Projects

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06 February 2025

USA - Country Music Hall of Fame member and 15-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs spent December sharing the gift of bluegrass on the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Christmas holiday show. Bandit Lites provided the lighting for the acoustic style concert that included classic songs as well as original hits.

Bandit Lites lighting designer and project manager Craig Richter designed the system to wrap around the stage, laying it in an arch and stringing festoon fixtures between the pipe and base fixtures. 
“I chose to go with fixtures that would not blind the audience and would give a nice look onstage even when they are not on, and the Portman P2 EVO was the perfect fixture for that,” said Richter. “I added Robe Halos to help compliment the P2 EVO’s as well as give the lighting director a fun fixture to do some pixel effects with.”

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06 February 2025

UK - London’s University of Greenwich has unveiled its Shared Hub for Immersive Future Technologies (SHIFT), a £1m facility dedicated to advancing multichannel sound composition, immersive audio and visual performance. Central to SHIFT’s success is Genelec monitoring, which provides the spatial precision needed for innovative sound production.

At the heart of the new Immersive Sound Lab, located in the King William Building of the Old Royal Naval College, is a 32.4 spherical array of Genelec Smart Active Monitors comprising 32 8331 three-way monitors and 4 7350 subwoofers. Calibrated using GLM software, the system supports high-resolution ambisonic recordings and formats including Atmos, DTS:X and Auro 3D – pushing creative boundaries in sound composition.

“There was only ever one choice for our new Immersive Lab,” says Andrew Knight-Hill,

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05 February 2025

UK - A team of engineers from audio specialist tube uk worked through freezing temperatures, icy winds and snow to deliver sound systems for the two key areas of Bradford’s spectacular UK City of Culture Opening Event, staged in City Park.

The show, RISE, was created by award-winning director Kirsty Housley and Bradford-born magician Steven Frayne (formerly known as Dynamo), with a cast of around 200 including poets, rappers, aerialists, dancers, an orchestra, community choirs and more. Attended by 20,000 spectators over two fully sold-out nights, it kicked off Bradford’s year as the UK’s Capital of Culture.

tube uk’s work was system designed, and project managed by Melvyn Coote. The Manchester-based company was working directly for Bradford 2025 under the direction of the production and technical management of Thomas Reilly and Jaco

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05 February 2025

Italy - Turin’s Kappa FuturFestival was billed as Italy's largest EDM event. It was staged at Parco Dora, an evocative urban park where metal pylons, rather than trees, mark many paths.

Rising out of the ruins of an abandoned Fiat and Michelin manufacturing complex, the 456,000sq.m park exudes a stark and hauntingly moving aura with concrete towers and 30m high metal beams dotting its grounds.

For the 85,000 or so who attended the music was performed by many of the world's leading EDM artists, including Tale of Us, Skrillex, Tiësto, and Carl Cox.

Accenting that music with a bold, futuristic lighting design that incorporated the architectural elements of Parco Dora, was Giovanni Ricciardi, who described the process this way: "This year, in addition to taking care of the lighting part of all the stages of the Kappa FuturFestival, I took care

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04 February 2025

Sweden - Launched in 2004 and part of a global franchise, Swedish Idol is one of the most popular shows on Swedish television. Broadcast live on channel TV4, it provides a platform on which hopeful Swedish singing stars can showcase their talents and compete to gain widespread recognition.

The latest series of live performances ran from 12 October to 7 December at the Filadelfia Convention Centre in central Stockholm, and was lit by lighting designer, Linus Pansell, who included Ayrton Kyalami, Rivale Profile and MagicBlade FX fixtures in his rig.

“The Kyalamis and MagicBlades were crucial for me to build the show,” says Pansell. “I’m usually quite negotiable to changing fixtures to fit the suppliers’ inventories, but this time I really wanted these specific fixtures. I could easily swap out other lights in the rig, but I was very

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04 February 2025

USA - A two-storey Levantine themed bar restaurant has been set up in Washington DC’s Union Market District by Michelin-starred restaurateur, Michael Rafidi.

On the ground floor is Yellow Café, the second location in an already successful bakery concept, and this has now been joined by the vibrant La’ Shukran restaurant. Both areas have been equipped from top to bottom, along with the outside rooftop patio and back stairs alley, linking the two venues, by the recently formed Beltway Audio Group. This is a merger between two young audio entrepreneurs, Doug Cyr of Precision Event Rentals, and his friend Brady Rall - both known in the region as engineers for large local sound systems, largely at raves and warehouse parties.

