Europe - In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Dante developer Audinate Group has announced a collaboration with the Netherlands’ Het Nationale Theater and XRAI to implement AI-enabled smart glasses with real-time subtitles for theatre-goers. GAAD promotes digital access and inclusion for more than one billion people with disabilities or impairments.

Starting this autumn, attendees at select performances by Het Nationale Theater in The Hague and on tour, including those who speak little or no Dutch or have hearing loss, can wear smart glasses for free that display subtitles in different colours to indicate which actor is speaking. Affectionately dubbed ‘LiveText’, the official launch is scheduled to take place at the end of June during the Holland Festival, the largest international performing arts festival in the Nether

Spain - A football final is always a moment of high emotion – but when light joins the game, the experience becomes unforgettable. That’s exactly what happened at the 2025 Copa del Rey Final, where more than 60,000 fans at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville and 8m viewers around the world were treated to a jaw-dropping lighting show that set the tone for a night to remember.

The creative force behind this spectacle was Juanjo Llorens, one of Spain’s most respected lighting designers, whose recent book on lighting as an evolving craft sparked wide acclaim. His approach to the opening show was clear: use light not just as illumination, but as narrative. And to achieve that, he relied on a powerful combination of 60 Ayrton Cobra and 50 Ayrton Perseo Beam fixtures.

Llorens’ design concept was rooted in movement, emotion and impact, as it built

USA - On Sunday 13 April, Chase & Status brought their musical kingdom to California, transforming Coachella’s massive Sahara Stage into a giant dance club with their signature sound and guest appearances by stars like Stormzy. Enhancing the vibe and energizing the entire stage was a production designed by High Scream, with management by NTRP, programming by Olly Walker, and onsite lighting by Elliott Mountford of Ti²² Design.

The lighting element of this dynamic stage panorama drew on the intense output of 172 Chauvet Professional fixtures. Of these units, 104 were Color Strike M motorised strobe washes, part of the Sahara’s house rig, supplied by Volt. The remaining fixtures, part of the Colour Sound Experiment supplied floor package, featured 48 Color Strike M and 20 Maverick Storm 4 Profile fixtures. The impressive collection of Color Strike M

The Netherlands - The three-night Ladies of Soul show landed at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome in April, backed by a series of LED screens and LED strips with Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Servers belting out live camera feed and pre-made content.

Dutch singers and musicians Edsilia Rombley, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Berget Lewis and Candy Dulfer starred in the productions, with a host of international guests including Sister Sledge, Robin S and Rose Royce celebrating the Ladies of Soul.

“We deployed our Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers because they were the models that could handle the multiple layers, three mixes, main screen content and masks, and much more,” explains Kevin Buysse from Tenfeet, which has delivered video for Ladies of Soul for more than a decade. “The show was built around the four main Dutch performers

Switzerland - For Stagelight, a Swiss event design company, Vectorworks Spotlight is the central tool for overcoming the increasingly complex requirements in the event industry. The firm relies on the software from the first sketch to detailed specialist planning to the final execution.

With consistent 3D planning, customer-oriented visualizations, and modern exchange formats such as MVR and GDTF, the company relies on efficiency and precision. In the shadow of the spotlight, the company ensures that despite hectic last-minute changes, everything runs smoothly, and the stars can offer their fans an unforgettable experience.

Head of light Stefan Rüttimann, who has been working at Stagelight for 17 years, described Vectorworks as the ultimate "all-in-one" tool. “From the first draft to the final execution – we do everything in Vectorworks: stage,

Iceland - Located 20 minutes from Keflavik International Airport, Icelandair’s headquarters has recently undergone a major expansion with the addition of a new flight simulator with additional facilities for pilot and cabin crew training, along with new office facilities including an impressive atrium and multi-purpose spaces for the hosting of meetings, presentations and events.

The project’s electrical contractor Verkhönnun issued a tender for the design and installation of cutting-edge audiovisual systems, with the contract ultimately awarded to local event production and AV technology specialists Exton.

“The initial brief included line arrays for the main atrium, but our modelling of a Nexo point-source system using NS-1 performance prediction software proved that a Nexo ePS system was perfectly adequate for the space, while making a much

Australia - Clearlight Shows, a long-standing name in Australia’s entertainment lighting industry, has delivered a major lighting upgrade at the Marriner Theatre Plaza Ballroom. The installation combines Infinity and Showtec fixtures from Highlite International to provide a robust, modern rig optimised for live performance, broadcast, and high-end event lighting.

