was completed under a tight schedule, just in time for the pre-launch of the revamped The Terrace dance floor. The new lighting rig was crucial for the club’s 25 Years of Truth anniversary event featuring Township Rebellion on 30 November and the New Year's Eve 2025 celebration with Pleasurekraft.

Truth, known as the Home of the Underground, is a regional landmark and one of South Africa’s best-known nightclubs. With five dance floors, it has hosted artists like Paul Van Dyk and Richie Hawtin, among many others.

The Terr

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07 February 2025

Singapore - Claypaky Sharpy X Frame hybrid luminaires illuminated the inaugural 2024 World Taekwondo Virtual Championships in Singapore where more than 120 athletes from 23 countries participated in the first-ever event of its kind.  

The competition took place at the Singapore Sports Hub OCBC Arena. The event marked the return of the sport to Singapore after the city successfully hosted the first Olympic Esports Week in June 2023, where Virtual Taekwondo made its debut.  Virtual Taekwondo uses a motion tracking system and virtual reality headset in matches of non-contact sparring.

Lighting designer Michael Chan of Singapore-based Lighting Insomnia selected 36 Sharpy X Frames for the landmark event. Chan has worked on a wide range of arts, entertainment and installation projects. His experience ranges from consulting on installations and major even

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06 February 2025

Austria - Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Medieval morality play Jedermann has become a classic centrepiece of the world-renowned Salzburg Festival. First performed in 1920 – directed by Max Reinhardt – when the festival was inaugurated, it has been staged most years since then in the city’s magnificent Domplatz (Cathedral Square).

2024 saw the staging of a new, fresh, contemporary, and acclaimed version created by Canadian director Robert Carsen, who was also the scenographer, and costume designer Luis Carvalho. Lighting was designed by Carsen and Giuseppe di Iorio, with the latter specifying Robe iForte LTXs to deal with all the essential key lighting needed to bring the work alive and disrupt preconceptions about how the play can be presented.

Jedermann was performed nightly throughout the five-week 2024 event, either in Cathedr

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06 February 2025

USA - Country Music Hall of Fame member and 15-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs spent December sharing the gift of bluegrass on the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Christmas holiday show. Bandit Lites provided the lighting for the acoustic style concert that included classic songs as well as original hits.

Bandit Lites lighting designer and project manager Craig Richter designed the system to wrap around the stage, laying it in an arch and stringing festoon fixtures between the pipe and base fixtures. 
“I chose to go with fixtures that would not blind the audience and would give a nice look onstage even when they are not on, and the Portman P2 EVO was the perfect fixture for that,” said Richter. “I added Robe Halos to help compliment the P2 EVO’s as well as give the lighting director a fun fixture to do some pixel effects with.”

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05 February 2025

Europe - Power and data connectivity solutions specialist Link has announced the acquisition of Agora's assets and intellectual property. Founded in 2012 by David Rocher in Poitiers, France, Agora is known for its innovative networking solutions, including the Ghost Switch platform and advanced network management software for the entertainment and broadcast industries.

"This acquisition represents a significant step in Link's strategy to provide comprehensive power and data solutions to our global customers," says Marco Piromalli, CEO of Link Group. "Agora's expertise in network management and control systems perfectly complements Link's power distribution and connectivity portfolio. By combining our strengths, we can offer entertainment and broadcast professionals complete, integrated solutions that streamline their operations and enhance performance."

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05 February 2025

Italy - Turin’s Kappa FuturFestival was billed as Italy's largest EDM event. It was staged at Parco Dora, an evocative urban park where metal pylons, rather than trees, mark many paths.

Rising out of the ruins of an abandoned Fiat and Michelin manufacturing complex, the 456,000sq.m park exudes a stark and hauntingly moving aura with concrete towers and 30m high metal beams dotting its grounds.

For the 85,000 or so who attended the music was performed by many of the world's leading EDM artists, including Tale of Us, Skrillex, Tiësto, and Carl Cox.

Accenting that music with a bold, futuristic lighting design that incorporated the architectural elements of Parco Dora, was Giovanni Ricciardi, who described the process this way: "This year, in addition to taking care of the lighting part of all the stages of the Kappa FuturFestival, I took care

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05 February 2025

Spain - In Barcelona, Claypaky will unveil two new moving head lighting fixtures in the Arolla Aqua Series.

