China - The Dongting Lake Museum in Yueyang City has taken its visitor experience to new heights with a full-scale sound system installed across all exhibition areas, including its immersive underground ‘5D Theatre’. Designed by Wharfedale Pro's consultant Marko Jovanović and installed by Minghe Group, the system delivers immersive-ready audio that complements the theatre’s array of visual mapping, water effects, moving machinery and lighting.

Covering an expansive 50,864 sqm, the Dongting Lake Museum showcases the rich history and biodiversity of Dongting Lake. At the heart of the museum's underground level is an advanced 5D theatre, which spans 900 sq.m and accommodates approximately 200 guests. This space significantly enhances visitor engagement by integrating motion, visual effects, and interactive environmental elements.

Changsha-based

UK - Formed in 1947 above a butcher’s shop in the town centre, Macclesfield Amateur Dramatic Society (MADS) was created with one main purpose – to foster and promote theatre in Macclesfield by giving local people the opportunity to perform on stage. Fast forward almost 80 years and the Society is still going strong, having now produced over 250 main season productions, along with several one act shows, studio pieces as well as festival entries.

Since 1954, MADS’ home has been a purpose-built ‘Little Theatre’ situated on Lord Street and has been upgraded accordingly over the years; now even boasting a bar and lounge area. Following a mechanical inspection conducted by Solutions On Stage, the company was asked to carry out some remedial works within the theatre’s main performance space – to ensure it was safety compliant.

Solutions On Sta

Spain - Teatro Baluarte's 1,600-seat main auditorium presented a classic audio challenge: achieving consistent coverage across 40m of depth without delay systems, while accommodating programming that ranges from classical orchestras to contemporary rock concerts. The venue's reverberant acoustics and requirement for clean stage presentation - essential for flamenco and classical performances - demanded a solution that could deliver professional touring-grade audio within strict aesthetic constraints.

Baluarte Congress Palace, adjacent to Pamplona's 16th-century Citadel, serves as Navarra's primary cultural venue with 63,000sq.m of conference and performance space. The main auditorium's acoustic properties and diverse programming schedule - from Madrid pop-rock band Morgan to violinist Ara Malikian - required a system capable of handling vastly different soni

Poland - Introducing a new generation of concert goers to live music, Polish sound specialist 120dB doubled down on a pair of SSL System T consoles and full Dante network to cater for a sell-out arena tour by Polish social media sensations Genzie.

Using an audio setup specified by 120dB founder Michal Mika, the company used its own 48 fader System T S500m flypack in the FOH position while a 32 fader System T S500 was provided by SSL’s Polish distributor Commercial Audio for monitor mixing all artist IEMs.

Formed in 2021, Genzie is a collective of content creators from Kraków with more than two million YouTube subscribers and billions of video views. Taking the brand on the road, this year’s Genzie Offline Tour gave fans the opportunity to see them live on stage at a series of sell-out concerts culminating in Warsaw’s COS Torwar Arena.

USA - A significant installation of tvONE CORIOmaster video processors at the Virginia Tech State University has transformed how students learn, and lessons are taught.

Four distinct areas within the institution’s Alexandria campus now feature LED screens, projections or displays driven by a range of CORIOmaster2, CORIOmaster mini, and CORIOmaster micro units. The project is part of a wider upgrade of projector screens, LED video walls and TVs.

Virginia Tech’s AB1 AV manager Diego Romero worked closely with the tvONE’s Mid-Atlantic regional sales manager Mitch Klein to find solutions for all four spaces at the Alexandria campus’s Academic Building One. This building includes 300,000 sq.ft of academic space and research and development facilities, across 11 floors.

“The overall aim was to provide users with a smooth experience when s

Canada - “We never do anything traditional. We never go through the front door. It's always the back door, or an open window or something.” Smash Mouth frontman, the late Steve Harwell described the band’s approach to making music in a CNN interview. 

Though Harwell passed away two years ago, the quintet from San Jose is still following its own happily quirky path, something they’ve been doing since the release of their debut double-platinum album Fush You Mang, in 1997.

