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09 July 2024

China - It’s not often that a nightclub is named for its sound system, but that’s what has happened in Meishan in the Sichuan province of China – the latest addition to Meishan’s cultural landscape is an entertainment venue with a capital investment of over 50m RMB (over £5.4m).

The principal investor – a successful Chinese media and showbiz entrepreneur – visited several large clubs before deciding on what he wanted for his own venue. He was so impressed by what he heard at the Forever club in Wuhan – a massive KV2 venue that was billed as China’s biggest nightclub project of 2022 – that he decided not only on a KV2 system for his own venue, but that he would even name the club after it. KV2 Hub in Meishan opened earlier this year.

Conveniently situated in the heart of the Rose International M District in Meishan, KV2 Hub offers a

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09 July 2024

USA - It started in 1994 as the Gatlin Brothers Theatre, and later the Crook and Chase Theatre, before housing Christ United Methodist Church; ultimately, it would become the home of Palmetto Pointe Church. But the building on Fantasy Way in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was always home to some combination of faith and music, and in its current form, its 2,000-seat auditorium hosts Sunday services by Pastor Jamie Barfield and occasional concerts by artists including Tauren Wells and Danny Gokey.

What all of these events now share is a venue with a lighting rig that as of early this year features 30 newly installed elektraLite Stingray Profile Cast RGBW 350-watt ellipsoidal fixtures. The elektraLite fixture arrays were designed and installed by Paul D. Sweetman of Sweetman Designs, who worked with audio specialists MC Sound Consultants to completely renovate t

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08 July 2024

UK - Former Britain’s Got Talent contestant Calum Scott is back on the road in 2024 with a new campaign, The Songbook So Far, a world tour, which is playing larger venues than before for headliner shows, together with a run of high-profile festival slots reflecting his ever-growing fanbase.

A new lighting rig for the tour was created and specified by LD Elliot Baines of Spiralstagelighting. Elliot has been working with the artist since summer 2022, initially as the lighting operator, and was then asked to design lighting for this new tour, for which he specified 30 x Robe Esprite and 54 x Spikies which are being supplied for the UK full production shows by Hampshire-based Liteup.

Calum’s management wanted fresh and different styling for this tour, so Elliot presented an eye-catching design that was scalable and highly practical to tour a

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08 July 2024

Sweden - “Our goal is to continuously foster innovation, creativity, and inspiration,” says Camilla Fritz, head of concert operations at Jönköping Konsert & Kongress. “With our new L Series professional sound system, we can offer a first-class audio experience for all visitors, whether they are attending a conference or enjoying a concert.

Formerly Elmia Konsert & Kongress, the venue was renovated and rebranded before reopening in November of last year. The renovation was a collaboration between JKPG Fast which owns the property, Elmia, and Destination Jönköping which manages the space. Together. they ensured that the renewed venue was focused on enhancing the experience for both business and cultural events.

The L-Acoustics L Series concert sound system marks a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of Jönköping Kons

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05 July 2024

Poland - The award-winning Opera Baltycka (Baltic Opera) in Gdansk, on Poland’s north coast, has invested in new Robe lighting fixtures with the purchase of 18 x TX1 PosiProfiles and four Paintes which have been installed into its current building.

The opera house has a colourful and varied history and was originally built and opened as an equestrian sports hall in 1915. It went through various other iterations, and the first opera was performed there in 1950, and since then the building has undergone several renovations. While the cozy 476 capacity makes it Poland’s smallest opera hall, The Baltic Opera has a formidable reputation for excellence, high production values and world class performances.

Lighting specialist Marek Lebida has been working full time at the Opera since the Robe fixtures arrived last year, supplied by Robe’s Polish distr

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05 July 2024

Vietnam - The recently opened ADM Club in Da Nang is one of the biggest bars in Vietnam. Luxuriously appointed, the venue hosts a wide variety of performances, from international DJ sets and laser shows to some of the country’s leading live acts, including Trinh Thang Binh, Lam Chan Huy and Chau Khai Phong. ADM’s investment in its audio and lighting provision reflects its determination to set the highest standards.

Experienced integrator Viet KTV Electronics Company of Hanoi was engaged to supply and install a Coda Audio system for the venue and chose the company’s flagship AiRAY line array as the centrepiece. A total of 20 pieces of AiRAY were complemented by nine SCP dual 18” sensor-controlled subwoofers and four SC2-F dual 15” sensor controlled bass extensions. The system is driven by six Coda Audio Linus14 and one Linus10C DSP amplifiers.