Equipped with a custom 900W white LED light source, Arolla Aqua LT delivers over 40,000 lumens. This consistent and unwavering output rivals high-power-range lights and the size can compete with medium-power fixtures, offering unmatched versatility for diverse lighting needs.

The Arolla Aqua LT's centre-weighted peaked beam is optimized for a more consistent illumination and quality of light. Its 4°-52° zoom range empowers seamless transitions and dynamic effects, thanks to the high zoom speed, the ultra-intensive narrow beam and a 170mm (6.7 in) front lens.

In moving heads with large lenses, sunlight can often sneak in, reflecting internally and causing heat buildup that risks damaging crucial components like gobos and colour filters

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04 February 2025

Sweden - Launched in 2004 and part of a global franchise, Swedish Idol is one of the most popular shows on Swedish television. Broadcast live on channel TV4, it provides a platform on which hopeful Swedish singing stars can showcase their talents and compete to gain widespread recognition.

The latest series of live performances ran from 12 October to 7 December at the Filadelfia Convention Centre in central Stockholm, and was lit by lighting designer, Linus Pansell, who included Ayrton Kyalami, Rivale Profile and MagicBlade FX fixtures in his rig.

“The Kyalamis and MagicBlades were crucial for me to build the show,” says Pansell. “I’m usually quite negotiable to changing fixtures to fit the suppliers’ inventories, but this time I really wanted these specific fixtures. I could easily swap out other lights in the rig, but I was very

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04 February 2025

UK - London -based event production company Halo has added 24 x Robe Painte moving lights to its rental inventory, which were delivered in September following the PLASA professional lighting and sound expo by the team at Robe UK.

These are added to Halo’s existing lighting rental inventory, which already includes several other Robe moving lights – Pointes, MegaPointes, Spikies, Spikie+s, Spiiders, and LEDBeam 150s – all of which have been purchased in the last six years.

Halo’s CEO Yann Guenancia and his team including hire manager Andrew Luck made the decision after considering various options and receiving a demo of the Painte fixtures at Halo.

Yann stated, “We needed a premium ‘LED spot’ and a compact hard-edged luminaire to add to our inventory and, having enjoyed so much success with Robe’s Pointe and Spiider fixtures, we

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04 February 2025

Spain - Prolights is preparing for a dynamic showcase at Integrated Systems Europe. The company's stand - located in Hall 6, booth 6S200 - will feature an expanded exhibition space, highlighting key products from its portfolio for live events, TV, and theatres. Visitors will also get an exclusive look at five new products making their official market debut.

The HaluPix DUO is a dual layer LED matrix that seamlessly integrates lighting and video capabilities into a modular design. This twin-source unit offers high-power, long-throw white beams alongside high-brightness video and strobe features, with full pixel-level control.

The Astra Profile900 is a flagship, high-power profile moving head designed for large-scale live productions, studios, and theatres. Powered by a 900W LED source, it delivers an impressive 43,000-lumen output (as measured by phot

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03 February 2025

Kuwait - For the opening ceremony of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait in December, lighting and production designer Roland Greil deployed 173 Proteus Maximus LED wash/beam fixtures along with 49 Proteus Excalibur beam lights, both IP65-rated moving heads.

“When lighting a magnificent, 360-degree, theatrically produced stadium ceremony, where you’re dealing with throws of 50-100 meters or more, besides lighting the stage or field of play you also want to achieve some magic and theatrical spice, and what you need there is firepower,” says Greil.

Using 222 moving heads to light a major event stadium ceremony may sound like a substantial number, but compared to many similar opening ceremonies, the fixture counts for the Arabian Gulf Cup was more modest. For the Asian Cup opening ceremony in Qatar a year earlier for example, Greil had over three times

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03 February 2025

Mexico - Café Tacvba from Naucalpan de Juárez, have blended Mexican musical influences with mainstream rock sounds in their 35-year career. Inspired by the likes of The Smiths, The Cure, and Violent Femmes, they've added alt rock and psychedelic elements to their inimitable style. Later, the Grammy and Latin Grammy winners also invited hip-hop to their party.