The Plaza Ballroom, part of the Marriner Group, is a richly decorated venue with no natural light – making colour accuracy and flicker-free performance essential. Having worked closely with the theatre group on many occasions, Clearlight was invited to propose a system based on Highlite products, which the venue had successfully hired in the past.

John McKissock, founder of Clearlight Shows, explained: “The venue team had been trialling LED replacements for some time. When they saw the

France - Christie projection is powering screenings at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, which is running until 24 May.

RGB pure laser, laser, and Xenon illuminated projection technologies from Christie are deployed across 24 spaces at the globally renowned festival, including the flagship Grand Théâtre Lumière room and striking outdoor Cinéma de la Plage screen. More than 40,000 festivalgoers will attend the global event, with a host of A-list stars poised to grace the red carpet.

Festival de Cannes remains among the most prestigious and iconic events on the cinema calendar, and it’s a real honour to once again play our part as the official projection partner,” says Adil Zerouali, vice-president, sales EMEA, Christie. “We are pleased to continue our work with the Festival and the Commission Supérieure Technique de l'Imag

Spain - At the recent Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (JESC) in Madrid, the lighting design by Raphaël Demonthy (Sunrise Studios) was based around finely tuned technology from GLP, which created enormous impact under demanding conditions.

In the Caja Mágica, a well-known tennis arena in Madrid with a capacity of 12,000 seats, more than 250 GLP fixtures ensured that the performances of each of the 17 participating countries could be staged in a special way. With the right balance of creative versatility and technical precision, the various fixtures in the X5 Series supported the visual implementation of the show, which thrilled millions of viewers worldwide.

Raphaël Demonthy had to integrate into his design a 20m-high LED wall and a gigantic flower decoration – the so-called ‘hanging gardens’ – which extended from the stage int

USA - Martin Professional collaborated with Verity Studios, provider of indoor drone show systems for live events, for a dynamic three-day customer showcase at the Harman Experience Centre in Northridge, California. Held in April, the event revealed how autonomous drones and advanced lighting can operate as a single, unified show experience.

The centrepiece was a choreographed performance of Verity’s Lucie micro drones, equipped with powerful LEDs, flying in sync with Martin’s newest lighting fixture releases, including the MAC Aura Raven XIP. With its high-resolution aura effects and bold beam presence, the MAC Aura Raven XIP provided a rich visual counterpart to the drones’ motion and light patterns.

“We built the show with the MAC Aura Raven XIP as the lead performer,” said Brandon Robbins, regional sales manager for North America, Marti

France - Smode Tech has announced its partnership with Cercle Odyssey, billed as the world’s first large-scale 360° immersive concert. As an official partner, Smode Tech is providing its real-time media server technology, Smode, for Cercle Odyssey’s global tour, which is pioneering an ambitious new form of entertainment fusing spatialised sound, video, olfactory experiences and classically influenced storytelling on a monumental scale.

The Cercle Odyssey tour began in Mexico City before heading to Los Angeles and will be culminating in Paris for a spectacular finale from 28 May to 1 June. Highlights from the Paris leg of the tour include Max Richter (28 May), ARTBAT and WhoMadeWho (29 May), NTO × Sofiane Pamart and Monolink (30 May) and Bonobo and Ben Böhmer (31 May).

Described as a “nomadic” installation, Cercle Odyssey places audiences a

USA - For rapidly rising (No. 1 on Billboard Airplay Charts) country star Russell Dickerson’s 2025 tour, the production and lighting design came from Scott Cunningham, production/lighting designer at Cut2Black Designs, with support from IPS (Integrated Production Solutions).

Cunningham reflected on the collaboration behind the Russell Mania tour; “The teamwork behind the entire tour has been an inspiring collective, with many thanks to LD Nate Augustyn, tour PM Chris Lee, associate programmer Luke Elrod, video programmer Alex Talbot, and especially Nick Brown and his team at IPS. They made sure we had a rig that could travel well, handle all the different demands placed on it, and deliver powerful looks.”

