Events

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27 February 2025

UK - Production Futures has announced that its next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Monday 28 April. The venue is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and will host a Production Futures event for the second time, following the success of last year’s arena debut.

Set to attract a wide range of young people from across North-West England and beyond, this free-of-charge event will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, networking, and will present paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

Manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors will have representatives present at the event to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. Production Futures also wo

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26 February 2025

Germany - At the 30th edition of Prolight + Sound (8-11 April 2025), the trade fair will present a significantly expanded ProAudio area. With innovative formats, optimised education and networking opportunities, and a focus on future-oriented technologies, the area will become a central hotspot for professionals and young talents, say the organisers.

Music and audio technology have always been essential elements of the event industry and are deeply rooted in the DNA of Prolight + Sound. In 2025, the trade fair will expand its offering for audio engineers, DJs and producers.

A number of well-known companies from the Pro Audio sector have already confirmed their participation in 2025, including Amate Audio, Babbel & Haeger with various sales brands, DAS Audio, Harmonic Design, HK Audio (Music & Sales professional GmbH), Kling & Freitag, KV2

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25 February 2025

Sounds of Silence - More than 1,000 musicians – including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn and Kate Bush – have released a silent album in protest at the UK government's planned changes to copyright law, which they say would make it easier for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without a licence.

Under the new proposals, AI developers will be able to use creators' content on the internet to help develop their models, unless the rights holders elect to "opt out". The artists hope the album, entitled Is This What We Want?, will draw attention to the potential impact on livelihoods and the UK music industry. All profits will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.

"In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?" Kate Bush said in a statement. A public consultation on the legal changes closes later today, Tuesday.

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24 February 2025

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24 February 2025

USA - The ADJ team will be hitting the road over the coming weeks and months to showcase the company’s latest lighting technology at a series of local open house events across the USA. Each Beams, Bites & Bright Ideas event will be hosted at an ADJ dealer and provide an opportunity to see new fixtures in person before they are released, as well as to network and talk shop with ADJ reps as well as other local lighting pros with complimentary food and beverages provided.

Building on the success of ADJ’s recent road show tours, these new micro events will focus on quality connections. Lighting pros will have the opportunity to look at and touch ADJ’s new fixtures before they begin to ship, as well as see them in action and ask questions of the knowledgeable ADJ rep who will be on hand.

Attendees will have the chance to discover the IP

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20 February 2025

Saudi Arabia - Riyadh is home to the biggest outdoor festival in the Middle East - SoundStorm.

Created by entertainment company MDLBeast, in December 2024, the event welcomed over 450,000 fans and 200 international artists - including Clair Global touring clients Eminem, Muse and Linkin Park as headliners, boasting an eclectic mix of genres.

Clair Global's contribution required coordination from multiple warehouses across four time zones, utilizing 150 worldwide crew from group partners Eighth Day Sound, ATK and AudioRent Clair. The audio team was led by Clair KSA regional manager Stuart Wright, and Eighth Day Sound's Owen Orzack, while Ethan Quint and Carlos Elizondo from the Clair Data Services team, led the IT, comms, and radio deployments for the entirety of the production site.

Reflecting on the festival’s most ambitious event yet, Stu

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19 February 2025

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries on 13-14 May 2025, bringing together the latest innovations and the brightest minds in live events, installation, and entertainment technology. The show will celebrate the people behind the industry, providing a unique platform for learning, networking, and hands-on exploration of cutting-edge technology.

With over 175 leading brands spanning audio, AV, lighting, rigging, and staging, the show floor will be brimming with groundbreaking technology and industry-first launches. Attendees can get hands-on with the latest products, connect directly with brand specialists, and build lasting relationships with industry peers.

Lighting professionals can explore leading brands including headline sponsor Ambersphere, alongside Avolites, ChamSys, Chauvet Europe, Entedi, ETC, GLP UK, Prolight, Robe UK, TMB, a

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18 February 2025

Germany - Prolight + Sound, the international trade fair highlight for event and entertainment technology is celebrating its 30^th anniversary.

