Portugal - Airstar, the French lighting balloon technology specialist, delivered a remarkable performance for the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) of Lisbon, on the banks of the Tagus.
Before battling it out in Lisbon’s Altice Arena, one of the country’s largest concert halls, delegations from 43 countries gathered at the MAAT to walk on the ESC’s ‘Blue Carpet’, under the light of Airstar’s lighting balloons.
Airstar specified and installed 30 Crystal and Solarc lighting balloons.
Raphael Vaz, head of Airstar’s Portuguese subsidiary, explains: "We had lengthy discussions with the client, and we were able to come back with a solution that was a perfect fit for such a high-profile event, but also perfectly adapted to the constraints of the venue. We wanted to bring out the magni

UK - When independent Welsh production company Cwmni Da converted their open plan office into a new studio earlier this year, in the town of Caernarfon on the northwest coast of Wales, the award-winning television producers sought to minimize their carbon footprint by installing a more energy-efficient lighting system.
Lighting company Lumio Media obliged by suggesting, specifying and installing an LED lighting package of TV-optimized Elation Professional luminaires.
Cwmni Da produces a variety of television content for Welsh-language broadcasters S4C and C4, as well as the BBC.
“Cwmni Da is a green company and they were keen to use all LED lighting in the new studio,” stated John Penny Williams, lighting director at Lumio Media, who supplied and installed the full lighting rig, as well as scaffolding and all the distribution electrics and data for the projec

USA - If Hollywood film makers were looking for an ideal natural backdrop for a 4th of July fireworks display, they would do well to travel about 400 miles east to Tempe Town Lake. The glistening water and the wide-open dome of a desert sky add a compelling and powerful dimension to the pyrotechnics that are launched from the waterway’s graceful Mill Avenue Bridges every year. It’s a scene that other venues would be hard pressed to match. But the same environment that provides such a dramatic setting also poses special challenges for anyone trying to set up a stage for this Independence Day event.
John Garberson of Creative BackStage, who has been involved in Tempe’s 4th of July fireworks festival’s stage show for 18 years, knows how to handle the setting’s natural elements. He convinced the festival’s organizers to switch from a motorized roof to a Stageline to

UK - A variety of Nexo sound reinforcement loudspeakers have been installed by audio systems integrator T.G.Baker at the intu Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester. These have been fitted in the atrium space known as The Orient, which is Europe’s largest food court and features more than 30 restaurants, cafes and bars.
intu Trafford Centre is the second largest shopping centre in the UK, now owned by Intu Properties. Hosting more than 30m visits annually, The Orient food court is its entertainment and hospitality hub. Attracting nearly 30,000 visitors a week, this two-level atrium space is also used for live events, fashion shows and seasonal celebrations, centred around a giant video screen.
Systems integrator T.G. Baker worked closely with Nexo’s UK office to design a complete audio solution for this large and reverberant space. The primary system is a Nexo Geo M

USA - Veza Sur is a Miami-born craft brewery with Latin-American roots. Located in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, this establishment is all about “great brews and good vibes”.
To ensure quality sound, Veza Sur elected to deploy loudspeakers for both the inside and patio areas. And to this end, they purchased loudspeaker systems drawn from the WR and Artec Series catalogues of DAS Audio.
Sound Investment Audio was contracted to handle the Veza Sur project. Working closely with John Fiorito, East Coast territory regional manager for Sound Investment Audio, the team ultimately assembled a SR system consisting of eight DAS WR-6412FX 2-way passive enclosures, four WR-322SFX bass reflex subwoofers, six Artec 308 two-way passive enclosures, and two Artec 322S bass reflex subwoofers.
Fiorito discussed the project. “Veza Sur is the newest brewery to open in Wy

UK - As part of the Odin Line Array tour in the UK through June and July, owner Harry Carnaby of Allstarz Productions used the system in the Queens Theatre Hornchurch London on a production called Elements.
Harry said, “We used four Odin T-8A top boxes per side flown and two Odin S-18A subs per side on the stage. The sound was something different, we’ve used many different brands and the sound that Odin produces is crisp, clear and sounds amazing from such a small/light range of cabinets.
“We liked them so much we have placed an order for a number of the Odin speakers and will be using them on an upcoming UK tour.”
The Odin tour continues - 14 July Corringham Essex, 20-21 Yalding nr Maidstone Kent and ends in Bude Cornwall 27-29 July.
(Jim Evans)

