USA - British rock band Muse recently finished the North American leg of its Will of the People tour, named for the band’s ninth studio album. Lighting designer Sooner Routhier of Sooner Rae Creative, who served as co-production designer with tour creative director Jesse Lee Stout, chose Ayrton Perseo and Domino LT fixtures as stage lights and spots. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
“I love the reliability of the fixtures and that they are rated IP65,” says Routhier. “With Muse heading to Europe for a summer stadium tour at the end of May, it was important to have fixtures that could deal with inclement weather. We also love the fixtures’ brightness and smooth field of colours.” John Bahnick and Josh Wagner from Upstaging provided the Ayrton fixtures.
The post-apocalyptic staging of the new tour takes the b

Poland - The shift towards sustainability in the theatre industry is becoming increasingly decisive and tangible. The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra sets an example by replacing traditional halogen/tungsten fixtures with new Prolights' technologies: EclPar TU and EclProfile FWTU.
The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice is one of the leading Polish symphony orchestras, as well as a versatile cultural institution. The concert hall, with acoustics designed by Nagata Acoustics, has a reputation for being one of the best concert halls in the world in terms of acoustics. Proof of this is the fact that NOSPR is one of only two European institutions to have been admitted to the international organisation ECHO, which brings together 21 of Europe's most prestigious concert halls.
Thanks to the support of Show Design, Prolights' distributor in Poland,

UK - Creative Technology delivered the main LED screens and projection mapping of Windsor Castle for the Coronation Concert of King Charles III.
“It is always a huge honour to work on such high-profile live events, from the 75th commemoration of VJ Day, to the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is incredible to see not only the public’s overwhelming response but also the entire live events industry showing such high praise and support for the people behind the scenes who make all of it possible,” says Graham Miller, head of music/entertainment at Creative Technology UK.
With over 10m viewers watching the celebration at home, with many more worldwide and a 20,000 strong audience gathered within Windsor Castle grounds including King Charles III and the Royal Family, the Creative Technology team worked hard throughout the entire planning and delivery stages of the

USA - Bandit Lites recently illuminated the stage at the Bristol Motor Speedway live Easter celebration service. American sports icon and evangelist Tim Tebow and award-winning Christian musicians Phil Wickham and Cory Asbury took the stage on Sunday, 9 April prior to the start of the historic Food City Dirt Race.
The BMS Easter celebration preceded the start of the Food City Dirt Race NASCAR Cup Series race and aired nationally on FOX and PRN Radio. Tebow provided a faith-based message while Asbury and Wickham performed several songs.
Production designer Scott Moore and Lighting designer Mark Carver sought to integrate lighting fixtures with the upstage LED wall display that would evoke energy as well as read well on camera.
“These fixtures would also need to provide various unique looks and flexibility while fitting in the space allowed,” said Carver. “

USA - A runway filled with fashion, a guest list filled with stars, and a lighting rig filled with Elation Proteus. That was the successful recipe for Italian luxury fashion company Versace at its recent FW23 Fashion Show in Los Angeles. 4Wall provided an all-IP65-rated lighting package of 85 Proteus Maximus and 56 Proteus Rayzor 760 luminaires to KCD Worldwide for the event.
Scott Ciungan, technical director at KCD Worldwide, the fashion experiences agency that has worked with Versace for a decade, said that the pairing of the brand with the city during Oscars weekend all made sense. “This is a big breakout collection for them and a big moment for the brand. The collection that Donatella put together has roots tied to Hollywood and California, and the set, creative and location were all tailored around those elements.”
FW23 served as a platform for Versace to sh

Italy - On 27-28 April, king of trap music, Sfera Ebbasta - stage name of Gionata Boschetti - performed his explosive show for the first time at the temple of opera, the Verona Arena, for the premiere of his summer tour that will take him all over Italy.
To illuminate the famed Roman amphitheatre, lighting designer Josh Geromin opted for 41 Ayrton Cobras, which have already been chosen for numerous tours. Cobra is designed to render a D65 white point for perfect colour reproduction, a 0.6° beam angle and an extreme focusing range that allows the shape of the beam to be adjusted according to the operating conditions distance XT Focus.
"Cobras have been used both as spots using the various prism/gobo wheels, and as tracers because of their ability to project very long distances,” says LD Geromin. “They were placed partly on moving structures and partly on the floor