Rall was first introduced to Martin Audio over a decade ago at Washington DC’s once-beloved underground music venue, U Stree

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04 February 2025

UK - An Audient ORIA Immersive Audio Interface and Monitor Controller has been installed as the ‘go-to’ monitor controller and sound card in Challow Park Studios. One of the first facilities to take advantage of Oria’s ability to integrate with Dante technology, the Oxfordshire facility has used Oria for all its most recent projects across a range of genres.

“I find the sound quality astonishing on the analogue outputs,” confirms Will Biggs, the on-site producer and engineer, who has been overseeing their transition to immersive audio.

“We recently moved Oria into my main recording room so I can monitor in Dolby Atmos. We run a hybrid system, but all of our converters connect to Pro Tools via Dante,” he explains. Although they had been running Dolby Atmos in the studio for nearly two years, finding a suitable controller to run the speak

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03 February 2025

Kuwait - For the opening ceremony of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait in December, lighting and production designer Roland Greil deployed 173 Proteus Maximus LED wash/beam fixtures along with 49 Proteus Excalibur beam lights, both IP65-rated moving heads.

“When lighting a magnificent, 360-degree, theatrically produced stadium ceremony, where you’re dealing with throws of 50-100 meters or more, besides lighting the stage or field of play you also want to achieve some magic and theatrical spice, and what you need there is firepower,” says Greil.

Using 222 moving heads to light a major event stadium ceremony may sound like a substantial number, but compared to many similar opening ceremonies, the fixture counts for the Arabian Gulf Cup was more modest. For the Asian Cup opening ceremony in Qatar a year earlier for example, Greil had over three times

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03 February 2025

Mexico - Café Tacvba from Naucalpan de Juárez, have blended Mexican musical influences with mainstream rock sounds in their 35-year career. Inspired by the likes of The Smiths, The Cure, and Violent Femmes, they've added alt rock and psychedelic elements to their inimitable style. Later, the Grammy and Latin Grammy winners also invited hip-hop to their party.

"Their music is super eclectic, going from the simplest Mexican folk songs to the blistering electric punk & rock sounds they are accustomed to belting out night after night," observed Felix Peralta.  "They are one of the most amazing live bands I have ever seen - and I feel fortunate to have seen a lot of live bands throughout my 30-plus years in the industry. Most importantly, they’re some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet."

Peralta has been lighting Café Tacvba for about eight

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31 January 2025

Europe - Denmark-based entertainment automation specialist Motor Stage Automation (MSA) is supplying a full rigging, control and automation package for the current Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular world tour, co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh Ltd (CML) and Nick Grace Management and performing in over 15 countries and regions worldwide.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production team led by technical director Chris Boone directly approached MSA wanting an ingenious touring solution and global technical support for the tour.

Nick Grace Management, who is responsible for contracting the touring personnel, asked Roger Smissen onboard as head of rigging and automation, with his company, Van Der Smissen Production, providing a touring crew team to work with the production’s rigging and automation requirements.

Smissen worked in conjunction

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31 January 2025

UK - The Royal Shakespeare Company, a major British theatre company in the UK, has selected ETC control and fixtures to upgrade its flagship Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), including Apex 10 and Apex 5 consoles, Eos Apex Processor, Eos Programming Wings and more.

The theatre is a leader in creative technologies and digital development. The RSC recognised the urgent need to upgrade the lighting equipment to increase the theatre’s environmental sustainability and efficiency for the future. ETC dealer Stage Electrics supplied the new equipment to the venue. This upgrade has been made possible with the support of Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.

Together, the teams at both the RSC and Stage Electrics identified the technical requirements and, following several conversations and hands-on time with Eos Apex, determined that it was

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31 January 2025

Italy - Located in the heart of Reggio Emilia, Ruote da Sogno is famed for its exquisite collection of classic cars and motorcycles. When the showroom decided to begin hosting events, Marco Gianferrari, technical manager for the venue, chose two S31 consoles, complete with a DQ-Rack each, all supplied by Audio Link, to ensure audio quality and flexibility.