Greece - The Summer Nostos Festival at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) in Athens is an arts, sports and education festival that is open to the public free of charge.
Music, dance, sports, arts and architecture discussions, film and video screenings and programs for children and families are combined for an entire week in June as part of a multi-faceted programme of events for all ages. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation returned in 2018 for the fourth consecutive summer as the host, organizer and exclusive supporter.
The Summer Nostos Festival encapsulates the idea of “nostos” (homecoming), the inexhaustible desire to return to all things familiar including emotions and places.
Lighting designer George Tellos of Lighting Art relied on MA Lighting for his design and used one grandMA2 full-size with three grandMA2 light, two MA NPU (Network

UAE - The Burj Khalifa's transformation into the world's tallest World Cup scoreboard is stunning fans in Dubai and around the world. During each match, the 828m high building's 1.2m LEDs act as pixels to display a live stream of updates, and light up with the flag of the winning nation. This is just the latest innovation at the world's tallest skyscraper, which continues to establish itself as a focus for world-class technology and events.
Six months ago, it all kicked off with a spectacular New Year's Eve Light Up 2018 launch, masterminded by Emaar Properties and realised by AO Creative, that broke from all conventions to stage a Guinness world record-breaking, multimedia light and sound show.
Emaar Properties' ambitious vision for the New Year's Eve event was fulfilled by AO Creative, the creative division of Arts Outdoor Lighting Technology. More than one m

UK - Star Events redesigned the entire Great Oak Stage sub-structure and super-structure to accommodate Roger Waters’ Us + Them production, which opened the BST Hyde Park series last Friday.
With gags including smoking Battersea Power Station chimneys rising above the stage, graffiti strewn flying pigs and the surround sound effects synonymous with Roger Waters, Us + Them managed to set a new precedent, even for a Hyde Park performance.
The Pink Floyd-heavy two-and-a-half-hour show contemporised the politics from the band’s mid-70s/early-80s canon through a series of stunning visual sequences fitted to the songs.
The back of the traditional performance box was pushed up and film, cartoons and stills on the resulting 1,100sq m video wall focused on state-sponsored torture, refugees, human rights, Donald Trump and the singer’s support for Pale

Germany - The success of Martin Audio’s new Wavefront Precision series on a global scale shows little sign of abating.
Back in March, German rental company Event & Veranstaltungstechnik Enchelmaier (E.V.E.) boosted its inventory with the acquisition of a complete WPC system, along with SX218 and SX118 subwoofers - all powered by Martin Audio’s new iKON iK42 amplifiers.
Already a major user of Martin Audio’s premiere line array systems since 2003, E.V.E. owner Michael Enchelmaier said, “I wanted a newer, more modern system to complement my W8LC, W8LM and WS218X, and meet the demand for new systems. With the WPC we can cover audiences of up to 3,500 people, and with a combination of W8LC and W8LM I can extend that to 8,000-10,000 people.”
The system has already been out on a number of shows, including The Hollies, where E.V.E. flew two eight-element

UK - Unusual was the technical production company of choice for Artichoke when it staged the Processions march in London last month. The mass artwork took place on 10 June in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London and saw thousands of women and girls come together and march, wearing either green white or violet – the colours of the suffragette movement - creating the appearance of a flowing river of colour through the city streets.
Jim Dugan, production manager at Unusual explained: “We’ve been working with Artichoke on its major events and art installations for some years now – Lumiere London and Durham, the Sultan’s Elephant, Great Fire 350 etc, so we were excited to get involved with an event that celebrated something so fundamentally important in our country’s history.
“Our role on this project was to facilitate all the technical elements – from th

Australia - Horder Communication Solutions (HCS) has recently completed an upgrade of the indoor and outdoor audio systems for the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) at its Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, South Australia.
The SAJC plays host to 58 days of racing action throughout the year at Morphettville Racecourse. In addition to racing on a weekly basis, Morphettville is a multipurpose venue featuring 22 function rooms able to host events of all occasions seven days a week.
Early in 2017 the SAJC published an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the upgrade of the audio systems at the Morphettville Racecourse. The existing audio systems were based on a network of Media Matrix Nion controllers and primarily Lab.gruppen amplifiers, which were to be retained. The loudspeakers were a diverse collection of box and ceiling loudspeakers, of varying quality and suitabili

