USA - For the creative team involved in designing the production for Daddy Yankee’s La Ultima Vuelta tour, the brief was quite simple, you create something “fit for a king”.
This was the directive that production designer Rodrigo Proal of Darmah Studios received when he was asked to work on the Puerto Rican born superstar’s 84-date official retirement tour of North and South America, which concluded with a January show in San Juan.
Proal, joined by a gifted and inspired creative team, didn’t disappoint either; the production they collaborated on, with its bold, vibrant colours, intense aerial effects, beautiful scenic elements, and evocative video content created by screens director Bianca Moncada, did justice to the career of the singer who is credited with coining the term ‘reggaeton’ and whose 2004 party favourite Gasolnina introduced modern Lat

New Zealand - Auckland based Spot-Light Systems – now part of the NEP Live Group – is among New Zealand’s leading lighting live show and event rental companies, and one that has continued to invest in Robe moving lights as the country emerged from the pandemic, adding 24 x MegaPointes, 12 x Tarrantulas to their existing fleets, and for the first time, 20 x Esprites joined the inventory.
While New Zealand managed – via strict quarantine and travel restorations – to keep Covid cases to a minimum, full-scale and capacity shows and live events did not properly re-start until several months into 2022, when things became busy, related Spot-Light Systems’ head of lighting, Matt Tong, and this is what drove these latest Robe purchases.
Business and enthusiasm for the arts, performance and events is now surpassing 2019 levels as promoters, organisations and event or

France - Recently renovated, the new Eurosport France set said goodbye to conventional fixtures to make way for the latest generation of LED luminaires. The compact and versatile Lonestar from ETC was the automated fixture of choice for Eurosport’s technical team and the lighting company Ar'Krys.
The main filming location at Eurosport France is a physical set with a large 20sq.m LED wall as a backdrop. Despite its 45sq.m of usable surface, it has everything you’d expect of a larger set, and can accommodate up to six presenters, columnists, and guests on the three benches and a standing position. Overhead, a grid of wash lights enables different colour combinations. It is complemented by 20 Lonestar fixtures, intended primarily for lighting the talent and effectively rendering skin tones.
The luminaires were carefully selected by Baptiste Arnaud-Benaïs and Georges

Sweden - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Topstage – and a familiar face – as its new, exclusive distributor for Sweden.
Linnea Ljungmark will be leaving her position as Ayrton regional sales manager to form a new company, Topstage, which will become the new Ayrton distributor for Sweden from Monday 3 April 2023.
“After years of travelling and working for the international markets, the time is right for me to bring my experience back to Sweden, and distribution is in my DNA,” says Linnea. “You could say it runs in the family. This is such an exciting opportunity.”
After almost five years with Ayrton, and an even longer association with the brand which stretches back to the early days of the company, Linnea is one of Ayrton’s own, and with an enviable industry lineage she brings a wealth of product and market knowledge.
“Ayrton is con

Germany - Cameo has expanded its OTOS series. Following the successful launch of the OTOS H5 IP65 Beam-Spot-Wash Hybrid Moving Head, demand for IP65-capable, light-intensive and lighter moving heads is growing. The German manufacturer is now expanding its portfolio with the specialist OTOS SP6 (Spot Profile) and OTOS B5 (Beam) models, IP65 moving heads aimed at lighting designers and rental companies looking for tools for outdoor use.
The OTOS SP6 is an IP65 spot profile moving head with a 600W LED light source and an illuminance of 75,800 lx at a beam angle of 7°. The optical system – with a 130 mm front lens – offers an impressively wide zoom range, from 7° to 50°, and ensures precise lighting results without visible hotspots. With its IP65-rated housing, the OTOS SP6 is an extremely versatile tool for outdoor use that can be used to reliably achieve all lighting id

Israel - Contemporary multipurpose venue Gray in Modiin is filled with colour and atmosphere thanks to a versatile Robe LED moving light rig installed to enhance this new and lively 900-capacity entertainment space that opened in 2021. Managed and run by the municipality, it is popular and successful in offering a wide range of live music and performance shows in a supper club format.
The lighting, LED screen, trussing – including two elegant circles above the audience – and rigging was supplied and installed by Danor Theatre & Studio Systems working in conjunction with consultant Dror Herrenson, who assessed the requirements and compiled a tender based on a robust, practical, and flexible LED lighting system to cover a multiplicity of events.
Several companies bid on the tender, which was won by Danor with their specification of 12 x Robe VIVA CMYs and 12 x L