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05 July 2024

Belgium - “The atmosphere during a concert in a theatre hall is very different from that at a festival or in an arena,” Tourist LeMC said at the start of his Onrust tour. That is why the Flemish hip-hop-folk artist eschewed his usual venues and built this 23-show tour around more intimate theatres.

Communicating with the audience was critical to Tourist LeMC’s vision for this tour.  Building on the theme of his recent hit The Other, he wanted to emphasise the importance of people overcoming the boundaries that separate them, an especially important ideal in times like these.

Setting a supportive tone for Tourist LeMC on this tour was an engaging, intimate lighting design by Maarten De Man of MDM Productions that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Splendit.

“This was the very first time that Tourist LeMC playe

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05 July 2024

Thailand - Kantana Post Production, part of the Kantana Group, has unveiled its new studio space featuring an ICVFX VP LED Volume - the largest VP LED stage in Thailand. This facility, delivering HDR-quality, lifelike visuals using Brompton Technology processing and Pixreal LED panels, offers a turnkey solution that provides an immersive cinematic experience for the studio's users.

Featuring a variety of industry-leading brands like ARRI, Disguise, Unreal Engine, and StYpe, the LED Volume is made up of Pixreal’s Black Gold Standard Avatar series and ENZO panels, powered by Brompton’s 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and Tessera XD 10G data distribution units.

The main LED wall, built as a giant U-shape with a four-degree concave format and a diameter of over 15m, consists of over 560 Avatar2.3 panels LED tiles. Additionally, 188 Pixreal Enzo3.9 pan

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05 July 2024

Belgium - The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp recently undertook the transition from conventional to LED lighting with a lighting system upgrade that features Elation KL and Fuze series luminaires. The new lighting system, supplied by Ampco Flashlight, supports a large variety of projects that play out on stages in several of the school’s performance spaces.

The Royal Conservatory is renowned for its excellence in music, dance, and drama, attracting students of the performing arts from across Europe and beyond. Like any institution of advanced learning, the school provides high-quality facilities for its various programs and seeks to keep them updated with the latest technologies and resources to ensure a top-tier educational experience.

Seeking an up-to-date lighting package for the Conservatory’s many performance spaces, Rik Suijs, technician at

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04 July 2024

UK - The Marshall Amplification headquarters in Milton Keynes recently expanded to incorporate the recording studio, record label and live agency service. The space features a world class, 250-capacity live performance space, from which artists can record and prepare for live shows.

“Marshall started because artists needed amps,” says studio manager Adam Beer. “And 60 years on, we asked ourselves what modern artists need. This led us to found a record label, a live agency, and now a recording studio to enable up-and-coming artists to access the resources needed to become successful musicians.”

It was crucial to the Marshall team to retain a live element in the studio. “In this live space, we host events, album launch parties, and performances from visiting artists. Our sound system needs to reflect the high quality of the building and the w

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04 July 2024

UK - Situated close to the O2 Arena and Excel Exhibition centre in London, Crowne Plaza Docklands is a 210-bedroom hotel featuring the brand’s new Fremantle Bar & Restaurant concept. Creating the Australasian-inspired all-day restaurant involved a significant recent upgrade to existing audio infrastructure, a project tasked to Uxbridge-based AV specialist Middlesex Sound.

Briefed to deliver a high-quality, zoned audio system that met the hotel’s specific aesthetic requirements, Middlesex Sound supplied and installed a turnkey solution from Optimal Audio.

Director Darrel Olivier explains, “There were four separate zones we needed to cater for - the main bar, the restaurant, a private dining area and terrace. It was very important to deliver consistent, high-quality audio across the spaces, so we employed 16 Optimal Audio Cuboid 6 speakers wh

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04 July 2024

Europe - Front-of-house engineer Burton Ishmael found himself at the helm of one of the largest concert audiences in history.

On Madonna’s Celebration world tour, Ishmael’s technical prowess and creative vision were put to the test. Madonna’s discography spans over 40 years, requiring much more than a one-size-fits-all approach. With a long list of hit songs with different sonic signatures recorded all over the world, the goal was to stay true to each record while providing a cohesive experience.

Enter the Avid Venue | S6L. Captivated by its versatility and intuitive interface, he found in the S6L a platform that not only complemented his workflow but also ‘elevated his sonic palette’. With its onboard plugins processing power, and seamless integration with his preferred outboard gear, the S6L became an indispensable tool in his arsenal.

