Lighting

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15 July 2025

UK - Ian Livie Lighting, the Birmingham-based lighting rental company with over four decades of industry experience, has made a substantial investment in Martin's new MAC Aura Raven XIP fixtures, from exclusive UK distributor, Live Technology. The investment, the first rental inventory of Ravens in stock in the UK, marks a strategic shift for the company with its investment in future-proof technology.

Founded by Ian Livie in the 1980s, the company began as a small operation selling DJ lighting equipment. Over the years, the company evolved from a one-man-and-van operation into a respected rental house, working with major touring artists including Joe Bonamassa, Missy Elliott, and Robert Plant, as well as providing lighting for architectural projects and festivals across the UK.

The company's journey through the industry's evolution has given Livie in

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14 July 2025

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

‘90s music has seen a resurgence in popularity of late. Just look at the current Oasis reunion tour, and high-charting new albums by the likes of Pulp, Suede and more. Another ‘90s heavyweight enjoying the limelight once more is this month’s cover star, Robbie Williams. Currently on this road with the Britpop Tour, Robbie’s energetic, ambitious show features a giant, articulated rocket structure – and a complex lighting and sound set-up. Phil Ward catches up with the crew for his report.

Also inside, Ian Cullen gets the production scoop on The Great Gatsby, and we bring you a r

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14 July 2025

Belgium - 24 of ADJ’s high-output Vizi Beam CMY moving head fixtures took centre stage at the Stamp Outdoor Festival in Hoogstraten in early May, bringing sharp beams, saturated colour, and mind-blowing movement to the open-air dance event.

Rental and production company EQS Pro-Rent supplied and installed the lighting setup, specifically investing in the Vizi Beam CMY units to ensure the festival's lighting design would stand out.

Stamp Outdoor took place back in May and is known for its vibrant atmosphere and strong lineup of electronic music artists. For its 2025 edition, the festival welcomed a crowd of thousands for a high-energy weekend celebration of music and culture. To match the intensity and scale of the event, EQS Pro-Rent selected the Vizi Beam CMY for its immense output, lightning-fast pan/tilt movement, and the creat

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14 July 2025

USA - For the recent US leg of Coheed and Cambria's 2025 tour, lighting designer Ben Jarrett of Squeek Lights crafted a visual feast using Elation’s award-winning Paragon moving head as his primary spot fixture.

The Paragon M played a central role in shaping the visuals while supporting the band’s Amory Wars narrative, including the dramatic lighting of a full-sized inflatable character on stage. New Jersey-based Squeek Lights, a one-stop shop for stage lighting in the area, provided all lighting, video, and rigging for the tour.

The co-headlining tour with Mastodon, which ran from early May to 8 June, showcased 34 Paragon M fixtures – 24 mounted in two striking three-stick chevron truss arrays over the stage, and 10 on the downstage truss for frontlight.

“They’ve been amazing,” said LD Jarrett, who fulfilled a number of

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11 July 2025

USA/Europe - To provide Janet Jackson’s Together Again tour with immersive and impactful visuals, lighting designer Eric Wade implemented a versatile and adaptable rig featuring the Martin MAC One fixture, produced by PRG and Crossfade.

As one of the most successful artists of all time, Janet Jackson has sold over 100m records in her multi-decade career and defined the MTV era with her impactful choreography and multifaceted sound. Beginning in April 2023 through October 2024, the Together Again tour marked Jackson’s first return to the road in four years and promised audiences across the world a prolific set featuring both decade-defining hits and fan favourites.

With a discography that pulls from a wide array of genres and influences, from new jack swing to hip-hop to pop, Jackson required a lighting rig that could adapt to an

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11 July 2025

Serbia - The first Avolites D7-330 and D7-215 consoles have arrived in the Balkans region – received by Belgrade-based Avolites distributor, Light & Sound Design (LSD) – where they will be in action with the team led by Milan Scepanovic.

LSD proactively distributes the full range of Robe Group brands – Anolis, Artistic Licence, LSC, and of Avo – across all the Balkans countries (Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania) and the Robe brand itself in Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

LSD’s CEO Milan Scepanovic says, “It is great to have the first D7 models – to my knowledge – in the whole of southeast Europe. The consoles are powerful, flexible and portable and they look very cool. Given the general presence of Avolites here in the region, I think there will be plenty of interest in the D7 and we will be

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11 July 2025

France - A new Robe moving light rig has been installed in the 800-capacity Liquid Lounge main theatre space aboard the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship, which stages a host of large-scale production shows, themed performances, and other entertainment events. This was undertaken during an extensive refurbishment of the vessel whilst in dry dock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille in Marseilles, France, earlier this year. 