“From day one, our goal was to provide a flexible, tour-ready rig that could support Scott’s creative vision without co

China - Lars Huang is a Chinese pop singer who has found fame with his lyrical, passionate musical style. His most recent tour, Fun! Only, is a celebration of video game and digital culture, requiring fans to ‘level up’ to get the most out of the experience. The design concept was a Platinum Muse Award 2024 winner. The audio team insisted upon DiGiCo consoles, choosing a Quantum 852 for the front-of-house position and a Quantum 338 for monitors, supplied by DiGiCo distributors in China, RAC Pro.

“The tour is all about letting every audience member really enjoy the music,” Li Wenhao, senior product manager of RAC, technical support for the tour explains. “We insist upon using only the very best equipment and the Quantum 852 delivers excellence for us. At the monitor position, the Quantum 338’s compact design and highly efficient signal pr

USA - RZI Lighting, a provider of professional lighting rentals in the greater New Orleans area, supplied Elation’s powerful Proteus Maximus IP65-rated LED profile light for Our Moon Shines, For All the World to See, a light-based installation by multidisciplinary artist Jeffrey Meris that featured in the recent Prospect contemporary art exhibition.

Founded after Hurricane Katrina to revitalise New Orleans’ culture and economy, Prospect is a triennial exhibition that invites artists from around the world to create citywide projects that are often rooted in social justice and inspired by the city itself. The latest iteration, Prospect.6, prompted reflection on themes of climate vulnerability, colonialism, belonging, and home.

Commissioned as part of Prospect.6, which ran from November 2024 through Febru

UAE - Saadiyat Nights, an open-air music series held on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, returned with a star-studded line up of local, regional, and global talent. Amongst the performers were Clair Global touring clients Jennifer Lopez, Robbie Williams, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Lionel Richie, plus a performance by captivating Egyptian composer and pianist, Omar Khairat.

Clair UAE supplied audio, comms and radios, working closely with most of the artists to replicate identical touring packages, ensuring performers and crew were at their most comfortable when visiting the region.

At the specially constructed open-air venue, audience experience is a priority, as is the need to combat potential noise pollution to the surrounding residential areas. To adequately overcome any such issues, Clair UAE was appointed to work on a sound design

Denmark - DirectOut is a supplier of flexible, robust solutions for any audio application. When the scope of the flexibility required by Copenhagen Dansehallerne, Copenhagen’s centre for Dance and Chorography, became clear, DirectOut was the only solution able to deliver what was needed.

Anders Jørgensen, project manager for consultant and integrator Stouenborg, offered DirectOut solutions to Johannes Hornberger, head of sound and video at the centre. The team decided to purchase two Prodigy.MP and six Prodigy.MC, equipped with AN8.IO converter modules, Dante.IO and Milan.IO network modules. This combination ensured the audio infrastructure was flexible and stable enough to support any conceivable performance design.

The Copenhagen Dansehallerne (Dance Halls) are completely adjustable spaces, from the audience seating to the performance programmin

South Africa - When lighting designer Simon King took on DreamScapes, the latest production by Joburg Ballet, he was presented with the opportunity to integrate Robe T1 Profiles and T11 fixtures into his creative vision.

Staged at the Roodepoort Theatre, DreamScapes marks Joburg Ballet’s first production of the 2025 season. A dynamic triple bill, the show highlights the company’s dedication to artistic innovation, cultural celebration, and technical excellence. It also marked a homecoming, as this was Joburg Ballet’s first performance at the Roodepoort Theatre in a decade - a return made even more memorable by a beautiful and precise lighting design.

To help bring the production to life, Simon deployed two Robe T1 Profiles and six T11, supplied by DWR Distribution. “Simon had worked with the T11s before, and I knew they’d

Finland - Situated in the heart of southern Finland’s Päijät-Häme region, the Lahti Historical Museum aims to take its visitors on a journey through time. The museum looks after 45,500 historical artifacts and records the lives of the elderly population currently living in the area through photographs and interview projects.

While most museums rely on visual storytelling, Lahti elevates the experience by using sound to immerse visitors in history – and so has turned to Finnish loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec to bring its exhibitions to life.  

The museum is housed within Lahti Manor, a striking rose-coloured 19th-century residence that is well loved by the local community and has been voted the most beautiful building in Lahti. Built by architect Hjalmar in 1898, the building was home to much-loved local resident Captain August Fellman and

USA - Lenny Kravitz is currently on the US leg of his Blue Electric Light tour, which kicked off in Europe in June 2024 in support of his twelfth studio album. Sound Image, a Clair Global brand, is supplying a control package for the tour that includes two DiGiCo Quantum852 consoles for veteran FOH engineer Laurie Quigley and monitor engineer Josh Mellott, two SD-Racks, and six SD-MiNi Racks, plus three Fourier Audio transform.engine platforms.

