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USA - Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Gracie Abrams, Pink and more – the stars came out in force for Live Nation's Fire Aid benefit concert. But behind the scenes there was also an array of talent that made this spectacular and very worthy event (it raised over $100m for those affected by the LA area fires) come to life.

Lighting designer Allen Branton and production designer Patrick Dierson led a talented team of professionals that created powerful, and often deeply moving looks, at two venues (Kia Forum and Intuit Dome) that connected not only to the live audiences, but also to the 50m who watched on various livestreams.

Although the shows looked seamless with the crisp coordination of lighting

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UK - Unusual Rigging returned to the Royal Albert Hall for the 2025 Olivier Awards on Sunday 6 April, bringing its expertise and large-scale technical capability to one of British theatre’s biggest nights. No stranger to either the venue or the event, Unusual was tasked with delivering the full scope of rigging and draughting requirements for this year’s spectacular ceremony – supporting an ambitious production with sustainable, reusable rigging infrastructure.

“We were brought on to handle all the rigging and draughting requirements for the show,” said Luke MacBride, design engineer at Unusual Rigging. “Our scope included the design and installation of a mother truss to support lighting equipment, scenery, and the automated presentation screen. We also supplied trussing for drapery, including a custom-fabricated curved truss for the red drape, a

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Germany - Following the recent launch of the new GLP impression S500, the powerful successor to the proven impression S350 was put to use in December 2024 at the Tollwood Winter Festival in Munich. PRG Germany deployed 34 of the 500W LED profile fixtures for the spectacular show Duel Reality by Canadian company The 7 Fingers, which ran from 17-22 December in the Grand Chapiteau theatre tent.

PRG has been the full-service provider for the technical equipment of the festival for over 20 years, covering all tents as well as the entire outdoor and ambient lighting of the event, which is held twice a year (summer/winter).

The fast-paced show Duel Reality is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet. Performed on a red and blue arena-style stage, two rival groups face off and deliver captivating feats of

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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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South Africa - The 2024 Afrikaans is Groot (AIG) concert series was staged at SunBet Arena in Time Square, Pretoria, produced by Coleske Artist Management. Nine sold-out performances thrilled audiences over two consecutive weekends.

The show was lit by two of South Africa’s best-known lighting designers, Joshua Cutts and André Siebrits from Visual Frontier. On the lighting rig were Robe moving lights, all delivered by Johannesburg-based lighting rental company, MGG.

Cutts and Siebrits have both worked on the annual event previously. In fact, Cutts has clocked up around seven years as lighting designer and Siebrits at least six, the last four as lead programmer. 2024 was the 10th anniversary of the overall event which has proved enduringly popular with the Afrikaans community.

The general theme this year was gold, so for l

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UK - When the Tony Award-nominated musical A Night with Janis Joplin made its UK premiere at London’s Peacock Theatre, audiences were not only swept away by Joplin’s music but also by an immersive audio experience courtesy of KV2 Audio’s state-of-the-art sound system.

The production, which celebrates the life and music of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, utilised KV2’s ESR215, EX1.8 subwoofers, and ESD5 loudspeakers to deliver sound quality that captured every nuance of Joplin’s performances.

Sound designer Poti Martin shares how he became involved: “I’ve worked with the producer on many projects before. When they called me for this, I knew it would be something special.”

The brief was as ambitious as the subject matter – to recreate the raw energy of a Janis Joplin concert while narrating her life story. “It’s m

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USA - LG Electronics has delivered display solutions to Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball (MLB). In late March, LG installed a massive main LED videoboard in centrefield at Fenway Park, measuring 30.5m wide by 11.5m high and covering an area of 350.75 square metres.

Additionally, LG delivered a comprehensive display solution comprising 11 digital signage installations. These screens span a combined area of approximately 842sq.m, including a notable 171sq.m ribbon board display.

Starting 4 April, fans had the opportunity to experience the action of the game in vivid detail, delivered by LG’s LED signage displays during the home opener – the first Fenway Park matchup of the 2025 MLB season between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals.

With a focus on ‘redefining the fan

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UK - Pharos Architectural Controls has announced it will continue its busy line-up of industry events in the first half of 2025, including its return to Leeds for PLASA Focus in May.

Hosted at the Royal Armouries on 13 - 14 May, this exhibition brings together the latest innovations and the brightest minds in live events, installation, and entertainment technology.

Located at stand N-D19, the team will meet with visitors and highlight key updates to their lighting control product ranges, Pharos Expert and Pharos Designer.

The team will be demonstrating what's new in the Pharos Expert range, including support for the Pharos RIO G4 – a four-port gateway that adds convenient Ethernet-distributed DMX ports to an Expert system.

