USA - Throughout the summer, a lighting rig comprised almost exclusively of ADJ IP65-rated fixtures was used to illuminate the Grand Performances series of free concerts in Downtown LA. California Plaza was illuminated for the weekly Saturday evening concerts by ADJ’s lime-infused Encore series of static LED wash fixtures, complemented by Hydro Wash X19 moving heads. In addition, key lighting and Gobo projections were handled by ADJ’s flagship Hydro Profile IP65-rated automated profile luminaires, which sat at the heart of lighting designer Edgar Gonzalez’s extensive rig. Grand Performances is a non-profit organisation that provides free access to global performing arts, made possible thanks to generous support from the LA City Department of Cultural Affairs and LA County’s Department of Arts and Culture. Its mission is to inspire community, celebrate diversit
USA - Popular rapper and producer ИF just finished a massive US leg of his Hope world tour which featured lighting and production design created by Chris Denholm (also production manager & musical director) and Clay Joiner (also lighting designer & programmer, as well as operator on the European leg). The pair have worked together for some time, and extol the advantages of having two brains, imaginations and sets of experience - both contrasting and converging - to boost the creative dynamic they bring to the table. Prominent on the lighting rig was a selection of Robe products including 160 Robe Spikies, 26 BMFL WashBeams and two BMFL FollowSpots running on two RoboSpot systems, together with other luminaires. Chris and Clay had also successfully collaborated on the previous ИF tour in 2021. This one played bigger venues reflecting the artists
UK - Impact Production Services (IPS) has bolstered its vast inventory of stage structures and lighting fixtures with the first 100 new impression X5 IP Bars from GLP, available for hire. Large quantities of these were immediately dry-hired to two high profile events, the Glastonbury Festival and the Oppenheimer film premiere at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London, as well as making a high-profile appearance with Afrobeats star Wizkid at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (with inventory provided by Entec Live). IPS owner and key account director, James Mason, along with managing director Karl Saunders first saw the new fixture on demonstration at this year’s Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt and were sufficiently impressed to place an order, making them the first company in the world to have them in hire stock. The fully featured impression X5 IP Bar is an IP
Singapore - Lighting designer Gabriel Chan chose to run lighting for an innovative production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) for the 2023 season of Shakespeare in The Park (SITP) on a full grandMA3 system. This production was staged at Fort Canning Green within Fort Canning Park, ran for four weeks, and was directed by Guy Unsworth, featuring an industrial inspired ‘Athens’ set design by Richard Kent. Gabriel’s starting point for lighting the show was the impressive cityscape set, which comprised 17 scenic chimneys and resembled a giant industrial complex with flourishes of futurism and some nods to classicist architecture, and, naturally, the special outdoor location. With approximately 226 lighting fixtures on the rig, 6,321 parameters of control plus five smoke and haze generators, Gabriel chose a grandMA3
Portugal - Nearly 40 Christie projectors and LCD displays brought Vogue’s Iconic Party to life, held in September in Lisbon to celebrate the magazine’s 20th anniversary in Portugal, with technical production by ADLC Audiovisuais. The Vogue Iconic Party, attended by a host of local celebrities, aimed to honour all those who produce, buy, and support the publication. The concept of the party was to bring together everything that makes people want to go out in one space, from meeting friends, and movies, to art exhibitions, nightclubs, and bars. The organisers recreated a small city divided into two streets in the warehouse of the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon. Each street had its own flavour: one inviting people to go out and the other to live more quietly. Twenty-two different projections were made on screens, walls, and floors, and LCD displays were also
Italy - The semifinals and final of the 2023 Men's European Volleyball Championship, held at the PalaEur in Rome, shone brightly thanks to the innovative use of Prolights' Sunblast 3000FC The entire lighting system for this event was provided by Europroduzione s.r.l. and conceived by lighting designer Dario Risolo. The lighting project involved the strategic installation of 110 units of Prolights' Sunblast 3000FC inside the arena, showcasing their extraordinary versatility. Risolo remarked on the crucial importance of the Sunblast 3000FC in creating the desired lighting effects. "I chose them for both special effects like strobe and colours and as reinforcement for the game's white light," Risolo stated. Prolights' strobo blinders were strategically positioned on hanging rigs and on the third ring of the Palalottomatica, ensuring illumination in every corner of