The band’s party vibe is still going strong. The band recently headlined at the three- day Musique Fest Premier Tech festival on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Enhancing this free-flowing fun-in-the-sun mood was an equally ebullient lighting design by Marc-Antoine Pelletier that engaged the big crowd with some intense audience lighting and

UK - Something special has been brewing at Glastonbury’s The Glade Stage for many years now. At its heart is an adventurous spirit and a hunger for innovation. This is the place Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews chooses as the playground for the loudspeaker manufacturer’s latest technological developments – where he continues a legacy that started at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1971.

This year, 54 years later, Andrews and Funktion-One, working in collaboration with Audio Plus, continued a trailblazing ethos that has established The Glade Stage as the place for the most exciting sonic experiences at the festival. New heights were reached thanks to a sound system that delivered what Andrews described as “probably the best sonic experience of my life”.

At the heart of The Glade Stage’s setup was Vero VX – Funktion-One’s medium form

USA - Disturbed’s five-time platinum debut album The Sickness began attracting new fans to metal from the day it was released in 2000. To celebrate the album’s 25th anniversary, the band are undertaking a 51-date tour that kicked off at Ford Centre Idaho Arena on 12 February and concludes at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on 28 October, with stops at The United Centre, Madison Square Garden, and the Kia Forum along the way.

Setting the stage for the celebration, while serving up some intensely gripping looks, was a production and lighting design by Trevor Ahlstrand and Sooner Routhier of The Playground that included Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorised strobes and Maverick Storm 4 Profiles, which, like the rest of the rig, were supplied by Premier Global Production.

Joined by programmer Jason Giaffo and lighting director Joseph ‘Bam

Germany - At this year’s Telekom Electronic Beats festival in Berlin, lighting designer Rolf Wenzel deployed 90 GLP JDC2 IP hybrid strobes to create a striking lighting architecture at CANK, a former C&A department store in Neukölln. The fixtures were embedded in a large-format grid structure, inspired by classic 1980s disco aesthetics. The focus was on dynamically illuminated fields and a video-based display of the versatile spotlights.

The goal of the installation was to utilise the venue’s limited architectural space (3.05m of headroom and no hanging options) to create a lighting setup suitable for both DJ sets and live performance. The central element: a 30m-wide, 3m high podium rack with 90 individually controlled JDC2 IP fixtures arranged in 1 x 1m arrays – equally spaced by baffles to create a clean light pattern without glare.

The Netherlands - In the Dutch city of Maastricht, integrator Verjans AV, specialists in the hospitality sector, recently designed and supplied Coda Audio systems for three city-centre venues.

With considerable experience of both installation and live event audio, Harald Verjans first encountered Coda Audio in 2013 and has been a fan of the brand and customer of Viladco, Coda’s Benelux distributor, ever since.

“I attended a demo in Hanover and was immediately struck by the audio quality and the power coming from such small boxes. The fact that all the different cabinets share the same sonic signature was also a big plus. When the three venues in Maastricht wanted exceptional high-fidelity audio from their systems, Coda loudspeakers were the obvious choice.”

Verjans installed a new Coda Audio system for the recently opened Bar Nola. The

UK - The Morris on Thomas Street, which opened in May, is in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, a bustling area characterised by independent bars, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Creativity is king in this area and The Morris, as a three-floor multi-concept venue, is a fine example how carefully considered design with great attention to detail can create the perfect atmosphere.

In Thomas Street’s competitive environment, The Morris’s ownership wished to gain an edge by investing in a flexible sound system which could provide high-quality audio for background music and live performance, whilst also complementing the venue’s aesthetic.

The Morris engaged experienced Salford-based integrator Hollowsphere, who provided a premium solution based on Pioneer Pro Audio CM-Series commercial audio loudspeakers. The range has quickly establish

China - On 14 July, at the grand opening of the Versatile AI Virtual Film Base and the AI Virtual Film Technology launch event in Deqing, the world’s largest monolithic LED virtual production stage was officially unveiled.

In a joint venture by Absen and Versatile, this stage features a 270-degree curved LED screen with a diameter of 50m and a height of 12m. The total floor area of the stage reaches 5,000m², with the LED display covering approximately 1,700 m² – the equivalent to four standard basketball courts.

Powered by LED virtual production technology, the recreation of complex, large-scale, and costly scenes in film and television can now be achieved through a combination of virtual environments and minimal physical sets. Scene changes can be completed within minutes, and when paired with immersive 8K LED walls and realistic lighting, the

World - Columbian reggaeton star Maluma chose DiGiCo for his 2025 Maluma+Pretty+Dirty worldwide arena and stadium. Front-of-house engineers German Tarazona and Rudy Rosales Cuéllar chose the DiGiCo Quantum 338 with Pulse upgrade, supplied by Clair Global, for both the monitor and front-of-house positions.