At the show, Pharos will also showcase the latest improvements in its Expert 1.2 software, including RDM (Remot

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Europe - Ayrton has introduced Stradale Profile, the most compact, lightweight, versatile luminaire in the Ultimate range. Built around the concept of minimising the fixture’s footprint while significantly enhancing its performance, Stradale Profile is the first ultra-compact luminaire in Ayrton’s brand-new 1 Series.

Seamlessly following in Rivale’s footsteps with a 15% reduction in visual footprint, Stradale Profile’s design embodies the principle of uniformity that defines the Ultimate range. Through meticulous engineering and extreme miniaturisation, every detail is optimised to streamline the structure, refine effect modules, and minimise component size, pushing integration to new limits.

The new format has led to the development of an all-new high-efficiency 330W LED module, precisely calibrated at 6,500K, delivering a luminous output of

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USA - From April 6-9, Sony’s NAB Show 2025 exhibit in Las Vegas (N439) immersed attendees in leading innovations, insights, workflows, and expertise supporting four key areas: live production solutions, news and production workflows, imaging solutions, and virtual production.

New highlights include a Super35mm camera system with Variable Neutral Density (VND), an ultra-compact full-frame camera extension system, and a camera tracking solution for enriching content creation.

Sony’s enhancements and technologies support the latest industry needs and capabilities by enabling new forms of expression and productivity through cloud and IP protocols, cinematic capture, and Spatial Content creation, as well as augmented extended reality (XR) and virtual effects (VFX) workflows. The company is empowering broadcasters, cinematographers, production teams an

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International - The latest issue of LSi is out now, and can be read online for free here.

Inside our new April issue, Cat Strom catches up with the crew behind Kylie’s Tension tour at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, finding a screen-heavy production that blends nostalgia with modern flair.

Also this month, Rob Halliday explores the new Sadler’s Wells East dance theatre in Stratford. Plus, Phil Ward visits London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s to hear its new sound system; Rachel Terzian charts the evolution of Slovakia’s SRS Group; and Claire Beeson meets the visionaries behind Clean Bandit’s recent London Palladium show.

We also explore the new sound and lighting

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USA - Harman Professional Solutions has announced a major milestone in the success of the Martin MAC Viper XIP, celebrating the 10,000th fixture manufactured in its first 10 months. To mark the achievement, Martin has produced a one-of-a-kind MAC Viper XIP in the brand’s yellow colour, built as a commemorative piece honouring the milestone and the people behind its design and production.

With shipping that began in June 2024, the MAC Viper XIP quickly became a go-to solution for event production companies supporting music festivals, concert tours, television programmes, as well as installations in performing arts centres and theatres worldwide.

The 10,000th unit represents more than a sales milestone. It’s a testament to the engineering, design, and production excellence that is poised to define the moving head market for the next decade, just as

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UK - Ambersphere Solutions has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with ROXX, the German lighting technology manufacturer.

Effective immediately, Ambersphere Solutions will serve as the sole UK distributor for ROXX products, offering full access to the brand’s innovative range of professional lighting fixtures. This includes their Cluster Series, LED solutions, and advanced IP-rated fixtures designed for both indoor and outdoor applications.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome ROXX to the Ambersphere portfolio,” says Lee House, managing director of Ambersphere Solutions. “ROXX products bring a fresh and exciting dimension to our offering – combining exceptional engineering with beautiful design and uncompromising performance. We believe their vision perfectly aligns with our commitment to delivering the best tools and support

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China - Brompton Technology has announced that LED display manufacturer AOTO has joined its Panel Manufacturer Partner Programme as a gold partner.

With a proven track record of delivering premium LED displays tailored to diverse environments, AOTO’s entry into Brompton’s partner programme highlights its commitment to collaborating with global industry leaders to push the boundaries of what LED technology can achieve.

The partnership guarantees that AOTO’s LED solutions are fully optimised for use with Brompton’s Tessera LED video processing platform.

Brompton’s Panel Manufacturer Partnership Programme, launched in 2024, aims to foster long-term, strategic collaborations with LED panel manufacturers around the world. AOTO joins a growing network of trusted partners, including ROE Visual as the founding diamond partner, INFiLED and A

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USA - PSNI Global Alliance is reinforcing its commitment to excellence in AV service and support with the launch of a new Quality Assurance Certification (QAC). This exclusive programme is designed to empower its network of certified solution providers (CSPs) with advanced quality assurance knowledge, ensuring standardized excellence across global AV projects.

Developed in collaboration with a committee of quality leaders from PSNI’s CSP companies worldwide and based on AQAV (Association for Quality in Audio-Visual Technology) AV9000 standard, the QAC merges industry-leading quality principles with real-world business applications. By leveraging core concepts from the AV9000 quality documentation process, the certification fosters a culture of continual improvement and technological precision.