Belgium - Robe’s Pointes, Spikies, Spiiders, LEDWash 300s and CycFX 8s proved themselves invaluable when lighting designer Wouter Vebeke had to squeeze a somewhat ambitious lighting rig into Mercardo, Antwerp, for the band Arsenal’s new album launch.
Wouter has worked with Arsenal - the name came from a World War II weapons depository adjacent to their studio in Brussels - since 2011. They are one of the most popular bands in Belgium, known for their dynamic mix of electronic music and fusion of multiple genres to create a unique sound that’s earned much international acclaim.
They wanted a special location for the launch of their sixth studio album In the Rush of Shaking Shoulders, an album which explores themes and theories related to chaos v structure. After throwing many ideas about, band leader Hendrick Willemyns hit on the Mercado. Originally part of

New Zealand - ACLX recently upgraded their lighting inventory with Martin by Harman RUSH series fixtures from Show Technology to supply theatre shows, live music performances, conferences and more.
"We chose the RUSH MH series because each fixture is portable and easy to deploy on small stages, yet powerful enough to hold their own on the largest stages in the country,” explained Aaron Chesham, managing director of ACLX. “The RUSH MH series was exactly what we needed - each fixture offers an impressive output with a small footprint at an affordable price. The MH fixtures have great optics, bold colours, and beautiful effects - they save us time and money without sacrificing quality. The RUSH MH series can do everything our clients need and more with fewer fixtures than the competition.”
"ACLX wanted to update their lighting inventory with fixtures capable of cr

USA - No sooner had LA-based RKDE taken delivery of Ayrton Ghibli fixtures from ACT Lighting, Inc. than the LED spot luminaires were quickly dispatched to E3’s trade show floor and then to the American Idol Live nationwide tour.
For nearly 30 years, RKDE has provided production for festivals, tours, automotive events, corporate conventions, television productions, private events, and religious services. The boutique company maintains an extensive inventory of lighting, staging, audio and video equipment.
“We were looking for new technology – we wanted to get away from standard lamps, which are expensive to maintain and replace,” says RKDE’s owner, Ray Woodbury, a longtime production professional. “We wanted a fixture with the output and capabilities that would surpass traditional lamp fixtures and that’s exactly what Ghibli gives us.
“I

Europe - Australian singer songwriter Vance Joy’s story is one of continuing success, which comes with the need for a world-class monitor engineer. For Vance, this is Mani Hammond, who has been working with him ever since August 2014. He is deploying a DiGiCo SD10 provided, along with the rest of the audio equipment, by British rental company Encore PA.
Mani started his career on analogue desks, but when he made the move to digital and a DiGiCo SD9, he found the transition an easy one and when Encore purchased an SD10 two years ago Mani decided to give it a try. He has found it the perfect console for the job, siting the high fader count as one of its major benefits and has been touring it with Vance ever since.
“I like having lots of faders as I don’t like changing banks,” he says. “Having 32 faders in front of you makes everything easily accessible.”

USA - Luke Bryan has created 20 No. 1 singles, sold over 12m albums, and is one of the most popular touring artists today. Routinely playing to sold-out houses around the world, the artist and his design team at Align Design Group are often challenged to give each tour its own unique look and feel.
In planning for the 2018 What Makes You Country Tour, lead designer Justin Kitchenman wanted to create a more free-flowing visual experience, so he called the Nashville-based production provider Elite Multimedia Productions who supplied the lighting, LED video and IMAG video technology behind the design.
“During our tour design discussions, we are always aware of what we have done in the past and we really try to give each tour a different visual representation,” began Kitchenman. “Over the past few years, one of our biggest production elements has been moving

Germany - Performances at the outdoor theatre in Ötigheim, near Karlsruhe, attract up to 100,000 visitors each year, thanks in part to their excellent production values. Maintaining a high standard is very important to the ‘not for profit’ owning company Volksschauspiele Ötigheim, which is why a new Yamaha mixing and audio management system was installed in time for the 2018 season.
Volksschauspiele Ötigheim has been staging productions for 112 years. Throughout the summer, shows are staged at its open-air theatre, a former sand quarry which has 4000 covered seats and, it claims, the biggest permanent outdoor stage in Germany.
For the past 15 years a pair of Yamaha 02R digital mixing consoles have been the reliable backbone of the theatre’s audio system. This year, they were replaced with a new system comprising two Yamaha CL5s, an MRX7-D matrix processor, Ri