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03 July 2024

USA - Four-time Grammy Award-winning guitar player and singer/songwriter Gary Clark Jr. has embarked on the North American leg of his 2024 world tour with Claypaky Sharpy X-Frames and Midi-B FX fixtures filling the lighting rig.

Lighting designer John Adamo, who co-designed the show with Robert Fuller, selected the fixtures, which have been supplied by Bandit Lites, the tour’s full-service lighting and effects provider. Both designers have long histories with Clark and previously have used Claypaky Sharpy Plus fixtures for his shows. The tour, in support of Clark’s new album, JPEG RAW, kicked off in Fort Worth, Texas on 8 May and will play more than two dozen dates, including Radio City Music Hall, Wolf Trap and Red Rocks.

“I view Gary’s music as complex and modern yet timeless and classic” says Adamo.  “We wanted the lighting r

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03 July 2024

Iceland - The Reykjavik City Theatre is one of Iceland’s most prestigious theatrical institutions. It offers a wide range of performances in a high-tech modern theatre complex.

There are three formal performance spaces in addition to less formal areas. The Main Space has a 546-seat auditorium, with revolving stage and orchestra pit. The New Stage is a smaller, black-box studio that is endlessly flexible, while the Small Stage has around 200 seats with flexible seating and balconies for a theatre-in-the-round experience.

The theatre’s educational programme is central to the ethos of opening up theatre for all, with regular visits from nursery and primary school aged children, educational programmes and regular publications of educational material for all areas of theatre available via its website.

When the tender for replacing the existing

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03 July 2024

Japan - Connected to the largest freshwater lake in Japan, Karahashi Deck in Otsu City is a multifunctional facility offering water sports, corporate training, education, and a glass-enclosed restaurant with a stunning view. Sitting on the banks of the Seta River, the new venue is operated by Biwako Rowing Club – an organisation that offers rowing classes to children with disabilities. The newly opened café and restaurant, La Cosso, offers a naturally serene environment, which is complemented by six 4020 installation loudspeakers from Genelec.

Alongside its water sports lessons and educational seminars, Karahashi Deck aims to provide employment support for people with disabilities, through work in the café, boat repairs and additional roles across the site. Genelec helped to provide a relaxing environment where people with and without disabilities can in

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03 July 2024

Portugal - Europalco orchestrated the 120th Anniversary Gala for Sport Lisboa e Benfica, the Portuguese football club. The event, known as the Cosme Damião Awards, was held at the MEO Arena in Lisbon and paid tribute to the rich history and achievements of the club, as well as the personalities who have contributed to its legacy.

The Cosme Damião Awards is a ceremony that recognises the achievements of Sport Lisboa e Benfica and pays tribute to Cosme Damião, one of the club's founding fathers. This annual event holds immense significance in the hearts of Benfica fans and the sporting community, as it commemorates the club's enduring legacy and honours its brightest stars.

The centrepiece of the gala was the 70m x 12m main screen, creatively designed to resemble the wings of the Benfica eagle, the club's symbol. Europalco used 12 Christie Boxer pro

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02 July 2024

France - Alain Corthout’s production design for Black Eyed Peas show at La Défense Arena in Paris reflected the music and stage persona of the LA band with a transcended visual panorama that wove light and video together in concentric patterns.

“The lighting and video concept aimed to create a seamless fusion of elements, utilizing expansive curves and circles to present a unified visual experience,” said Corthout. “By integrating concentric rims extending from the video screens, we sought to evoke a sense of grandeur and cohesion within the large venue setting.”

Using this canvas, Corthout unfolded a narrative over a show that spanned more than two hours and featured a 24-song set list. “The narrative of the show centred on encapsulating the joyous, ecstatic, party atmosphere synonymous with the Black Eyed Peas' music,” he explained.

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02 July 2024

Finland - The country’s biggest rap stars descended on the Nokia Arena in Tampere recently to treat more than 10,000 music lovers to a night of pumped-up performance, with live action footage and pre-made content on an LED cube and wraparound ticker screens powered by tvONE's Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer Media Servers.

Organised by the international Rockstar Energy Drink brand in association with Def Agency and Warner Music Live, rappers including Ahti, Cledos and Elastinen played the in-the-round stage. This was dominated by a star-shaped overhead lighting truss and a 360-degree, four-fascia LED cube, and a DJ booth and stage riser formed of ROE Black Pearl 3 screens. LED stars – the branding of Rockstar – were built from Sceptron linear fixtures and rigged throughout the arena and from the ceiling truss. All the lighting and Hippotizers were contr

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02 July 2024

Greece - The country’s hospitality industry is gearing up for another busy summer, with operators increasingly upgrading to world-class sound systems as the importance of music and sound is recognised more and more as central to driving revenues in flexible venues for eating, drinking and dancing.