UK - GC Live, a new event organiser has launched into the UK event sector with a nationwide portfolio of seasonal lighting trails and firework festivals. Powered by leading event service suppliers, 21CC Group, the new event organiser will spearhead the design and delivery of events, large-scale creative illumination trails and seasonal festival celebrations across the UK. Geoff Crow, director of GC Live said: “In close partnership with our dedicated supply chain, we are perfectly placed as a team of experienced event professionals and seasoned creative producers to innovate, design and fully event manage a suite of events and experiences nationwide.” Confirming an ambitious line-up of eight major events this year, GC Live will deliver a series of illuminated trails at historic venues including Wondrous Woods at Gosford House and Starry Nights Dean Castle in
Spain - Holoplot’s authorised distributor in Spain and Portugal, Sound Architecture, collaborated with Ilusovi Servicios to deploy the X1 Matrix Array at Marbella's boutique Starlite Occident 2023 Festival. Already gracing some of the world’s most renowned venues, including the largest sound system install on the planet at Sphere Las Vegas, as well as installations at The Beacon Theatre in New York and at Lightroom in London, Starlite Occident marked the first outdoor live show deployment of X1. Starlite Occident is a three-month-long extravaganza set in a transformed quarry. It hosts an impressive line-up of both UK and Spanish artists, which this year included Tom Jones, Pablo López, Iggy Pop, the Black Eyed Peas, Marta Sánchez, and Luis Fonsi. The Holoplot X1 Matrix Array had caught the attention of the festival's production team, with Aaron Guerrero, l
UK - After their memorable double header weekend - when they supplied Martin Audio PA rigs to stages at Glastonbury and in support of Queens of the Stone Age at Cardiff Castle - rental partner SWG Events were back in the Castle grounds for shows with Sir Tom Jones. The second of three shows saw support by another native son, Stereophonics front man Kelly Jones, this time leading his own spin-off band, Far From Saints. Cardiff Castle has become a new venue for SWG Events, and so a meticulous design was undertaken for Sir Tom Jones where the optimisation of the system was of paramount importance, as SWG head of audio, Simon Purse explained. “The PA had to avoid the walls surrounding the Castle green to avoid any slapback. This was crucial and having DISPLAY [D3 software] really helped. Also, since the castle is in the middle of the City Centre, keeping noise pollution
Estonia - To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Olympic Committee, president Urmas Sõõrumaa hosted a reception for hundreds of guests that took place at the Adila Retreat Centre near Tallinn. The event was organised by Global Productions with equipment supplied by funTIME Showservice. Guests were greeted with drinks and had the chance to mingle with each other before listening to presentations from speakers who stood on a stage that was put together using Showgear’s Mammoth Dex. Surrounding the stage, televisions mounted on Milos Pro-30 Step G trusses showed great Estonian sporting moments. To enhance the atmosphere, eight Showtec Studio Beams and twelve Showtec LED Light Bar 8s were used. After the presentations, guests were treated to an extensive tour of Adila’s 10-hectare grounds with information directly broadcast to individuals through DAP’
UK - Twenty-six years after Oasis’ legendary Knebworth gig, Liam Gallagher drew in audiences as a solo performer in front of 80,000 fans at the same outdoor British venue, a monumental return to form which gave us Gallagher’s third live album, Knebworth 22 (Live). Gallagher then embarked on an intimate, eight-show UK tour which included London haunt, KOKO, a venue production manager Davey Murphy knows well. “I worked in-house between 2008 and 2014, so I have a lot of experience with the venue. I’ve seen a whole array of artists come through, so I really looked forward to this show,” he begins. Murphy has worked with Skan since joining the Gallagher camp five years ago, citing the company's dedication and quality service as just two of the reasons their relationship continues to grow. “The support directors Chris Fitch and Abby Llewellyn offe
Portugal - Europalco played a pivotal role in managing audio-visual signal distribution across all PA systems and LED wall towers for World Youth Day 2023, hosted in Lisbon. Since its inception in 1985, World Youth Day (WYD), a gathering for young people organised by the Catholic Church, has seen the convergence of up to 1.5m attendees during the Pope's visit. For the Colina do Encontro, one of the main meeting points of the event, Europalco took on the key role of providing image and sound distribution. The 40m-wide and 24m-high main stage designed by architect João Matos, spanning an area of 430m², was prominently positioned within the Parque Eduardo VII. Everything featured on the stage was seamlessly broadcast throughout the sprawling 30-hectare venue in Lisbon's centre. Europalco engineered a bespoke distribution system for this purpose, designed to seamlessly t