The lighting upgrade included the installation of 84 Robe moving lights – 40 x Painte Spots, 34 x LEDBeam 350s and 10 Fortes – into the venue and was overseen by the Carnival Cruise line fleet supervisor for lighting, Silviu Ardelean, and Carnival’s entertainment manager for lighting Alex Nelson. The project was coordinated for Robe’s Maritime division by global sales director for maritime, Tony Perez.

This combination of light

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11 July 2025

UK - An impressive collection of ChamSys consoles were deployed at Glastonbury 2025, handling all the demands made by a five-day festival spread across 900 acres, yet powerful, flexible and intuitive enough to help LDs conjure up some memorable moments.

At the head of the pack was the MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console, flagship of the ChamSys line that directly supports 400 universes without external processors and offers fully motorized faders and encoders with 42 playbacks.  Its potent features were put to use at the Woodsies Stage where Ed Warren powered shows by Four Tet and Lola Young with consoles supplied by LCR. Joe Beardsmore brought one of his own MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium consoles to cast an immersive mood for Tom Odell at the stage provided by Siyan and a floor package from Coloursound Experiment.

Over at the Circus Big Top, James Loudon made

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11 July 2025

US/UK/Canada - ETC has introduced the talented students that are participating in the 2025 Fred Foster Student Mentorship Programme, hailing from the United States, Canada, and the UK. Through the programme’s online networking events, students will meet a wide range of industry mentors, building connections as they kick off their careers. ETC’s late Founder and CEO Fred Foster started the programme in 1999, recognising the critical role mentorship plays in any lighting professional’s career. Congratulations to the 2025 Fred Foster Student Mentees:

International Students

Aravindh (Aran) Baskar is a student at University College London, entering his final year. He has over 900 hours of experience in lighting theatre and music productions, working on a variety of projects from dance and drama to live

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11 July 2025

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the call for nominations for the Stephen Joseph Award 2025, as an ongoing tribute to Stephen Joseph’s contribution to our theatre culture.

This Award recognises innovative and inclusive theatre excellence in today’s British theatre and celebrates the variety of ways contemporary theatre and its practitioners continue to break new ground in engaging audiences.

Now open for 2025 submissions, a wide variety of practice is eligible including the ongoing work of a theatre company, a specific production, an individual theatre artist or director, or an innovative theatre building design or performance space.

Submissions are welcome from theatres, practitioners, or the general public as long as nominations are accompanied by suitable evidence.

In 2024, the Stephen Jo

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11 July 2025

Europe - Pharos Architectural Controls has announced the appointment of Teodora Marian as regional sales manager - Central and Southern Europe.

With her master’s degree in Nuclear Power Engineering and over 20 years of experience designing complex systems in both the UK and Romania – including more recently eight years specialising in lighting and control solutions – Teodora offers a combination of technical expertise and industry knowledge.

She has previously worked with respected industry names including Lutron, Enttec and Architectural FX, providing support to designers, integrators, and developers across the UK and Europe.

Teodora shared her enthusiasm about joining the team: “I’m truly excited to become part of Pharos. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great brands and professionals who have helped sh

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10 July 2025

UK - Chauvet Professional had a strong presence at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

A newcomer to the Chauvet Professional family, the Strike V, a high-powered 180° tilting hybrid strobe/wash, was at the centre of one of Glastonbury’s highlights: the headliner performance on the Other Stage by The Prodigy. Fuelling the intensity of their music was a no-holds-barred lighting design by Tim Fawkes that drew heavily on the dual layered pixel effects of his Strike V fixtures, which were supplied by 4Wall Entertainment.

In addition to The Prodigy’s show, Chauvet Professional made its presence felt at the Opening Ceremony Circus Spectacular in the Pyramid Arena, as the Maverick Storm 1 Beam and Ovation Rêve E-3 IP from GLX produced stunning visuals.  For the final act of the festival on the same stage, COLORado PXL Curve 12s added an extra dimensi

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10 July 2025

Europe - Highlite has announced the launch of the Infinity Furion FX402 Bar, a new addition to the Infinity Furion series. This fixture merges the capabilities of high-performance moving heads with the creative potential of a fully tiltable, zoomable, pixel-rich LED bar - delivering a bold new format for modern lighting design.