Europe - With the busiest outdoor event production schedule ever, it looks like there’ll be no summer holidays for TiMax spatial audio systems this year. Alongside long-running premium West End and Broadway shows which continue to fill theatres, TiMax features in at least eight very diverse spatial sound designs across Europe - with some interesting new developments for the evolutionary spatial audio platform.
First up is Maria de Buenos Aires performed by Austria’s Oper Graz in an old jail complex which is part of the city’s Kasematten castle. The venue almost resembles a conventional theatre auditorium but with an ingenious retractable roof. TiMax SoundHub and Tracker were jointly specified by acoustic consultant Fabio Kaiser of Rohde Acoustics and immersive audio specialist Volker Verner of PDV Records Og.
The system was the first of a collaborative hy

USA - SNY Studios at 4 World Trade Centre, the home of the New York Mets, has one of the most impressive settings for a broadcast studio anywhere. Located on the 50th floor of 4 World Trade Centre, the studio offers breathtaking views of Manhattan below. For all its glamour and excitement, though, the skyscraper venue presents challenges when it comes to lighting broadcasts.
Having enough output during the day to stand out against the open-air background without bouncing light off windows is essential to making the studio’s system work; so too is having solid low ends when broadcasting at night. Mike Grabowski of the Lighting Design Group met these and other challenges at the state-of-the-art SNY 4 studio with help from over 300 Chauvet Professional Ovation fixtures.
“SNY’s Studio 42, numbered after baseball great Jackie Robinson, has a unique environment becaus

UK - One of the best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner’s fascinating life story has now been turned into a stage show with TINA – The Tina Turner Musical. Written by Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, the show charts Tina’s humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennesee to her transformation into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
The show is playing at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End and as a leading lighting supplier to some of the biggest shows in the country, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is directed by Phyllida Lloyd and features a lighting design by Bruno Poet. Bruno comments: “My brief for the show was to help tell this extraordinary story and make the performers come alive within Mark Thompson’s elegant design. The set frames the actors beautifully

USA - Clearwing Productions deployed a Harman Professional Solutions audio and lighting solution made up of JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and Martin lighting fixtures at Summerfest 2018.
Summerfest features over 1,000 performances across 11 stages and attracts nearly one million people annually. In order to provide premium audio and lighting for the world’s top music artists, Clearwing Productions deployed rigs at multiple stages across the festival, including the JBL VTX A12 loudspeakers, and the newly-released Martin MAC Encore fixtures.
“Summerfest is home to the world’s top artists and we’re thrilled to use JBL Professional and Martin lighting to provide an amazing experience for performers and audience members alike,” said Gregg Brunclik, president/CEO of Clearwing Productions. “The new JBL A12s sound incredible - they allow the artis

Australia - 32 Hundred Lighting’s managing director Iain Reed has been a busy man; he’s recently overseen major installations he created during Vivid, including the gigantic Harbour Lights project that used GPS to coordinate lighting changes on commercial ships and Sydney ferries covered in LEDs as they move through the harbour.
He also collaborated with artist Joe Cox on Colours of Remembrance, lighting King’s Cross’s El Alamein Fountain as part of the multiple installations and sculptures in the precinct. Both projects made excellent use of the dazzlingly bright TMB Solaris Flare IP, the IP65 rated wash that kicks out (appropriately) 32,000 lumens.
The imposing Crimean War-era tower of Fort Denison was lit by two Solaris Flare IPs, while the El Alamein fountain’s 12 by 12m footprint was covered by one. “The most important thing for an

Italy - The 17,368 capacity Pino Zaccheria stadium, the home ground of Foggia soccer team located in Italy’s south-eastern Apulia region, recently underwent a major upgrade in order to meet the latest specifications for the country’s Serie B. The work included a new sound reinforcement system, supplied by Centro Cultura Musicale.
Designed using Outline Open Array 3D software by the company’s senior system engineer Francesco Ferretti, the system is used to play recorded music before matches, announcements, publicity, team line-ups, announcements for the substitution of players and safety announcements.
The upper tier of the roofed west stand is covered by six Outline Vegas 12 CX two-way, full-range coax speaker enclosures installed under the roof. The same format is used with four more Vegas 12 CX for the lower tier, installed under the upper tier of the stand. <

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