Athens-based Nexo distributor IMA Audio Lighting has been busy this year designing and installing Nexo systems in hospitality settings across the country.

With a vibrant and energetic atmosphere complete with music and dancing, the Barbarossa Restaurant occupies a prominent position on the waterside in the picturesque fishing village of Naoussa on the island of Paros.

A new installation of just six Nexo compact ID24 speakers with three IDS110 subs has given this venue what the owner describes as ‘the best sound on Paros’, with the versatility

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02 July 2024

UK - The annual Hay Festival returned from 23 May - 2 June to the picturesque town in Powys, Wales attracting over 250K visitors.

Founded in 1987, Hay Festival Global has grown into one of the most celebrated literary charities in the world and delivers events with authors, thought leaders and artists from around the globe. This spring’s edition in Hay-on-Wye featured 800 conversations and performances with diverse voices and genres including best-selling novelists, pioneering scientists, influential politicians, comedians, musicians and innovative artists.

Stage Sound Services based in Cardiff worked closely with the production team and provisioned all the technical equipment and installation to the seven venues located throughout the site. The Stage Sound Services team have worked directly with the charity’s in-house team for the last three yea

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02 July 2024

UK - Tunes in the Dunes is the apt name given to an annual three-day festival on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall.

The festival has been running on the golden sands for 11 years, having sprung up from the live music events at the beachside Watering Hole.

Based nearby in Plymouth, Martin Audio partner Nub Sound this year provided the technical infrastructure, deploying their Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC), eight elements a side, which ensured headliners McFly (Friday), Craig David (Saturday) and Ocean Colour Scene (Sunday) could be heard to the max by crowds assembling on the beach as their music drifted out towards the Atlantic Ocean.

On duty was Nub Sound director of operations and sound engineer Josh Small. He explained that in addition to the eight WPC per side, a cardioid sub array of eight SXH218 in a castellated format, ensured rear rej

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02 July 2024

USA - The Terre Haute Casino Resort in Indiana just celebrated its grand opening with integrated 1 Sound loudspeakers. NV5, consulting and engineering firm, and American Sound and Electronics worked together to design and install various AV aspects in the resort. The 56,000sq.ft gaming floor has 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, poker rooms, and a TwinSpires Sportsbook area.

For the central bar on the gaming floor, American Sound installed a 360º, dual-sided, LED video wall above the bar. Both teams together implemented 1 Sound loudspeakers for this bar where they would expect live music, live sporting event audio, and background music.

For this central bar, two of 1 Sound’s Contour CT28s were deployed in the ceiling paired with SUB310s. These three-way, constant directivity, horn-loaded, point sources provided the SPL and energy needed for the

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01 July 2024

Germany - Just before the start of UEFA Euro 2024, Frankfurt, one of the 10 host cities, set the stage for four weeks of international football fever with a spectacular multimedia show. The show, a collaboration between bright! studios and spatial experiences agency Atelier Markgraph on behalf of Tourismus + Congress Frankfurt, transformed one of the city’s notable bridges over the Main River (Flößerbrücke) into a gigantic musical instrument. 

The bridge, covered in the colours of the 24 participating nations for the duration of the European Championship, became the centrepiece of the football world for the 25-minute show. Lighting designer Thomas Giegerich from bright! used 96 Proteus Excalibur, 48 Proteus Maximus and 48 of Elation’s new Pulse Bar L linear lighting solutions to visually bring the concept to life. Kaiser Showtechnik was responsible f

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01 July 2024

Denmark - Powersoft’s Unica amplifier platform is the backbone to recently refurbished screening rooms in Nordisk Film Cinemas’ Danish cinema Kinopalæet.

Nordisk Film Cinemas, a prominent cinema chain in the Scandinavia, recently refurbished two screening rooms in its Kinopalæet cinema, north of Copenhagen.

Kinopalæet turned to Powersoft Unica amplifiers in order to achieve a stable audio experience to its cinemagoers. Spearheading the rooms’ refurbishment was Jan Rasmussen, head of screen technology at Nordisk Film Cinemas: “The main factors in choosing audio equipment for cinema are quality, features and stability,” he says. “We prefer using networked sound in our cinemas because of the flexibility and cost efficiency and Powersoft fits perfect in all these categories.”

The refurbishment was done in two rooms, Screen 8 with