Mira Wölfel, director Prolight + Sound, comments: “With the anniversary edition, we want to offer exhibitors and partners, but above all visitors, a particularly inspiring environment with a stronger technical focus and optimised networking opportunities.

“My heartfelt thanks go in particular to our association partners and our new trade fair advisory board, which is providing us with significant support in the further development of the show. Above all, the 30th anniversary of Prolight + Sound is an occasion for us to look to the future with great motivation.”

Based on numerous discussions with the movers and shakers of the sector, the next Prolight + Sound will have three top themes

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18 February 2025

Manchester Calling - Manchester’s cultural sector has bounced back post-pandemic and generated more than £342m last year for the city, a report has revealed. The Annual Culture Impact Survey, presented to the Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee last week, declared that the figure amounted to a "very good" return on the investment of council money in culture.

According to the report, Manchester City Council invested £23.1m in arts, culture and libraries in 2023-24, which helped leverage a further £159.2m from other private, public and other funding streams during the same year. It said this represented an overall economic boost to the city of more than £342m, an amount deemed to demonstrate a post-pandemic recovery. The report also revealed that footfall at Manchester’s cultural venues stands at 93% of its

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11 February 2025

USA - Billed as an 'evening of music and solidarity', the FireAid Benefit Concert – hosted by the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum on 30 January – saw 35 artists perform in a live broadcast that helped to raise millions for wildfire recovery efforts.

Organised by the Annenberg Foundation, as the event began, $2m dollars were raised thanks to a $1m donation from Irish rock band U2 matched in contribution by Clippers Organisation and Intuit Dome ownership Steve and Connie Ballmer. At the time of press, an estimated $100m has been raised, with funds allocated to the rebuilding of LA communities and wildfire prevention methods.

Clair Global’s team was led by Meegan Holmes, general manager of Clair’s Sun Valley, CA location. Clair, together with group brands Eighth Day Sound and Sound Image supported client rehearsals for Billie Eilish, Jelly Ro

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11 February 2025

Stepping Down - Celebrated lighting designer Paule Constable has announced her retirement from theatre. The multi-Olivier award-winning designer announced the move after accepting her award for Services to UK Theatre at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2025.

Over her lengthy career, she has worked for organisations including the National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as the Michael Grandage Company. Her many shows have included War Horse, Evita, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Light Princess and Ballet Shoes, as well as operas with Glyndebourne, the Royal Ballet and Opera and English National Opera. She has won five Olivier awards and two Tony Awards.

Creamfields - Anyma has been named as the first headliner at the upcoming

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10 February 2025

Spain - Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2025 wrapped up ‘a highly successful week’ in Barcelona. The exhibition showcased its highest number of exhibitors with 1,605 and the largest show floor space with 92,000 sq.m net.

ISE 2025 welcomed 85,351 unique verified visitors from 168 countries, marking a 15.5% increase from the previous year.

Attendance from the DACH region saw a significant increase of 7% at ISE 2025, coming close to the numbers last seen during the event’s years in Amsterdam, highlighting the region’s strong and growing engagement with the show.

Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, stated: “ISE 2025 has surpassed all expectations, setting new milestones in both attendance and innovation. The energy and engagement from our attendees and exhibitors have been truly remarkable. From the dynamic sh

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03 February 2025

Spain - L-Acoustics will host special Masters of Sound Experience interview and discussion sessions in Hall 8.0, demo room B4 on 4,5 and 6 February 5. These sessions will give guests the opportunity to delve into the creative process of today’s most forward-thinking sound designers: Tony Award-winning Cody Spencer (sound designer for Here Lies Love, The Outsiders, Romeo + Juliet 2024, JOB), Xandy Whitesell (sound engineer for Bon Iver, Nathaniel Rateliff, Gregory Alan Isakov) and Stephen Hughes (sound design and sound engineer for BBC Proms).