Mellott is something of a DiGiCo whisperer. He has been touring with Kravitz for 14 years, initially as a monitor tech before getting behind an SD7 to mix, and previously worked on DiGiCo desks with Crosby, Stills & Nash on tour and at Sound Image’s shop in Southern California. “I was the code writer for all the socket files for any tours that were still using D5 and D1 consoles,” he says. Over the

UK - Follow-Me has announced the opening of its new meeting space and demonstration room in the heart of London's Soho district. Located within the technically advanced Underbelly Boulevard Soho, the facility will serve as a hub for designers, operators, and potential Follow-Me users to experience the system's capabilities firsthand.

The new demo space will be overseen by Luke Edwards, designer relations liaison UK at Follow-Me, who will be available on-site to provide demonstrations, consultations, and system training on request.

Underbelly Boulevard Soho - the first permanent location from the live entertainment company Underbelly - provides a suitable technical environment for showcasing Follow-Me's remote follow-spot and performer tracking technology. With convenient access to public transportation, the space is positioned to become a central mee

Belgium - Ten high-profile theatrical venues in the French-speaking region of Belgium - a multilingual European powerhouse for arts, culture, music, entertainment and diversity with a penchant for creativity – have received delivery of a major order of Robe lighting products comprising 13 different fixture types, totalling 1043 units.

This achievement has been co-ordinated by the Belgian office of Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux, led by Mattias Ternoot in conjunction with Guillaume Canart of Nivelles-based integration and installation specialist, Inytium.

It is the biggest single deal for lighting fixtures delivered by Controllux Belgium, and the project is part of the drive to convert all venues in Belgium from conventional light sources to LED to enhance sustainability and reduce operational overheads and power consumption.

Six o

UK - Founded in 2019, Adventure Cinema is the UK’s biggest open-air cinema tour and enjoys success delivering the magic of the movies to audiences across more than 70 prestigious venues. Medieval castles and picturesque country estates all play host to a mix of classics, musicals, blockbusters, and family films, delivered by Adventure Cinema’s experienced teams.

With premium picture quality as standard, powerful, quality audio is absolutely essential to provide an exciting immersive audience experience. Since its inception, Adventure Cinema has invested exclusively in HK Audio systems, and recently contacted UK distributor Polar about expanding its inventory to include HK Audio’s Cosmo line array.

As demand for Adventure Cinema’s service has grown, so the size of its audiences has steadily increased, with more than 200,000 tickets sold at ven

South Africa - As part of Nike’s annual Air Max Day celebrations this year, Method x Madness studio in Johannesburg hosted a pop-up Dolby Atmos listening experience featuring a 7.1.4 monitor layout and Audient Oria. The event gave listeners the chance to hear each of the performing artists’ new music in Dolby Atmos - mixed by the studio - whilst finding out more about the newest Air Max Dn8 shoe.

Taking place in the old Sheriff’s building, the compact listening setup comprised the Oria immersive audio interface and monitor controller and Genelec speakers. Rici from Method x Madness studio described the setup as “nice and lean. The Genelec 9301 has digital AES audio out, so Oria was the perfect audio interface to finish off the setup and make everything integrate really smoothly.”

Nike took over five venues in the Braamfontein area

UK - Bold colours, deep blacks and moving set pieces are brought to life in Muriel’s Wedding the Musical – the stage adaptation of PJ Hogan’s 1994 film – whose just-wrapped UK premiere at the Curve theatre in Leicester featured a striking video-led design powered by over 400 LED panels from INFiLED’s DBmk2 Series.

Designed by Andrzej Goulding, the production blends theatrical storytelling with a playful, modern aesthetic, featuring oversized mobile phone frames, animated graphics and vivid, Australian-inspired visuals. To realise Goulding’s creative vision, the technical team needed an LED solution capable of delivering deep contrast, faithful colour reproduction at low brightness, and seamless integration with the physical set.

INFiLED’s DBmk2 Series, with its 10,000:1 contrast ratio and matte black surface, proved ideal for t

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