Curaçao - Everyone on this island country looks forward to the two-day Curaçao Carnival which consists of the Gran Marcha (The Grand Parade) and Marcha di Despedida (The Farewell March). People on the island being work on the carnival six months in advance. The event itself involves 6,000 participants and 1,500 ‘helpers’ who either play music or keep the beverages flowing.
The carnival’s parades snake through the streets of the island’s capital city, Willemstad.
Enhancing the vibrant atmosphere of the parade, each carnival group has at least one party trailer. Massive Production supplied and outfitted audio video and lights for 16 of these trailers. For some, the company went all out turning the vehicles into moving concert stages. Adding a level of bling to these 45ft ‘boombox trailers’ was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures from Massive Prod

Europe - Italian group Måneskin are rocking their way through Europe with their Loud Kids Tour Gets Louder shows, backed by a highly technological lighting system that can morph into multiple different shapes to convey story and structure. At the heart of the lighting rig are Vari-Lite VL10 BeamWash luminaires from Signify which are used to beam bright vivid colours and pastels onto the stage and as powerful followspots.
During each show, operators are manually utilising the pan and tilt functions on each of the VL10 BeamWash fixtures, highlighting each member of the band as well as washing the stage with dynamic lighting states. All the other parameters of the VL10 BeamWash are controlled by a lighting console, allowing the team to program the lighting in advance using timecode.
The lighting is the creation of Milan- and London-based lighting design company Blearred.

Italy - Elation Professional has announced that one of Italy’s leading B2B distributors of AV solutions, Prase Media Technologies, has taken over exclusive distribution of Elation Professional and Obsidian Control Systems products in Italy effective 01 March 2023.
For 30 years, Prase has grown with the industry, collaborating with system integrators, AV consultants and live entertainment professionals to offer innovative solutions across a variety of markets. The company boasts a large catalogue of leading AV brands and is recognised for the excellence of its team, design support and after-sales service.
Davide Buonasorte, sales & marketing manager resell, pro, broadcast at Prase, comments, “We are thrilled to have Elation onboard as the missing gem in our crown of leading AV brands. Elation products meet the high-quality standard that we maintain across our po

USA - Lighting designer Vin Pugliese recently lit a headliner hometown show for The Elovaters at the House of Blues Boston. Using a mixture of cue-to-cue programming and busking, Pugliese unfurled ‘an endless stream of evocative looks’ during the 90-minute show, each reflecting the reggae band’s music in a distinctive way.
Helping him do this was a collection of over 60 Chauvet Professional fixtures from the venue’s house rig, and the extensive ground package from his own company VFX Design Studio that he brought to the show.
“I brought my own ground support package to fill out the bottom half of the stage since the House of Blues Boston has a high trim height,” explained Pugliese. “Using a mixture of beams, spots, hybrids, washes, LED pars, LED battens, strobes, LED blinders, and other fixtures, I had the tools at my disposal to create a dynamic show whe

Germany - Lars Weyerhas been appointed as new executive board member and chief financial officer (CFO) of ARRI. This announcement was made by the supervisory board of the global film technology company.
In this position, Lars Weyer is responsible for the finance, human resources, IT, and facility management departments. “The expansion of the executive board to include a CFO underscores the path we have already taken towards a faster and more flexible organization with strong business units,” explains Prof. Dr. Hans-Joerg Bullinger, chairman of ARRI’s supervisory board.
Lars Weyer adds: “I would like to thank the owners and the supervisory board for their trust and am very much looking forward to my new tasks. It is very important to me to create the best possible conditions so that ARRI can continue to be a successful technology company in the future.”