UK - An extraordinary initiative near Brompton Technology's West London headquarters has heralded the return of beavers to the area for the first time in four centuries. The Ealing Beaver Project aims to demonstrate how beavers can thrive in an urban context while also revitalising the landscape and cost-effectively mitigating flood risk. It is a joint project between Ealing Wildlife Group (EWG), Citizen Zoo, Friends of Horsenden Hill and Ealing Council, supported by the Beaver Trust and the Mayor of London. Three years of planning came to fruition when a family of five beavers was released at Paradise Fields in Greenford. EWG has been fund-raising in the lead-up to this pivotal ecological milestone, and Brompton Technology has joined forces to amplify the awareness around the beaver project's crowdfunding campaign, vowing to match the funds raised up to their £10k t
Germany - “The spectacle of nature is always new,” wrote Goethe. The great poet, philosopher and playwright undoubtably felt this way in 1820 when he first encountered declaring that the massive, irregular formation of granite rocks created “an impression the like of which I have never come across on all my walks.” The evocative beauty of Luisenburg-Felsenlabyrinth (the Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth) has always appealed to creatives, especially those connected to the world of theatre. Plays were being staged at the site as early as the 16th century. Building on this tradition, the Luisenburg Festival was born here in 1890. The festival has grown to become one of Germany’s most renowned annual theatre events. When lighting the Luisenburg Festival, one must deal with resin from the surrounding tall trees, which can cause LEDs to overheat. Also, the weather i
USA - “So how is my English?” Ishay Ribo asked the audience at Madison Square Garden. Not waiting for a response, he said cacha, cacha, the Hebrew term for “so-so.” The multi-platinum artist might not have nailed his English, but there was nothing middling about his performance this September when he became the first Israeli artist to headline a show at the “world’s most famous arena.” Ribo created a transcendent atmosphere that resonated throughout the big arena. Enhancing the experience for the 15,000 in attendance was the lighting design by Tal Frid. Working with an Audio Spectrum supplied rig that was anchored by 146 Chauvet Professional fixtures, the Israeli designer created a soaring 24-universe, mostly timecoded, show that mirrored the essence of Ribo’s deeply moving music, while also reflecting the excitement that the charismatic star brought to
Austria - Since 1979, international artists have been pouring their magic over the Upper Austrian city of Linz for the annual Linzer Klangwolke. This is when the Donaupark, situated between the Lentos and the Brucknerhaus, is transformed into a gigantic performance area for what has become the city’s flagship event. The week-long festival always begins with the so-called Visualised Sound Cloud (Visualisierte Klangwolke), which attracts around 100,000 spectators and is therefore the largest staged open-air event in Europe with free admission. This year, director Francesca Zambello and assistant director/choreographer Eric Sean Fogel created Odyssey. A Journey Through Worlds, denoting a journey on the river of life taken by a little girl, the only survivor of an apocalyptic catastrophe. Internationally famed Austrian lighting designer Manfred Nikitser (S
USA - A popular Michigan tradition for over 40 years, the 2023 Detroit Jazz Festival featured over 60 performers, spontaneous late night jam sessions, and 350,000 attendees; online viewership of the festival topped 2.5m live views. Now a division of The Display Group, Fantasee Lighting has been providing lights and design to the festival for over 20 years. Celebrating his tenth year as Jazz Fest lighting director, Jon Weaver specified High End Systems SolaPix and Lonestar fixtures for this year’s event. Before COVID shuttered the physical festival in 2020, the festival would stream the headliners on the mainstages, and broadcast three sets on local TV every year. When Jazz Fest returned to a live event, Weaver insisted that the event be lit as a broadcast show outdoors. The lighting rigs were designed to be able to overtake the sun, and still be impactful on televisi
Belgium - Staged in a sprawling enclosure of woodland and fields near the city of Hasselt, Pukkelpop holds a reputation for being one of Europe’s most diverse and creative music festivals. As well as multiple stages offering a range of artists to cater for the widest possible musical taste, the event also delivers a host of activities, eateries and shops, combining to create nothing short of a pop-up city for contemporary arts. The 2023 edition of Pukkelpop was a sell-out once again, with more than 65,000 fans in attendance each day. For the second year in a row Pioneer Pro Audio teamed up with production specialists Kage Audio and electronic collective KRANKk to deliver an immersive experience at the Booth Stage. Thomas Geysen of KRANKk comments: “Last year’s experience of Pukkelpop was a very successful showcase that left us hungry for more! We were eage