Designed to meet the demands of today’s lighting professionals, the Furion FX402 Bar offers an exceptional combination of motion, flexibility, and performance, all housed in a rugged, tour-ready IP65-rated enclosure. It represents the next evolutionary step in the Furion family – a series known for its strength, precision, and mythical inspiration drawn from the agility and intensity of a dragon.

“Moving bars are a key trend in modern lighting design,” says Peter Buckx, product manager at Highlite. “As the Infinity F

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10 July 2025

UK - Choosing Glastonbury Festival for their only live performance of the year, Friday headline band The 1975 relied heavily on their long-standing production designer Tobias Rylander and his team, to bring something special out of the Pyramid stage by way of high-octane visual impact.

Rylander, who has worked with the band for the past 15 years, designing “pretty much every live show they’ve ever done”, is noted for his ability to use video as a lighting tool. But for his ‘one-off’ Glastonbury design, thanks to GLP’s next generation JDC2 IP hybrid, he realised he could also convert lighting into powerful striations of video, bathing the band’s loyal fans in rich colour imagery. He was able to do this by deploying 211 of the super-bright fixtures - the biggest single consignment of JDC2 IP ever.

“We more or less framed the whole stage

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10 July 2025

USA - ACT Entertainment has announced the appointment of two members of the lighting sales team to newly designated sales territories. Jonathan Schneider and Asha Washington have been named as regional outside sales reps – lighting for the South-Central U.S. and Southeast U.S., respectively.

“We are thrilled to continue growing the lighting sales team within ACT Entertainment,” says director of sales, Doug Mekanik. “Both Jonathan and Asha bring unique experiences to the overall team ranging in expertise from touring to prior sales territory management. Adding these two team members enables us to provide our growing customer base with the personal, tailored relationship and resources they need and deserve.”

Based in Dallas, Jonathan Schneider was a media server engineer, lighting tech and crew chief with Upstaging for the last 11 years. He w

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10 July 2025

UK - TMB has confirmed its partnership with Backup Tech, the charity dedicated to supporting technical professionals, production personnel, and crew working across the live events, music touring, theatre, and broadcast industries.

As part of this initiative, 10% of all UK sales of TMB’s award-winning ProPlex CodeClock will be donated directly to Backup Tech. These funds will aid in providing crucial financial aid, wellness support and mental health resources to those working behind the scenes in the industry.

The ProPlex CodeClock is a compact, rugged timecode display and distribution unit, winner of the Gear Product of the Year Award. Its large RGB LED matrix changes colour to show status, and it receives timecode via LTC (XLR3), MIDI (DIN), or USB MIDI - or can generate LTC itself. It redistributes timecode through three transformer is

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09 July 2025

Germany - The Adam Hall Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. With a piece of music history right in front of the entrance and over 800 guests on campus, the event technology manufacturer celebrated with a big staff party in the Experience Centre at its headquarters in Neu-Anspach, Hesse, on 4 July.

Together with its employees and their families, the Adam Hall Group looked back on 50 years of event technology history. One particular highlight was parked right outside the door: the restored 1972 Wings Over Europe tour bus which now serves as an exhibit in the company’s own Rock‘n’Roll Library.

Other highlights of the evening included the company’s own band, spontaneous jam sessions and a surprise performance by the Berlin fusion pop band Il Ci

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09 July 2025

France - Direct Digital, the Panavision group division specialising in camera, lighting and grip equipment rental for moving-image and still photography, has announced the relocation of its Paris operations to a new, larger facility.

After 15 years of business in Paris, the company is marking a new chapter, moving into a modern business park just north of the city, with updated features and dedicated space for camera testing and more, offering an enhanced experience for customers. The new location is also conveniently situated near Panavision and Panalux Paris.

The newly refurbished facility is 20% larger than Direct Digital’s previous Paris location, providing the room needed to support the company’s ongoing growth and enhance overall efficiency. Opening on 1 July 2025, the new site, less than 100m away from sister companies Panavision and Panal

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09 July 2025

USA - Braxtin Pieper went through an array of different looks to support the freewheeling music of Shane Smith & The Saints when the band appeared at Red Rocks Amphitheatre recently. Moving seamlessly from soft monochromatic colour washes, accented by a touch of fog, to intense strobing effects and blinders, he utilised every inch of his rig in different ways, depending on the mood of the music in the 30-song set.