Ruote da Sogno’s new events space is 10,000sq.m, arranged with flexible divisions, to offer the greatest range of possibilities for clients. A Dante network links all areas of the space, so the DQ-Racks are a suitable addition to ensure complete connectivity and reliability. Each rack is a 6U unit, with dual redundant power supplies and DMI-Dante, providing all the power of a larger rack in a more compact package. Each rack delivers 48 mic inputs and 24 line outputs, with the final four being switchable

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31 January 2025

The Netherlands - The Schouwburg Kunstmin in Dordrecht is a busy, bustling theatre and performing arts venue, which has made another major purchase of Robe LED lighting fixtures with 83 x T11 Profiles. These have been added to their Main Hall house lighting rig, replacing all the old, fixed position incandescent profiles and PCs.

The venue is both a producing and a receiving house, and in the Main Hall, the busy and vibrant programme of performance – embracing musicals, dance shows, cabaret, comedy, and concerts – can be lit with an all-Robe and fully LED lighting rig and investment funded entirely by the theatre itself.

Simultaneously, the venue purchased 12 x Robe ParFect 150s to replace their conventional PARS, another four T1 profiles – bringing the current total to 12 when combined with others bought in 2022 to replace their ageing 2Ks on

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31 January 2025

UK - Sometime around the start of the second century, in the spot where The Guildhall now stands, the Romans completed a coliseum which housed chariot racers and, yes, gladiators. On 13 November, a bit of this ancient grandeur (happily without actual gladiatorial combat!) returned to London, as the city hosted the premiere of Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2 at Leicester Square, complete with set pieces inspired by Roman architecture.

The setting, created by Limited Edition Event design, welcomed a glittering array of guests, including the film's director and stars, along with King Charles. Contributing to the festive tone of the event was a lighting design by Richard Godin that was run on a Chamsys MagicQ MQ250M desk, anchored by a legion of Chauvet Professional LED video panels, all supplied by Milton Keynes-based IPS.

At the heart of the design

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31 January 2025

USA - During a 25-minute OHM fitness class, lighting is synchronised with the video feed to create a fully immersive workout experience. As a workout progresses, lighting changes colours, and instructors intensify the music as the workout becomes more challenging. During cool-down, instructors turn to softer, calming music to help relax members.

OHM Franchise, headquartered in Arizona with studios nationwide, turned to Randy Stearman, owner of Arizona-based integrator Holocron LLC, to create a lighting and audio package that could be replicated at every location. Stearman chose the Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional to drive each workout.

“LEA is right in that sweet spot where we have the power requirements, the channel counts, and the super-efficient architecture,” said Stearman. “The ease of integration and flexibility of their a

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30 January 2025

Australia - A new bridge in Sydney has become a captivating landmark through the use of dynamic lighting, controlled by a system from lighting control specialists Pharos Architectural Controls.

The Sydney Gateway Twin Arch Bridge is a new and vital transport link, connecting the suburb of St Peters and surrounding areas with Sydney Airport. This has improved the connectivity and accessibility of the area, making it easier for those travelling to and from the airport.

While the bridge is providing an important function, it has become a visually stunning element of the built environment through the addition of colourful and dynamic lighting. This effect has been achieved with the specification of Coolon’s Spectrum RGBW IP, controlled by a number of solutions from Pharos.

The Pharos system is creating a mesmerising kaleidoscope of colours, dis

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30 January 2025

USA - The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra stands as a cultural treasure, captivating listeners for decades with its annual outdoor concert on Art Hill in Forest Park. With thousands of attendees each year, the symphony aims to provide every person with a memorable and immersive musical experience.

However, achieving exceptional sound quality in such a large and uniquely shaped outdoor space has been a longstanding challenge. Audience members at the top of the hill often miss out on the clarity and fullness of the performance compared to those sitting closer to the stage.

Enter Switch, a creative agency and production house based in St. Louis that has been supporting the symphony for nearly 20 years. They recognised the need for a solution that ensures reliable and clear audio for every concertgoer. “With current audiences approaching 20,000+ people an

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30 January 2025

Canada - Designer Gil Perron lit the Luc Poirrier Ferrari collection and the Performance Zone at the Montreal International Auto Show, with 232 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by LSM.

Valued at over $61m, the Ferrari collection featured some 35 vehicles, dating back to 1962 up to the present, including the Monza SP2, the LaFerrari Aperta, and the Enzo, as well as models like the 296 GTS, SF90 Spider, and F8 Spider. Lighting these was not without its challenges.