Over recent years, Maluma has enjoyed major success, filling stadiums globally and massing large numbers of followers and listens across all his social media platforms. His collaborations include singles with Madonna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Karol G, The Weeknd and more.

Tarazona has been working with Maluma for seven years, starting on monitors, now working at the front-of-house position, and Rosales Cuéllar joined them at the monitor position last year. The consoles provide an elegant workflow and all the audio processing the pair need

USA - Every year, KultureCity, a leading nonprofit for sensory accessibility, hosts KultureBall, a black-tie evening where celebrities and philanthropy walk hand-in-hand to promote acceptance, inclusion, and raise funds for individuals with invisible disabilities.

Recently, the organisation marked its 10th anniversary with an evening filled with inspiration, surprise performances, and sensory-inclusive design, powered by a JBL Professional audio system provided by longtime partner Epic.

The gala featured a mix of content, including a full orchestra, multiple presenters, ASL interpreters, a centre-stage extension, and live performances from Arnel Pineda of Journey, Orianthi, and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.

The event called for a sound system with the power and clarity of a touring rig, but with the elegance and intelli

USA - For years, Church Unlimited has sought to create powerful worship experiences that resonate with every person in the room. But as its Corpus Christi, TX campus grew, the church found itself working around the limits of a 20-year-old PA system that could no longer deliver the clarity, consistency or impact needed for modern worship.

Determined to overcome those challenges and elevate the experience for its congregation, Church Unlimited turned to its long-time integration partner, Messenger AVL, and ultimately found the solution with an Eastern Acoustic Works’ (EAW) ADAPTive sound system.

Messenger AVL, a Georgia-based design-build integrator specialising in worship spaces, knew that traditional systems would struggle to meet the church’s goals without compromising aesthetics, budget or coverage. EAW’s ADAPTive technology offered a uniquel

Mexico - The new Lavo restaurant in Mexico City marks another collaboration between 1 Sound and Tao Group, with this project and the recent Lavo Las Vegas coming to life around the same time. As the group expands globally, that audio has become a brand standard - one that prioritises clarity, design, and the guest experience. 1 Sound systems help bring this to life.

For this space, integrator NTX turned to the Cannon Series for distributed coverage. A total of 30 Cannon C5i loudspeakers were installed throughout the venue, chosen for their high output in a compact form and their ability to deliver clean, intelligible sound even at low levels. Cannon C4s were also added to smaller areas that required a little less throw.

Thanks to their sonic clarity and lack of distortion, the music at LAVO doesn’t fight the conversation - it fills the room in a wa

Europe/Saudi Arabia - Zeynep Kepekli’s desert experience inspired her when creating an enchanting lighting design for Thikra: Night of Remembering. Kepekli spent time in the Saudi Arabian desert when preparing her design for this compelling production created by multi-award-winning choreographer Akram Khan and Wadi AlFann, in collaboration with artist Manal AlDowayan, and featuring an original score by Aditya Prakash.

“This piece was originally made in the desert,” said Kepekli, noting that the premiere took place outdoors on a starry night at Wadi AlFann in Saudi Arabia against the dramatic cliffs of a desert canyon.

“On our first research trip to AlUla, we all met in the desert at 4am, and stayed there for a few hours until the sun came up,” she recalled. “We wanted to see the darkness and the changing light as sunrise approach

UK - An energetic, capacity crowd rocked out in front of the Serious Stellar stage for the Deftones Crystal Palace Park concert at the end of June.

Festival Republic’s production team, led by production manager Alice James, delivered the sound and visually strong show, for the 15,000 fans on the venue's Italian Terrace, where the undercard featured Qendresa, Health, Hi Viz and Weezer.

The 20m Stellar concert stage, flanked by video-screen goalposts, created a 35m frontage. Serious also installed four speaker towers relaying sound to the whole crowd on the long, narrow site, along with two x three storey front-of-house towers for lighting and audio engineers and a raised assisted viewing platform.

The stage was designed and manufactured by Serious Stages in the UK, by project manager Andrew Ridler, who was on site to supervise the build.

