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
USA - As part of its ongoing upgrade process Boston College recently installed two DiGiCo SD10B consoles. Situated in the college’s central media suite located between the school’s 8,600-seat Conte Forum basketball/hockey arena and 44,500-seat Alumni Stadium football venue, the SD10B desks, which replaced two earlier-installed SD9B consoles, are now the main mixing and processing platforms for broadcasts of sports from those venues over the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Network.. Each 37-fader SD10B is the main console for each of the two matching main control rooms of the media suite. One of the earlier-installed 24-fader SD9B consoles is now located in a separate control room, locally known as The Eagles’ Nest, a reference to BC’s mascot, Baldwin the Eagle. This third control room is most typically used to produce the in-game experience in both venues, Alumni Sta
USA - Gaia Nomaya Wellness Centre is a 7,000sq.ft music, wellness and arts space in Brooklyn, NY, dedicated to using music as medicine and art as therapy. A social wellness environment where visitors can have fun and hear music, yet also experience a range of healthy self-care options, the space is also used for outside events that support the neighbourhood, such as concerts and weddings. "It’s a truly multi-use space with the focus on healthy living," explains Andrew Goldin, Gaia Nomaya’s founder and CEO, who launched the venue with his partners Sara Ramirez Loaiza and his brother David Goldin. But the central core of Gaia Nomaya is its Wellness Womb, an island of serenity with a calming, immersive aural ambience created using eight Genelec 4430A Smart IP Installation Loudspeakers. The installation began as Robert Stern, account manager with Guitar Centre Profess
Lithuania – Schoolchildren across Lithuania participated in the country’s largest-ever remote learning lesson this spring, as the 2023 Mokonomika initiative streamed interactive educational sessions online and via the national TV station. The operation involved the creation of four separate programmes filmed and produced in a studio in the capital, Vilnius, with a crew using Green-GO products for clear and robust digital communication. Organised with support from the Swedish financial company Swedbank, this year was the third consecutive Mokonomika, which is staged in collaboration with the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the patronage of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and Lithuanian national radio and TV. Vilnius-based Video Projektai was challenged with producing the video aspects, as inspiring teachers gave lessons on the futu
India - What began in 1991 as a farewell tour by Perry Farrell (singer of the group Jane's Addiction) has today grown into one of the biggest and most loved multi-genre destination music festivals in the world – with its presence spread across numerous cities in multiple continents and its impact felt across cultures and generations. Lollapalooza. And in 2023 for the first time ever, this festival brand finally made its way to Asia, with the Indian city of Mumbai selected to host what would become one of the largest multi-genre music festivals to ever take place in Asia. Brought to India by leading entertainment company, BookMyShow (who spearheaded the festival as promoter and co-producer). along with global producers, Perry Farrell, WME and C3 Presents; the maiden edition of Lollapalooza India was spread across two days and hosted world-class performers like Imagine Drag
UK - Whitwam AVI has installed a K-array loudspeaker system at Canterbury Cathedral, improving intelligibility of the spoken word to levels previously unattainable. The cathedral’s earlier sound reinforcement system, installed in the 70s, was starting to fail and was becoming intermittent. Aware that the Lambeth Conference was due to be held in the summer of 2020, the Cathedral had been in talks with AV system consultant Michael Hyland & Associates to identify their requirements for a replacement and plans were laid to upgrade to a new audio system in July, indefinitely delayed due to the COVID pandemic but eventually put out to tender. Whitwam AVI submitted a winning proposal and, together with Dave Wooster at K-array’s UK distributor 2B Heard, worked on modelling a new system for the Quire using K-Framework software. The key objective was to deliver sound mor
UK - Martin Audio has joined forces with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to entertain visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds. The eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth will be stationed in the courtyard between the two halls at the Royal Armouries between the 9 and 10 May to demonstrate what can be achieved with the latest in sustainable festival technology. Already proving to be a popular option for events across the UK, the fibreglass-built vehicle is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-gri
The Netherlands - Impressive visuals from over 200 Infinity fixtures contributed to the success of the Soenda Indoor Werkspoorkathedraal 2022 in Utrecht. Elevation Events teamed up with T.Y.S Productions and Stagelight to create an unforgettable night at the Soenda Indoor Werkspoorkathedraal 2022, where over 6000 electronic music lovers made their way to the Werkspoorkathedraal location in Utrecht to enjoy their favourite music and dance the night away. Fitting the industrial look of the venue and Soenda’s signature theme of minimalist geometric shapes, light designer Lars Aarts of T.Y.S Productions created a customised design of five large geometric truss squares that housed 180 Infinity iB-2R moving heads supplied by Stagelight. With their fat beam and long focal length, the iB-2Rs provided exactly the features required for the intended lighting design. For