Belgium - James the Musical is a new Belgian live broadcast concept – and runaway success – staged at the NT Theatre in Ghent and produced by Dedsit. The show was originated by James Cooke – also the host – and each episode pays tribute to a Flemish celebrity via the construction of five elaborate ‘musical scenes’ depicting key moments in their lives, uniting all the drama and emotion of live television with the spectacle of musical performance. To quote James himself, “Everybody deserves a musical” and with this format he wants to promote the drama and enjoyment of musicals generally to a wider audience. Luc Peumans of Genk, Belgium-based creative studio Painting with Light was asked to design lighting and video, and he chose 42 x Robe T2 Profiles to provide the essential key lighting and specials for the shows. Also on the rig were 38 x
Italy - A large consignment of Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures accompanied the successful a Tuttocuore tour from Italian singer-songwriter and musician Claudio Baglioni, which started on 21 September, 2023 from the Foro Italico in Rome and continues throughout Italy until February 2024. The high-level rock-opera is presented in three huge spatial dimensions, extending its reach horizontally, vertically and in depth. The show, which has as its central theme the heart as the one and only reliable clock, integrates different artistic disciplines, bringing together hundreds of artists, performers, choristers and dancers, as well as a strong lighting component, projections of landscapes, faces, shapes and silhouettes. Everything is intended to help give the audience a direct connection, not through the mediation of screens, but through authentic sensory perception. Illu
USA - Sphere Entertainment has announced that Powersoft contributed immersive haptic technology and amplifier solutions that are being used in Sphere in Las Vegas. Powersoft’s technology is integrated within the venue’s 10,000 haptic seats, and as part of Sphere Immersive Sound powered by Holoplot. “Sphere Immersive Sound has set a new standard in every aspect of live audio, and tens of thousands have already been immersed in its crystal-clear, individualized sound,” said David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures, a division of Sphere Entertainment. “And this past weekend, with the premiere of The Sphere Experience featuring Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth, guests, for the first time, experienced a truly multi-sensory haptic experience. Powersoft’s cutting edge and energy efficient technology made them the perfect partner to help achieve our sustainability
UK - Solotech delivered a comprehensive audio and lighting package for Feist during her recent UK-EU tour leg. Her performance at the Roundhouse in London was described by The Guardian as “one of the best live shows of the year,” showcasing Feist's outstanding musical talents. “I’ve never seen a show like it,” wrote journalist Shaad D'Souza. “[It was] one of the most masterly rock shows I’ve seen in a long time.” Feist supplemented her performance with top-tier audio and lighting solutions to create a memorable experience. The team at Solotech, with their extensive expertise in audio, video, and lighting honed over many years, certainly rose to the occasion, providing a cutting-edge package tailored specifically to deliver Feist's amazing vision. Technically, the audio package included: Allen & Heath dLive S5000 at FOH, with a complemen
UK - Orbital Sound and Nemesis Research have supplied the recently launched OSCA show control hardware range to a major scare attraction theme park – Farmaggedon’s October Fear Fest. For the past 17 years, the tranquil rural corner of Downholland near Ormskirk in Lancashire has awoken to a frightful force, as Farmaggedon opens its doors for another season. For 2023, this ghoulish entertainment is being triggered by a new power - Nemesis Research’s OSCA Range. Combining an immersive experience with sound, lighting, lasers and flame effects, creating the total experience for the Zombie War Zone relies on perfect and tight control. For the technical team involved once again in helping to create Farmaggedon 2023, Infinity Technical & Production Services, a core element of this year's brief was to find a new way to deliver complete control via a simple system, wi
Canada - La Fabuleuse Histoire d’un Royaume (The Fabulous History of a Kingdom) is billed as a show that stimulates every sense. Held annually at the 2,300-seat Théâtre du Palais in the Quebec City of Saguenay, it is, on the face of it, a community theatre show, although its production values reflect a rather more ambitious and distinctly professional approach. A cast of 150 volunteer actors play multiple roles within a scenic deployment that features horses, fire, water, cannon-shots and more besides. During the course of its 35-year run charting the birth of Sanguenay, La Fabuleuse has played to 1.3m spectators - a record for an all-French production outside Canada’s major metropolitan centres. Last year, the show made a grand return after a two-year pandemic-enforced break, scaling new heights with the introduction of an immersive sound