L-Acoustics will maintain a significant presence at ISE 2025, with displays in the Professional Audio hall (Hall 7, booth 7G150), and Residential hall (Hall 2, booth #2F150), where it will present its comprehensive range of professional and architectural audio solutions.

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28 January 2025

Theatres at Risk - RAAC infected theatres the Brunton, the Harlequin and Motherwell Concert Hall have been added to the Theatres Trust’s ‘Theatres at Risk Register’ as the list approaches two decades of advocating for building preservation. The three venues, two of which are facing imminent demolition following the discovery of potentially dangerous concrete (RAAC) in their infrastructures, are among five new additions to the register alongside Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre and Arts Centre and Cannock’s Prince of Wales Theatre. All five are local authority-owned, mid- to small-scale venues located outside of major cities.

Announcing the 2025 register, Theatres Trust director Joshua McTaggart noted that RAAC was proving a "particularly tricky" problem, and warned cash-strapped local authorities that cutting arts provisions would rob communities of "vita

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23 January 2025

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the launch of the third edition of its annual proactive conference day, the ABTT Make A Difference Conference, which is committed to finding solutions to current industry issues. The 2025 conference will be held on Friday 28 March 2025 at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup.

The theme for this year’s discussion is Rethinking backstage technical teaching and apprenticeships with and for Industry.

The conference is designed to be more than simply talking. There is no passive sitting and listening at the conference and if you attend, you are to committing to taking action by sharing your thoughts and views. You will spend the day developing ideas and strategies to achieve solutions for the issues discussed.

Following the success of the 2023 conference, which covered t

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21 January 2025

UK - Speaker applications are now open for PLASA Focus Leeds, which returns to the city’s Royal Armouries museum from 13-14 May 2025. Renowned for its welcoming and vibrant atmosphere, the ever-popular PLASA Focus Leeds trade show attracts over 2,000 professionals each year and showcases more than 150 leading brands from across the lighting, sound, AV, rigging, staging and production industries.

Speaking as part of the event’s seminar programme is a unique opportunity to connect with a broad audience, as the sessions draw over 600 industry attendees across two theatres during the show’s two days. 

“Your insights could have an impact far beyond the UK, reaching professionals eager to learn and innovate,” say the show’s organisers. “This is your chance to position yourself as a thought leader, sharing knowledge that could help shape the

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21 January 2025

USA - Adamson Systems Engineering invites audio professionals, engineers, and enthusiasts to an exclusive demonstration event at NAMM 2025. This special showcase will unveil the VGt and VGs, the first offerings in Adamson’s Vergence Group, and is set to take place on 22 January at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Attendees will enjoy an immersive experience featuring Adamson’s latest advancements in audio technology.

The flagship VGt line array system and the VGs powered subwoofer represent ‘a leap forward in professional audio’. The VGt has already been featured on major world tours and festivals. The VGs powered subwoofer complements the VGt, delivering powerful low-frequency performance through a lightweight, portable design. Together, they form a fully integrated system powered by Adamson's proprietary ArrayIntelligence software, designed to s

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21 January 2025

Cambridge Blues - One of the oldest and most prestigious folk festivals in England has been cancelled, for what would have been its 60th anniversary. Organisers of Cambridge Folk Festival said they would use the resources from this year's event to explore new opportunities ahead of its return in 2026.

The annual four-day folk and roots music festival, organised by Cambridge City Council, first began in 1965 and has been hosted on the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall. Labour councillor for the area, Robert Dryden, said the festival had lost money in 2024, but the cancellation came as a "big shock" that would "disappoint lots of people". The decision to cancel a folk festival in its 60th anniversary year has been described as "surprising" and "disappointing" by fans and musicians.

Singer-songwriter Fran Lusty, who played at the festival for the f

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20 January 2025

France - More top names from across the lighting industry have joined the line-up of speakers set to present at Showlight 2025, which visits Dijon, France, this 19-22 May.
With topics drawing from innovations in mixed and multimedia lighting, the illumination of spaces from the smallest venue to the wide open sky, and the subject of climate change and sustainability initiatives, the second batch of names and topics revealed includes . . .