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the opening of its new facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. After 10 years in the Charlotte market, this is Bandit’s third new facility. The space will primarily accommodate the integration team as they continue their expansion into 2023.
Bandit Lites vice president of operations, Roth Edwards, spearheaded finding and delivering the new facility. After a month’s long search, the location north of Charlotte, North Huntersville was chosen for its community, quality building and idyllic neighbourhood.
The facility offers numerous offices, a conference room, break room and audio-visual presentations throughout the building allow Bandit clients to spend time with the Bandit team and view the details of their project as they unfold.
The purchase of the office follows the hiring of Paul Strom as system integrator and the advancemen

Germany - Chart topping rapper Kontra K avoids the “tough guy” persona that many other artists in this genre adopt, but, as the old saying goes, “looks can be deceiving”. Emerging from the mean streets of some of Berlin’s roughest neighbourhoods, the popular artist is busy being a bona fide martial arts expert and a boxing coach when he isn’t performing on stage.
These street creds notwithstanding, however, Kontra K takes a more positive uplifting approach in his music and live performances. True to his motto Towards The Sun, he manages to convey an uplifting message without losing any of the raw intensity that are so much a part of this past and personality.
Both sides of this complex artist were conveyed in a recent arena tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, not just in his music and stage presence, but also in an immersive and fast-moving lig

Ireland - Robe lighting staged a recent busy and successful open house event in partnership with The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College Dublin. The Lir Academy offers conservatory training for the theatre, film and television industries.
The open house platform proved ideal for showcasing some of the manufacturer’s latest products and technologies - including its Painte, iFORTE and LEDBeam 350 moving lights, the T11 static luminaire range, the T11 Profile manual follow spot and the popular RoboSpot system.
These were showcased to a range of lighting professionals plus students on the Lir’s Stage Management and Technical Theatre course.
The Lir’s main studio provided a suitable venue space and backdrop for the event which built on a similar one last year, the first since Covid. It is the intention to once again make it an annual benchm

UK - TLS Lighting has welcomed Mark Bailey on board as sales and marketing manager. Mark has extensive experience in the lighting Industry having worked on projects in the UK. and Europe for over 30 years.
Recently, he has been working on special effects and pyrotechnics for TV and Films, but is looking forward to working with the team at TLS Lighting on the wide range of projects they have ready to roll out this year.
TLS, which specialises in LED lighting control and Pixel tape products, has recently moved to new premises in north Walsham in Norfolk.

France - PlugFest returned to Lille France from 7-9 March, bringing together lighting professionals from across Europe to test products and learn about the latest protocols and standards.
Returning for the first time since the pandemic, the European event aims to improve the connectivity of lighting products and provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers, developers and technicians to test and debug their products. Organised by PLASA, the event sold out well in advance, signalling its importance to the lighting community.
Over 39 representatives attended from 25 companies, including ChamSys, Chauvet, Company NA, ETC, GLP, Highlite, Lamp and Pencil, MA Lighting, the National Theatre (London), Robert Juliat, the Royal Opera House (London), Robe, Swisson, TAIT and TSL.
First time attendee, Vincent Bouquet from Robe France comments: “PlugFest has been a rea


Belgium - Drag Race Belgique, a French-language reality television series based on the American series RuPaul's Drag Race, has been using Prolights' fixtures for their studio soft lighting.
The lighting was supplied by CST, where designer and DOP Nathan Melchior from RTBF (Belgium's national TV) chose 14x Prolights EclPanel TWC and 12x EclPanel TWCJr with Chimera lanterns.
"My choice naturally fell on the Prolights EclPanel series. I placed EclPanel TWCJr with Chimera lanterns in a very symmetrical way to ensure good homogeneity of light and the same level on the whole surface of the set. The other panels were placed around the perimeter of the truss and were used to reinforce the various light axes."
When asked about the use of a real set instead of a virtual one, the choice was clear: “Drag Race is an existing format in the United

UK - London’s Southwark Playhouse has opened its new theatre space: Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Situated in Elephant and Castle, the 310-seat building is the sister venue of Southwark Playhouse Borough and aims to provide world-class theatre as well as serve the local community.
As with any new theatre, the space had to be transformed from an empty building into a fully functioning performance venue. This involved acquiring the latest theatre lighting technology – something which White Light (WL) was called on to provide.
Prior to the opening of the Elephant space, Southwark Playhouse found itself in temporary venues, which meant always having to adapt to both the budgets and physical restraints of a space. As such, by having a new, permanent home, this meant they could finally implement the technical infrastructure that they always wanted.
Lee Elston, tec