Chris Miller, executive direct

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UK - As part of London’s East Bank development, a new cultural quarter in East London alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL East, and the V&A East Museum and Storehouse, Sadler’s Wells East recently opened its doors at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. This vibrant creative hub features a 550-seat theatre and six studios designed for the creation and development of dance productions.

Staying true to its promise of offering ‘dance from every angle’, the venue not only supports the production of new work and artist development but also offers a unique architectural design. The Dance Floor, a public performance space in the theatre’s expansive wrap-around foyer, provides a platform for community groups and guest artists, making it a welcoming space for all dance styles.

Over the past few years, White Light (WL)

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Denmark - Lighting designer and programmer Nicklas Dam from Explosion Danmark Light and Sound APS, a rental and production company based in Dalmose, is an Avolites user and fan of the brand.

Explosion has also been a long-term investor in the UK-based lighting control manufacturer, and in 2022, purchased an Avolites D9 console – currently the largest in Avo’s ‘D’ series range of consoles – which was added to their existing inventory of Avolites consoles which includes Sapphire, Tiger Touch II, and Titan Mobile, making Explosion among the largest Avo rental houses in the country. The company was founded by Henrik Larsen in 1999.

Dam, who is a full-time employee at Explosion, has been using the D9 ever since the purchase in 2022 for multiple projects including numerous festivals and some high-profile sporting events, which are a core area of

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Finland - Helsinki Music Centre, home to Finland's two most prestigious orchestras, has completed a significant technical renovation featuring an L-Acoustics L Series loudspeaker system as its centrepiece. The audio upgrade, part of a larger renovation that included lighting systems and new mixing consoles, provides superior coverage and clarity in the venue's challenging acoustic environment while elegantly overcoming previous architectural and sight line constraints.

The 1,700-seat concert hall, which hosts approximately 1,500 events annually across its various spaces, presents challenges for amplified performances. Hosting international artists, television productions, and radio broadcasts in addition to classical music, the hall requires a solution that could deliver clear, controlled sound throughout its unusual 360-degree seating configuration.

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Brazil - What began in 1991 as a farewell tour for the band Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza quickly transformed into one of the most influential music festivals in the world. Anchored in Chicago, where it remains a defining summer event, Lollapalooza has expanded across four continents, bringing diverse line-ups and unforgettable experiences to audiences in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France, Sweden, Israel, and India. Its South American journey began in 2011, further cementing its status as a global music powerhouse.

The 2025 Brazilian edition, held from 28-30 March in São Paulo, once again proved why it’s one of South America’s premier music festivals. Headlined by Olivia Rodrigo, Rüfüs Du Sol, Shawn Mendes, Alanis Morissette, Justin Timberlake, and Tool, Lollapalooza Brasil delivered an electrifying weekend of music acro

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UK - Located in the vibrancy of London’s East End, Bloodline Gym is one of the UK's top Muay-Thai & Kickboxing centres. To achieve the high-energy atmosphere that is central to the club’s workout routines, gym owner Paul Marut opted for an Optimal Audio ecosystem to be its beating heart.

The easy-to-use, quality commercial audio system, which is controlled via Optimal Audio’s WebApp, was installed by integrator Essex Sound and Light. The company MD, Mike Glover, said: “The installation was so simple. The products are so easy to set up and configure and the complete project, from first fix to end result, took us just four days.”

The recently opened venue is the result of the gym’s 20-year history and solid reputation in the area. Bloodline started out in a small and now outgrown space in Clapton. Marut’s career as doorman in city clu

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Italy - There are certain architectural and historic structures that present particularly demanding challenges when it comes to installing and optimising sound systems.

This complexity is particularly redolent of churches and other places of worship: avoiding annoying acoustic reverberations, preventing incorrect propagation of sounds, and ensuring maximum intelligibility of music and speech (while still respecting precise architectural constraints) are of paramount importance, especially when dealing with treasured historical buildings.

This challenge was recently faced head on by the Piacenza-based IT and system integration company Inside Srl, for the Church of Sant’Erasmo in Castel Goffredo, situated in the province of Mantua.

The Church’s parish priest, Don Giuseppe Bergamaschi, explained: “The idea of ​​upgrading the sound syst

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Europe - ETC’s new Foundry Switch Panel is a high-performance power control solution designed specifically for the 230V market. It’s packed with features to help manage today’s modern electrical loads and tools to help venues intelligently manage their energy usage. Capable of 12-, 24-, or 48-channels of switched power, it is built in ETC’s European factory for use throughout EMEA and other 230V markets.

“We listened to what was needed for the venues and electricians in the 230V market and designed a complete solution to make installation and maintenance easy,” says ETC market manager Rory Fraser-Mackenzie. “The Foundry Switch Panel follows EU design protocols, wiring standards, and methodology so electricians can get it working quickly – resulting in less work for your onsite team.”

Today’s systems use electricity differently and

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