USA - St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church has shown itself to be much more than simply a house of worship over its 87-year history. In that time, it has steadfastly combined worship with social-justice pursuits; for instance, it was the first black church in Dayton, Ohio to provide facilities for a civil rights meeting, as well as the first black church in the city to have its own radio broadcast. To keep the focus on both its spiritual and social missions, and to continue its efforts to use the best technology available to reach beyond the church’s walls, St. Luke’s staff recently chose to install a dozen elektraLite Stingray Profile Warm White spot fixtures in its 900-seat sanctuary, the centrepiece of a 26,000sq.ft worship facility that also includes a 300-seat Fellowship Hall and ten educational rooms. The move was meant to further improve the visual aesthetic
Europe - Jimmy Olausson of Illumity AB, Avatar’s lighting designer, has made it his mission to contribute to create visuals that accent every moment of the band’s performance, from their dramatic romps and leaps to their fierce drumbeats and fiery guitar riffs. Helping him achieve this fusion on the band’s European tour are 38 Chauvet Professional fixtures owned by the band, including 16 Rogue R2X Washes, 10 Rogue R2 Beams and 12 COLORado Q40 Panels. “Our set on this tour is two-hours long, which provides ample room for creativity,” says Olausson. “This set is unique in our touring history because we incorporated more theatrical elements, which provided us with another way to engage and captivate our audience. This show was timecoded. A big reason why is that this allowed me to focus more on the dynamics of the lighting, so I could create a tighter bond be
Thailand - Opened in 2022, Andamanda Phuket is currently one of the largest leisure and entertainment destinations in Thailand. Incorporating the Andaman Islands’ natural geography and landscapes into its design, the park features numerous family-friendly attractions including a 16,000sq.m wave pool, 300m white sand beach, and Thailand’s longest lazy river ride. To enhance the visitor experience across the park’s many attractions, Proud Real Estate Public Company Limited required a high-quality audio and visual system that was seamless, user-friendly, and built to withstand the area’s wet and humid conditions. Mahajak Development Co met those requirements with a carefully curated selection of reliable, water-resistant AV solutions by JBL Professional, BSS and Soundcraft. The new AV system covers all five key areas in the park: the Pearl Palace, the Emerald For
USA - The DALI Alliance, the industry organisation for DALI lighting control, will present two seminars at LightFair 2023, a trade show and conference for architectural and commercial lighting, which takes place in New York on 23-25 May. The seminars will focus on two important areas in lighting control: smart lighting with D4i-enabled luminaires, and the benefits of the Zhaga-D4i ecosystem. The DALI Alliance will also be present on Booth 2162 in the LightFair exhibition and will give a live demonstration of data analytics using Zhaga-D4i luminaires and control devices. On Wednesday 24 May from 5pm-6pm, the DALI Alliance will deliver a seminar on state-of-the-art, energy-efficient lighting control systems with D4i-enabled luminaires. As part of IES Live on Booth 1974, the seminar will be presented by three industry experts: Kevin Fitzmaurice, principal engineer of li
USA - Bandit Lites provided lighting for Elle King’s A-Freakin’-Men Tour presented by Slow & Low, which played to sold-out audiences across the country. Shelley Rodgers, lead designer and CEO of Tribe inc and Bruce Rodgers crafted the set design for the nearly 30-city tour with two large-scale E and K letters and silver grand drapes as the focal point of the design. LD Craig Richter provided the lighting design. “They added a nice element to break up the stage and gave a more dimensional look to the stage rather than just having her name on a backdrop,” said Bandit LD Craig Richter who programmed the lighting. King provided an overview of the vibe she wanted for the show, choosing to keep her band tight with her onstage, emulating the small club roots she came up with. “I went about programming this show with simplicity and dark moody vibe
USA - Last September, Westminster College, a private liberal arts school in Salt Lake City, inaugurated Florence J. Gillmor Hall, a modern facility equipped with modern instruction, rehearsal, and performance spaces for the school’s music, dance, and theatre programmes. Elation lighting has been integrated into the hall’s dance studio and performance space, a package that includes Fuze Profile, Rayzor 760 and Seven Batten 14 luminaires, along with the first U.S. installation of the company’s innovative KL Profile FC ellipsoidal fixture. Florence J. Gillmor Hall is a 26,000sq.ft expansion of the college’s Jewett Centre for the Performing Arts and the Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory. Besides the Beverley Taylor Sorensen and Joan Taylor Fenton Performance Studio, the recent expansion added practice rooms, a theatre rehearsal space, a choir rehearsal room, and a 93