France - As part an inventory renewal of static profile luminaires, the Paris Opera has ordered nearly 300 x Robe T11 Profile and T11 PCs, which will join the 200 x T1 and T2 Profiles already in place at the primary opera and ballet company of France.
All the fixtures are supplied via Alterlite, and like the T1 and T2 moving heads, the T11s will be distributed between the Opera’s two landmark venues in the French capital, Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille.
According to Jacques Giovanangeli, head of the lighting department at the Palais Garnier, “The T11 meets all the quality and performance criteria that we had set ourselves.
“The luminous flux and colourimetry meet our requirements and the locking of the framing shutters ensures that they will not go out of adjustment when the booms are moved.”
For Nicolas Beaud, head of the lighting department

Italy - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, directed by Stefano Genovese, made its debut appearance 80 years after its publication in a magnificent theatrical production that toured Italy from Rome to Milan in February, and will land in France and the rest of Europe next Autumn.
The production tackles some ‘grown-up’ themes, such as love, friendship, the meaning of life, and death, but does so in a simple language suitable for all ages. The story that tells us that adults never think about the really important things, i.e. those we are taught as children and forget once we grow up.
Lighting designer, Giovanni Pinna, chose 18 Ayrton Diablo fixtures for the theatrical staging, a choice dictated by the need for a lightweight motorised profile of small dimensions and high-performance.
As with other profile luminaires in the same Ayrton produc

UK - To create an immersive multimedia visual design for Paolo Nutini’s 2022 UK and European tour, lighting designer Liam Tully deployed an impressive lighting rig consisting of Martin MAC Ultra Wash and Ultra Performance fixtures.
In 2022, Nutini released his fourth full-length record titled Last Night in the Bittersweet, bolstered by hit singles Through the Echoes and Lose It. The second half of 2022 witnessed Nutini embarking on a UK and European arena tour, which ran from August until December with performances in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Romania, Switzerland and more.
To ensure an immersive visual experience for his fans and concert-goers, Nutini turned to trusted lighting designer Liam Tully to create a touring rig that not only delivered high-quality key lighting and punchy stage washes, but blended

Australia - Canberra-based Elite Event Technology (EET) supplied 96 x Astera AX1 PixelTubes for an eye-catching lighting design to illuminate a special Ministry of Sound Orchestral concert staged at Stage 88, a permanent venue ensconced in the leafy green environs of Commonwealth Park, Canberra.
EET’s client was promoter Zaccaria Concerts and Touring, and the lighting designer was Jayden Sutherland from design studio The Bakery Design Co.
The AX1s were used along the three over-stage trusses – front, mid and rear – and to define the edges of all the orchestra risers on the deck, creating elegant architectural looks as well as high impact effects.
EET’s Darren Russell explained that they suggested Jayden use the AX1s as there was a very tight overnight changeover after a Crowded House gig the night before, also with lighting, video and sound production s

The Netherlands - The 2022 Symphonica in Rosso concert staged at Amsterdam Ziggo Dome was headlined by legendary Netherlands girlband Dolly Dots. They ended their 2021/22 Reunion Tour with this special high impact show – rumoured to be their last ever live performance – accompanied by The European Pop Orchestra conducted by Guido Dieteren.
Lighting and set for the Dolly Dots tour was designed by associate lighting designer Thomas de Vries from renowned creative studio Live Legends, who specified 124 x Robe Spiiders, 45 x LEDBeam 150s and 31 x BMFL Blades for this Symphonica in Rosso show that closed out 2022.
The set and lighting for their Symphonica in Rosso appearance featured a re-imagined and upwardly-engineered version of their touring system which, combined with a general production design for the full series of shows, provided an eye-catching backdrop for a

USA - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band kicked off their 2023 World Tour in February in Tampa, Florida, with lighting design by long-time collaborator and Emmy-winning designer Jeff Ravitz.
Ravitz, who has been with Springsteen since the Born in the USA tour in 1984/85, chose a selection of Elation Professional lights for the current tour, including luminaires from the company’s IP65 Proteus series. Lighting supply is by Christie Lites.
The 2023 tour marks the first time since 2017 that Springsteen & the E Street Band have toured together. As part of an overall lighting system, Ravitz is using Elation’s Proteus Hybrid moving heads and newly released Proteus Rayzor 1960 LED wash/mid-air/specialty effect lights, along with Proteus Rayzor 760 for stadium shows. The rig also features Elation Cuepix 16 IP LED matrix blinder and effect panels, and compact Sm

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