The Netherlands - Techno-based Rotterdam Rave runs up to 10 underground rave events a year which draw in excess of 50,000 visitors. Originally located in old industrial buildings, the sold-out events have grown rapidly in size, and the organisation recently adopted the 8000-capacity RTM Stage at Rotterdam Ahoy as the newest addition to the Rotterdam Rave territory. As a purpose-built venue, the RTM Stage needed to prove its worth as ‘a genuine rave cave with plenty of underground vibes’.
Helping bring about this transformation at the Rotterdam Rave Kick-Off 2023 event in February was Peitsman Licht en Geluid BV, which supplied two MDG ATMe haze generators to Stöd for show designer, Joël Lemmerling, and lighting designer, Guy van Noorden.
Peitsman’s project leader for the event, Patrick Botterman, explains: “There was some scepticism amongst the rave goers tha

USA - Mike Marcario faced challenges when creating the lighting rig for Rend Collective’s 2023 Whosoever tour. The chart-topping Northern Irish Worship band decided that they would be taking two tour bus trailers on their coast-to-coast US tour, which meant that space for gear was at a premium.
“Space was definitely a big concern,” said Marcario. “With two bus trailers, varying stage sizes, and power limitations the fixtures we selected had to be compact, low weight, and low power draw.”
Complicating matters further, some of the venues have little in the way of house rigs, which means that Marcario and the design team have to rely heavily or solely on their touring package to create the varied and engaging looks in the 75-minute show.
Marcario’s solution was to devise a plan that had each fixture fill multiple roles. “There aren’t a lot of fixture

UK - First time visitors to an Epik High show can be forgiven if they think they stumbled upon a family reunion, or an annual gathering of old friends, such is the easy, natural, and very personal back and forth between this South Korean hip-hop trio and their loyal fans.
Tablo, DJ Tukutz and Mithra Jin, the trio that make up Epik High, welcome fans into their world, by sharing stories and experiences. The crowd eagerly accepts the invitation with their warm, enthusiastic (and often loud) response their heroes.
“My biggest challenge was protecting my ears from the sound of the fans around me,” said Aaron Sweatt, the LD and main programmer on the trio’s recently concluded global All Time High tour, which featured a lighting design by Julien Reux. “The emotional connection between these artists and their fans is really very remarkable.”
Given this connect

USA - Lighting designers Mathew Stovall, Tiffany Keys, Pete Thornbury and Michael Appel worked together to provide the League of Legends World Championship Finals in San Francisco with an impressive lighting rig featuring an array of Martin professional lighting solutions, supplied by Christie Lites, with MAC Aura PXL playing a key role.
League of Legends is a team-based multiplayer online battle arena video game by developer and publisher Riot Games. Founded in 2011, the League of Legends World Championship is the annual tournament to decide the best team in the world each year, and regularly attracts viewership in the hundreds of millions, making it the global leader in esports. The most recent edition of the tournament began on September 29 and culminated in the 2022 League of Legends World Championship Final on November 5, 2022 at the Chase Centre in San Francisco.

Spain - Lighting designer and technical director of PepsiCo Worldwide Events, Steve Nield, brought plenty of magic to the Ballroom of The Hotel Sofia in Barcelona for the PepsiCo International Franchise Forum.
He chose 112 Ayrton MagicPanel R fixtures to introduce an exciting, colourful and versatile element to the backdrop for the evening’s presentations that took place in front of an audience of 400 people. The MagicPanel Rs were rigged in a side orientation, in clusters of 14 units – two wide and seven high - filling the space between large LED screens which formed the backdrop for this 40m x 21m ballroom.
“The intention was to incorporate the MagicPanels into the scenic design to carry complimenting colours and tone across the whole visual canvas,” explains Nield. “The fixtures were run in full channel mode to allow some pixel mapping, however the inbuil

UK - The Epsom Clock Tower is a significant landmark in the community and has been a part of the town's heritage since 1847. A well-known landmark loved by locals and visitors alike, it was lit in 2020, during the pandemic, to recognise the NHS. After the success of this, Epsom Borough Council approached Surrey based STLS to upgrade the lighting system of the iconic clock tower as part of its refurbishment.
The old lighting system needed the upgrade to improve visibility and energy efficiency. STLS was able to complete the upgrade using LED technology from Prolights sourced from A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET). This has not only improved the appearance of the clock tower but has also reduced energy costs and carbon emissions, making it a win-win situation for both the community and the environment.
The brief was to install an easy-to-use multipurpose LED soluti