At least one thing was consistent though, throughout the concert, the sandstone rock formation behind the stage was always there enhancing his design.

“I have to appreciate the venue,” Pieper said of Red Rocks. “The upstage rocks are such a key part of the red rocks design. I love the tungsten backlight, but also the element of lighting the ‘trees,’ or the rocks for this show, gave it another level of colour that I strive to h

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09 July 2025

USA - Earlier this year, Live Events Productions was one of the first production and rental houses to invest in Elation’s Paragon moving head and has been using the multi-award-winning LED profile luminaire on projects ever since.

“Now that we’ve had them for a few months, we have found them to be incredibly useful across a wide range of projects. They check a lot of boxes and are versatile enough to be used virtually on any show from corporate events to broadcast to touring,” stated Ben Coker, VP of technology and assets at Live Events Productions.

Live Events invested in 52 Paragon M and debuted the fixtures on a nighttime spectacular in March for the Grand Opening Celebration of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Dallas, Texas. “The Paragon’s TruTone variable CRI engine gives us a lot of flexibility and the IP54 rating mean

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09 July 2025

Hungary - Lightware has expanded its popular cable product line with three new offerings - a Cable-PopUp and two newly launched USB-C cables.

Lightware’s Cable-PopUp offers a solution for managing cables in conference rooms and workspaces, particularly in environments where BYOD devices need to be connected temporarily. Tangled cables and messy desks are a thing of the past thanks to this built-in cable management tool. It provides an organised way to access connections when needed and hide them away when not in use, with an easy-to-use “Push to Open” mechanism. Caps labelled USB-C, HDMI and Ethernet are provided, along with an additional blank cap which can be customised.

The two newly launched active optical USB-C cables are a result of Lightware’s dedication to providing customers with new and innovative solutions.

“During the Co

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08 July 2025

UK - Sam Tozer, lighting designer and creative director of Plymouth-based Vision Factory, created the lighting for the Chase & Status Live Tour using a combination of Ayrton’s Domino LT and, taking centre upstage, over 100 Ayrton Rivale Profiles. “Ayrton is one of my go-to manufacturers,” says Tozer. “Their fixture range consistently delivers when it comes to reliability, feature set, and output. I’ve used their products across multiple projects.”

For this run of six exclusive arena shows across major UK cities, Tozer needed a lightweight yet punchy hybrid fixture to meet the demands of Chase & Status’s eclectic sound: “The Rivale Profile offered speed, beam strength, and versatility to create dynamic layers of light and texture throughout the show acting as the backbone of the rig and matching the energy of the band,” he says.

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08 July 2025

Germany - A colourful London bus is making its last stop for the time being in Neu-Anspach near Frankfurt. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Adam Hall Group, the restored tour bus of Paul McCartney and his band Wings has been presented to the public for the first time on the company’s campus.

The psychedelically painted double-decker bus in which the band toured Europe in 1972 will in future be on display as part of the company’s own Rock‘n’Roll Library in the Experience Centre at the Adam Hall Group’s German headquarters – and is symbolic of the company’s anniversary claim, namely: “Honouring the past, driving the future.”

The tour bus – a Bristol KSW5G, built in 1953 – was specially converted in 1972 for the European tour of Paul McCartney’s new band Wings. Instead of travelling by plane as usual, McCartney opted for a dou

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08 July 2025

South Africa - Johannesburg-based theatrical lighting rental specialist Splitbeam – part of the Gearhouse South Africa Group – has invested in new Robe Esprite Fresnels and Tetra2 moving lights to help service its busy, vibrant, and varied client base.

The 48 x Esprites were purchased with the HCF (High Colour Fidelity) LED engines installed and Splitbeam simultaneously bought the HP (High Power) Transferable Engines to have handy for swapping these out according to the show’s requirements, together with a set of PC lenses to offer a choice of Esprite Fresnel or PC.

The company is strongly ‘brand-agnostic’ explained managing director, Alistair Kilbee, so the investment was based on customer demands – lighting designer requests and technical rider specifications:

“These are the fixtures that people are asking for right now, so we