"Having cars ranging from shiny canary yellow to satin anthracite black right next to each other required some adjustment in actual physical positions of instruments," said Perron, who credits his programmer Helene St-Pierre with helping him meet this challenge. "Helene showed extreme patience, as I can be a bit obsessive when it comes to focus and colour balances! All in all, this invo

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29 January 2025

Europe - German rapper and pop singer Cro took fans on a musical journey through his career, spanning more than a decade, when he played 11 dates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on his Cronicles Tour 2024 supported by Claypaky Sharpy X Frame and Skylos lighting fixtures.

Creative director Clemens Hofbauer aimed to build a show within a very modern and contemporary world, versatile enough to support a narrative that took the audience from the artist’s past through the present and into his future. Hofbauer also provided production design and video content for the tour. Satis&Fy was the lighting and set vendor.

Lighting designer Roland Greil of 360º Collective selected 67 versatile Claypaky Sharpy X Frames and 20 Skylos laser-source beam fixtures, to illuminate the artist and the very minimalistic and contemporary stage architecture

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29 January 2025

India - India Bike Week (IBW) 2024, held on 6-7 December at Vagator, Goa, was a vivid celebration of biking culture, attracting thousands of motorbike enthusiasts from across the world. With the theme The Next Chapter, this year’s edition marked a defining moment for the festival, blending the raw energy of motorbikes with cutting-edge entertainment.

Set against the backdrop of Goa’s scenic beauty, the event featured activities such as the Harley-Davidson Flat Track Race, the Reise Moto Dirt Dash and Hill Climb, and performances by riders like MotoGP’s Xavier Simeon and adventurer Elspeth Beard, the first British woman to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle.

Music was the heartbeat of the festival. Two stages – the Main Stage and the Howling Dog Stage – set the rhythm for the weekend, offering a sonic adventure that c

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29 January 2025

Germany - With its skull-and-crossbones logo, FC St. Pauli is anything but a conventional football club. Known for its commitment to social activism, the Hamburg-based team won promotion to Germany’s Bundesliga last season and has steadily built a reputation as a cultural phenomenon – attracting a devoted following that extends far beyond Germany’s borders.

Housed within the Millerntor-Stadion, the FC St. Pauli Museum celebrates the team’s rich history and ethos. Now, thanks to a Genelec audio installation, visitors can experience the magic and emotion of this club. Combining immersive soundscapes with audio technology, the new setup brings the roar of the crowd and the essence of the club into full focus.

Founded in 1910, FC St. Pauli began as an unremarkable football club that evolved into a symbol of rebellion and inclusivity. During the 1

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29 January 2025

USA - Founded in 2017, the Korean-American Joong Ang Church in Las Vegas has seen a steady growth in its congregation over the years, and recently left its existing premises to move to a new larger chapel building on Peace Way, just 10 minutes away from the city’s main strip.

With a substantial stage in place, the venue’s main space seats approximately 600 and hosts a variety of worship including spoken sermons, solo singers, bands and complete musical shows. When the Church moved to the new venue, its sound system was out-dated and unreliable. Pastor Im In-Cheol and his team decided to install a new audio system and engaged Troy Choi of Solid Sound Solutions to deliver.

As a member of the strong and close-knit Korean Church community, Choi is a trusted and expert audio practitioner in both the installation and live sound sectors. As well as fixe

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29 January 2025

USA - This past holiday season, lighting design group Lightswitch and production house Upstaging collaborated on a new lighting experience at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Impressed by the magical lighting Lightswitch had created for Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois – one of the nation’s most cherished light displays which has featured Elation lighting since 2016 – Meijer Gardens sought the same level of quality and entrusted Lightswitch to design something spectacular for their space.

The creative team delivered an art and nature-inspired display of experiences, many of them interactive, that delighted visitors from 27 November to 4 January. Creative direction, lighting design, and programming were all spearheaded by Lightswitch, with Upstaging providing

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28 January 2025

South Africa - The second series of The Masked Singer SA was one of the most successful music TV shows of 2024, broadcast on SABC, and featuring a production lighting design created by two of the country’s most talented LDs, Ryan Lombard and Joshua Cutts, based around the core components of 150 Robe moving lights.

All technical production was supplied by Blond Productions for the series, which was recorded at the Studios on Harley facility in Randburg, Greater Johannesburg.

Lombard and Cutts had previously worked together on Family Feud and SA’s Got Talent so it made sense for them to once again pool their imaginations for The Masked Singer SA.

With Cutts coming in as a designer as well, Lombard made some changes to the original design based on what he had learned during season 1, which