Oman – The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) is one of the most opulent jewels in the world of classical music venues and a spectacular focal point for the region’s performing arts. Recently, the ROHM has carried out an upgrade to its stage lighting system, including the addition of 26 Color Force II 48 LED battens by Chroma-Q, purchased from A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET).
Standing on Muscat’s main thoroughfare, Sultan Qaboos Street, ROHM – commissioned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said himself – is the leading arts and culture centre in the Sultanate of Oman. This ornate building opened its doors on 12 October 2011, with a production of Turandot, conducted by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo. Today, showcasing a diverse programme of artistic, cultural and educational content, this venue plays host to leading classical and operatic performances from around the

UK - A popular waterfront structure was lit up in time to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III thanks to a collaboration between two West Cumbrian organisations.
The Wave landmark is one of the first things residents and tourists see when they arrive at Whitehaven Harbour by land or sea. The Wave, which used to be lit up for all to see from miles around, has remained in the dark for several years.
Now, thanks to a collaboration between not-for-profit organisation Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and solution specialists Forth, the Wave is set to shine once again. It’s the latest revamp of Whitehaven Harbour’s landmark structures, including renovating its famous lighthouses.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners CEO John Baker said: “We’re thrilled to announce the relighting of the iconic Wave installation on Whitehaven Harbour. It’s been a long time

USA - Fashion is constantly changing, evolving, and moving in new directions. Now, fashion runway shows are following the same course, integrating headliner acts and outside-the-box design concepts into their overall presentations.
This was evident in the event fashion design house Mugler and global retailer H&M held at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory earlier this spring to introduce their collaboration, which will launch on 11 May.
This show, which featured a scenic design by Niklas Bildstein Zaar and his Berlin-based team at SUB, commanded the attention of guests including Pamela Anderson, Charli XCX, and Chloë Sevigny, as soon as they entered the space. The design was a balance of art and technology with its circular set, spiral runways, four large, curved video screens, and a mosh-pit like space at its centre.
Adding emotional power to this panorama, an

USA - Claypaky demonstrated the engineering of its Xtylos laser-source lighting fixtures at an invitational event held by another engineering innovator in Silicon Valley.
Bicoastal Studio RRD used a large complement of Claypaky Xtylos provided by Christie Lites to transform an empty office building into a spectacular futuristic, cyber-style rave to mark the announcement that Tesla Motors will base its global engineering and AI headquarters at the former Hewlett Packard Enterprise campus in Palo Alto, California.
Lighting fixtures, such as Xtylos, Minuit Une lasers and other units, crafted a rave atmosphere for invited guests celebrating the news.
“We incorporated Xtylos fixtures in an exterior courtyard visible through the office windows to create an immersive experience that transported guests to a different realm,” explains Rob Ross, founder of Studio RRD,

Europe - Delayed, as so many were, by the global pandemic, Roger Waters’ This Is Not A Drill tour, his seventh as a solo artist, eventually got underway in July 2022 and is scheduled to wrap in June 2023 at the AO Arena in Manchester. By that point it will have staged over 80 shows, all in indoor arenas ‘in the round’, starting in North America, Canada and Mexico before heading to Europe, Scandinavia and the UK.
Audio system design and supply for This Is Not A Drill is by Clair Global / Eighth Day Sound, using a vast d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker system with Outline Newton Processors at its heart.
The audio setup is not straightforward. System tech Wayne Hall describes the role of his Newtons: “We are using three Newtons mainly because we have a complex arrangement of sends from the consoles to the loudspeaker system and also because we r

UK - On the 6th of May, the world turned its eyes to Westminster Abbey. The coronation of King Charles III was held here in front of 2,300 invited guests.
More than 20,000 visitors attended the official Coronation Concert which was staged in front of Windsor Castle, featured live performances by acts including Katy Perry, Take That and Lionel Richie as well as an emotional speech by Prince William. To light up this special event, which was produced and broadcast live by the BBC, lighting designer Nigel Catmur relied on more than 500 Cameo lights.
In addition to the 20,000 visitors, the live event was also attended by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and other members of the Royal Family, as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The impressive circular stage in front of the illuminated east wing of Windsor Castle, which houses the private chambers of the royal fami