Lighting ‘Cine-Theatre’
Nick Schlieper, one of Australia’s most highly awarded designers, will examine the considerable challenges posed by lighting Cine-Theatre, a style of production which utilises live feed video combined with pre-recorded footage with which the performers constantly interact. The term was coined by a critic, writing about a ground-breaking production of The Picture Of Do

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20 January 2025

USA - The 2025 NAMM Show will take place at the Anaheim Convention Centre this week as planned, with events beginning on Tuesday, 21 January running through to 25 January.

As previously reported, there had been fears the wildfires in Northern Los Angeles might cause a postponement.

“We have been in constant contact with our partners and city officials all week, and Anaheim is still unaffected by the wildfires in northern Los Angeles,” said John Mlynczak, president and CEO of NAMM, at the weekend.

“We have confirmed that the air quality is safe, that traffic between LAX and Anaheim will not impact relief efforts, and that our hotel rooms will not displace any evacuees. We want to be sure that we can gather for a safe, successful NAMM Show while also supporting the ongoing relief efforts.”

Mlynczak continued: “The 2025 NAMM Sh

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15 January 2025

UK - A new UK Festivals Data Map has been launched, mapping over 850 festivals that took place in England, Wales and Scotland in 2024, where music was a key part of the entertainment.

The free, publicly available UK Music Festival Resource is designed to be updated and help the industry count festivals, artists plan tours, and fans discover new events in their area.

Commissioned by retiring Association of Festival Organisers general secretary Steve Heap in partnership with EIF and LIVE, this UK Festival Data tool has been created by Chris Carey of FastForward Events, with funding from the Events Industry Forum (principal funder) and LIVE (supporter).

Launched on 14 January 2025, on the EIF website, the content will be monitored and updated by the Fast Forward Events team for the first three months, then its upkeep will transfer to th

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14 January 2025

USA - The NAMM Foundation has created the 2025 LA Wildfires Relief Fund, committing $50,000, and they are accepting additional contributions. This fund was established in response to the fires in Greater Los Angeles and their devastating impact on NAMM members, music programs, and music professionals in the area.

Needs-based assistance will be provided to NAMM members, employees of NAMM member companies, music education programmes, and music makers affected by the January 2025 fires. The NAMM Foundation is currently performing a needs assessment and will provide more information soon on the distribution of and application process for these funds.

"The NAMM Show has been in Anaheim for 49 years; the LA community is our home and our family,” said NAMM president & CEO, John Mlynczak. “NAMM is committed to supporting the relief and recov

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14 January 2025

Europe - IBC has announced that the call for Technical Papers is now open for the IBC2025 Conference.

The Technical Papers Programme offers an opportunity for forward-thinking technologists and companies to unveil their ideas and research to media industry leaders hungry for new technology concepts, their possible uses and practical applications.

The programme welcomes entries from all sectors across the media, entertainment and technology industry. Entries can come from every discipline, whether the entrant is a professional or a professor, a member of an R&D team, working alone or with a global brand – from across any part of the broadcast, communications, electronic media and entertainment fields.

Dr Paul Entwistle, chair of IBC's Technical Papers Committee, said: “Unsurprisingly, AI was our most popular Technical Papers session at

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14 January 2025

City of Culture - Thousands of people braved sub-zero temperatures to watch an open-air spectacle starring magician Steven Frayne, formerly known as Dynamo, a 10-year-old rapper and a dozen aerial dancers to launch Bradford's year as UK City of Culture. Frayne told the audience he started his career performing street magic in City Park, where the opening ceremony was held, and that his home city was "going to make its mark on the world" in 2025.

Organisers said about 10,000 people turned out to watch the show, which took place in temperatures of -3C (26.6F). Bradford is the fourth UK City of Culture, a title that is awarded every four years. The scheme is designed to boost the chosen city's visitor numbers, economies and reputations, and Bradford's year has received £15m government funding.

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