Europe - Clear-Com recently celebrated the successful implementation of its Equip intercom system at Merlin Theme Parks, enhancing ride operations, safety, and guest satisfaction through improved team communication. As a long-standing trusted technology partner, Tyrell introduced Merlin to Clear-Com’s Equip system, a hands-free, full-duplex intercom solution designed to streamline real-time conversations between ride operators, loaders, and platform staff.

From the outset, Tyrell worked closely with both Merlin and Clear-Com to scope the technical requirements, facilitate product demonstrations, and ensure each deployment was tailored to the unique footprint of individual attractions.

Kiran O’Connor, continuous improvement lead at Merlin Theme Park, highlights the communication challenges the park faced: “People would stand at a phone or a poin

Italy - Event technology specialists, Agorà, won the European tender for the construction of an audio and video distribution system, intended for the 2025 Jubilee celebrations in St. Peter's Square, Rome.

Following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, the system was also used for the solemn funeral, the proclamation of Habemus Papam and the subsequent inauguration events of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, with an estimated participation of between 60,000 and 150,000 people.

In the tender notice, the customer expressly requested visually discreet solutions for both the support structures and the audio system, indicating the K-array Firenze KH7 loudspeaker as a specific reference. The installation, which remained operational for almost two months, served two main areas.

Zone 1 included Via della Conciliazione, Piazza Pia, Piazza Pio XII

Germany - Perched dramatically 454m high in Germany's Harz Mountains, the historic Harzer Bergtheater is an open-air cultural landmark facing extraordinary operational challenges due to its exposed mountain environment. Following a comprehensive five-year renovation, the venue's new management aimed to attract high-calibre performers and expand their summer programming, requiring a professional sound solution to replace previous rental systems.

The venue presented two formidable obstacles: extraordinarily steep audience seating demanding precise coverage, and strict safety regulations requiring complete removal of the main sound system nightly due to unpredictable mountain weather conditions.

"The venue presents a truly unique situation," explains Alexander Schad, CEO of session-pro, an L-Acoustics certified partner who collaborated with consultant M

France - The Rockstore has been the beating heart of the live music scene in the French city of Montpellier ever since 1986 when Level 42 played to a sold-out crowd at this club on its opening night.

More than 4,500 concerts later and Rockstore now takes the music outside into the Occitanie summer sunshine with Club Peyrou at Le Peyrou, usually a peaceful location for picnickers and promenaders but, on June 28th, the site of an electro and funk festival for 3,500 people.

The local branch of production technology specialists Texen rigged the stage with Nexo Geo M12 for a diverse lineup including DJ sets from French music duo Polo & Pan and Dabeull.

“We flew main left and right line arrays of 11 x Geo M12 with adjacent hangs of six MSUB18, plus six Nexo STM S118 subs on the ground for additional LF impact,” reports Texen’s Nicolas Bel

USA - The near-20,000-capacity Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio features the world’s first installation of GLP’s Mad Maxx CW LED fat-beam searchlights. This will give the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team and Cleveland Monsters ice hockey team, who share the facility, a dynamic rock’n’roll-style environment to enhance the matchday experience.

The Mad Maxx units were specified by production designer Eric Wade, creative director and vice-president of Dallas, Texas-based Crossfade Design.

Billed as the first true fat-beam LED fixture, with a massive 750mm beam diameter, Mad Maxx’s wide light output matches the beam’s diameter, which is adjustable by a virtual iris, while the colour wheel provides an extra layer of animation. This gives the fixture an imposing presence.

Crossfade had serviced the Rocket Arena for around a decade, and

Vietnam - Harman Professional Solutions, in collaboration with AV integration partner Ba Sao Audio, recently deployed – in Ho Chi Minh City – one of the region’s first large-scale spatial audio deployments for live theatre.

The production CHÀO celebrates Vietnamese heritage through traditional music, narrative design and immersive technologies, all powered by a fully integrated Harman Professional Solutions system across the brand portfolio, including JBL Professional, FLUX::, BSS, and others.

Conceived by Nguyễn Khắc Anh, CEO of Ba Sao Investment, with technical direction by Vũ Hữu Thắng, CHÀO reimagines Vietnamese heritage through a compelling fusion of traditional music, dynamic visuals, and immersive sound design. The performance features an original orchestral suite with 30 traditional Vietnamese instruments, s

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