USA - Over the summer of 2022, Santana, together with Earth, Wind & Fire, got enthusiastic fans singing and dancing throughout North American arenas during their Miraculous Supernatural Tour.
While the fans were thrilled to see and hear Santana on stage, Kevin Madigan, Santana’s FOH engineer made sure the sound would be top-notch by employing two Austrian Audio OC818 large-diaphragm condenser microphones to record Carlos’s guitar and one OC707 true condenser vocal microphone for his vocals.
“We needed something to reproduce that guitar tone everybody knows, and to handle high SPL show after show,” said Madigan. “The mics worked out great throughout the year on the Santana tour and residencies, and we’ll be using them again next year.”
Madigan has over 20 years’ experience mixing live events and recording in the studio, working with acts like

USA - Austin Opera’s Long Centre presented a production of the classic Sweeney Todd this spring, with an uncompromising series of lighting states created by LD James Sale using Vari-Lite VL2600 Wash luminaires from Signify.
“I wanted to put Sweeney Todd in the audience’s faces, which to me meant he needed to be bright,” says Sale, who has designed the lighting for shows at the innovative Long Centre for more than a decade. “The VL2600s were very bright, which was a big plus. The colour rendition and continuity from fixture to fixture was terrific and they moved very smoothly.”
Sale responded to the play’s blood-soaked, dreary, 1785 London setting by unleashing sinister lighting states that cut through the darkness with searing, rich colours at high intensities. As the play progressed, the looks which Sale describes as “unworldly” started

South Africa - Capital City Church International – or 3Ci as it is better known – is one of the larger churches in Pretoria, and one of the most technologically advanced. Stage Audio Works was the AV design and integration partner for 3Ci’s new building which was delivered in 2021 – a successful collaboration that has resulted in an ongoing partnership.
3Ci has turned to Stage Audio Works once again, this time to equip a smaller 300-capacity hall – known as the Cube - with a PA system as part of the second phase of AV works. The project marks the sixth Plus Audio installation since the brand was launched 18 months ago.
The first phase was the initial build – a development that features a state-of-the-art 2,500 capacity main auditorium for which Stage Audio Works designed and integrated a complete PA and control system based on d&b Y-Series and Yamaha c

China - Nantong Grand Theatre is a new cultural and arts centre at the centre of the city of Nantong in China’s Jiangsu Province. It is the last masterpiece to be designed by the late master architect Paul Andreu whose other designs include the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Grand Arche at La Défense in Paris.
Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, the complex houses five performances spaces: the 1532-seat Opera Hall, the 1185-seat Concert Hall, a 599-capacity Drama Hall, a 250-seat Children’s Theatre and a multipurpose Function Hall.
Six Robert Juliat followspots were supplied to this building by Hangzhou YiDaShi Technology Development Co and installed in the two largest venues. Four Aramis 2500W HMI followspots were delivered to the Opera House and two 1800W HMI Victor followspots to the Concert Hall.
The theatre owner

USA - Fans who expected to see a flowering of unfolding colourful looks during Premio Lo Nuestro in MIami weren’t disappointed. Whether watching on Univision, or as part of the live audience, they were treated to a constant flow of captivating vistas in support of over 30 different performances by stars like Maluma, Mar Anthony, Christian Nodal, and Paulina Rubio during the awards ceremonies.
As varied as this array of visuals was, however, viewers never forgot that they were watching the same stage. Tom Kenny, the lighting designer who created this scenic cornucopia, wouldn’t have it any other way. In his view, maintaining a consistent visual signature through all the various looks during a broadcast concert event is critical to maintaining a cohesive look.
At Premio Lo Nuestro 2023, this meant bisecting the large wide video wall backdrop with a distinctive arrang

UK - Breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now chose Illuminate at the Science Museum as the host venue for its annual event, The Show by Breast Cancer Now. As Illuminate’s in-house production service partner, technical solutions specialist White Light (WL) delivered the 360° event production services to transform the multi-purpose venue for a special fashion show concept.
The Show celebrates the strength and courage of 23 models, living with or beyond breast cancer, taking to the catwalk for the first time. The purpose of the flagship special event is to raise awareness and engage with new and existing supporters to showcase Breast Cancer Now's research and support for those affected by breast cancer.
The organisers were looking for a venue that would provide the ‘wow’ factor for guests, as well as being able to accommodate the main catwalk and the requirement f

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