"Their music is super eclectic, going from the simplest Mexican folk songs to the blistering electric punk & rock sounds they are accustomed to belting out night after night," observed Felix Peralta.  "They are one of the most amazing live bands I have ever seen - and I feel fortunate to have seen a lot of live bands throughout my 30-plus years in the industry. Most importantly, they’re some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet."

Peralta has been lighting Café Tacvba for about eight

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03 February 2025

Australia - Following the news that LSC Control Systems will distribute the products of UK-based Avolites in Australia and New Zealand, LSC has announced the appointment of a dedicated Avolites specialist. Clare Springett, as business development manager Avolites Australia and New Zealand, will head up sales and support for the famous lighting control brand in the region, beginning with immediate effect.

A well-known presence in Australia’s professional show production world, Clare is an experienced lighting designer, production manager, arts practitioner, venue manager and theatre technician. 
Most recently she worked as sales and hire manager at Concert Lighting Systems Australia and was the touring LD and operator for Tim Minchin’s 2024 tour Unfunny – An Evening with Tim Minchin and his Piano. Also on her resumé, she is a Green Room Award nom

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31 January 2025

UK - The Royal Shakespeare Company, a major British theatre company in the UK, has selected ETC control and fixtures to upgrade its flagship Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), including Apex 10 and Apex 5 consoles, Eos Apex Processor, Eos Programming Wings and more.

The theatre is a leader in creative technologies and digital development. The RSC recognised the urgent need to upgrade the lighting equipment to increase the theatre’s environmental sustainability and efficiency for the future. ETC dealer Stage Electrics supplied the new equipment to the venue. This upgrade has been made possible with the support of Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.

Together, the teams at both the RSC and Stage Electrics identified the technical requirements and, following several conversations and hands-on time with Eos Apex, determined that it was

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31 January 2025

The Netherlands - The Schouwburg Kunstmin in Dordrecht is a busy, bustling theatre and performing arts venue, which has made another major purchase of Robe LED lighting fixtures with 83 x T11 Profiles. These have been added to their Main Hall house lighting rig, replacing all the old, fixed position incandescent profiles and PCs.

The venue is both a producing and a receiving house, and in the Main Hall, the busy and vibrant programme of performance – embracing musicals, dance shows, cabaret, comedy, and concerts – can be lit with an all-Robe and fully LED lighting rig and investment funded entirely by the theatre itself.

Simultaneously, the venue purchased 12 x Robe ParFect 150s to replace their conventional PARS, another four T1 profiles – bringing the current total to 12 when combined with others bought in 2022 to replace their ageing 2Ks on

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31 January 2025

UK - Sometime around the start of the second century, in the spot where The Guildhall now stands, the Romans completed a coliseum which housed chariot racers and, yes, gladiators. On 13 November, a bit of this ancient grandeur (happily without actual gladiatorial combat!) returned to London, as the city hosted the premiere of Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2 at Leicester Square, complete with set pieces inspired by Roman architecture.

The setting, created by Limited Edition Event design, welcomed a glittering array of guests, including the film's director and stars, along with King Charles. Contributing to the festive tone of the event was a lighting design by Richard Godin that was run on a Chamsys MagicQ MQ250M desk, anchored by a legion of Chauvet Professional LED video panels, all supplied by Milton Keynes-based IPS.

At the heart of the design

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31 January 2025

USA - During a 25-minute OHM fitness class, lighting is synchronised with the video feed to create a fully immersive workout experience. As a workout progresses, lighting changes colours, and instructors intensify the music as the workout becomes more challenging. During cool-down, instructors turn to softer, calming music to help relax members.

OHM Franchise, headquartered in Arizona with studios nationwide, turned to Randy Stearman, owner of Arizona-based integrator Holocron LLC, to create a lighting and audio package that could be replicated at every location. Stearman chose the Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional to drive each workout.

“LEA is right in that sweet spot where we have the power requirements, the channel counts, and the super-efficient architecture,” said Stearman. “The ease of integration and flexibility of their a