Lighting

Details

06 May 2025

USA - Country superstars Brooks & Dunn wrapped their 2025 Neon Moon Tour at the end of April with a lighting package from Bandit Lites. The Country Music Hall of Fame duo followed up their 2019 Reboot album with Reboot II in 2024, introducing a new generation to country music’s greatest hits.

“It is an absolute pleasure to once again be working with the iconic duo of Brooks & Dunn and their team,” said Bandit Lites client representative Allen Deneau. “Bandit and Brooks & Dunn have been together putting out great show after great show together for what seems like forever, and this year was no different. I appreciate that they lean on us, decade after decade, to provide a great rig and an even better crew to make it all happen. This is a fun partnership.”

With fans clamouring to see Kix Brooks and Ronnie

Details

06 May 2025

UK - Pearce Hire, the award-winning provider of innovative and sustainable technical solutions to the events industry has confirmed its return to PLASA 2025. As the company prepares for a busy season, the timing of this year’s show coincides with a significant period of investment in new equipment, aimed at strengthening its core departments and enhancing production capabilities across the board.

Exhibiting at stand R-A05, Pearce Hire invites visitors to learn more about its latest acquisitions. These investments are designed to support a wide range of event types, from festivals and exhibitions to corporate and live productions, with improved solutions across audio, lighting, power distribution and staging. With a continued focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, the new additions are tailored to meet the growing demand for high performing and envi

Details

06 May 2025

USA - Sadly, we report the passing last week of Robe Lighting’s Bob Schacherl. Robe has issued the following tribute:

"Bob Schacherl – beloved friend, colleague, Robe Family member and professional entertainment lighting industry legend – sadly passed away last week, aged 70.

Bob served as CEO of Robe Lighting Inc from 2013 until his retirement in 2019 and will be much missed by all in the Robe organisation alongside those in the industry who had the privilege of working with him.

Robe lighting s.r.o. CEO Josef Valchar stated: “Bob was a great team builder! He joined some already excellent people in place at Robe’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida, headquarters and helped boost our presence in the USA by assembling a fantastic sales and marketing force. His opinions, ideas and vast knowledge were invaluable to our

Details

02 May 2025

France - The fantastic line-up for Showlight 2025’s speakers is now complete. We are excited to bring you over 30 speakers covering lighting topics from every discipline and every corner of the globe. Here’s the last group of speakers who’ll be coming to the Parc des Expositions, 19-22 May 2025. There’s something for everyone, so book your ticket now and join us in glorious Dijon!

Frédéric ‘Aldo’ Fayard

Light and laser for New Year’s Eve at Burj Khalifa

Founder of Concept K, Aldo Fayard has 30 years of global experience working on live tours, large-scale events, cinema and permanent installations. He will give us the lowdown on his stunning installation for the New Year’s Eve show in Dubai Downtown, which encompassed a combination of several permanent technologies mixed with a temporary ins

Details

02 May 2025

USA - The highly anticipated Grand Opening Celebration of the National Medal of Honor Museum took place on 22 March, with a nighttime spectacular that showcased Elation lighting with the company’s new ultra-long-throw Proteus Atlas beam FX fixture taking centre stage. Located in the heart of Arlington, Texas, and the newest national museum in the United States, the National Medal of Honor Museum honours US Armed Forces personnel who took extraordinary action in the service of others.

Designed by renowned Rafael Viñoly Architects, the museum is a tribute to over 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients and the millions of Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The opening night celebration was a grand affair, with dignitaries, donors, and Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, along with local citizens of Arlington.

The nigh

Details

02 May 2025

UK - ChamSys’ strong commitment to support – as evidenced by its long history of providing standard-setting educational and support programmes – will come shining through at the company’s PLASA Leeds stands (N-A28 and N-B23, shared with Chauvet Professional) at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, 13-14 May. 

In addition to showcasing products such as its flagship MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console and the new MagicQ Compact Wing, making its first UK public showing, ChamSys will be hosting a full schedule of educational events, including presentations by celebrated LDs Ed Warren and David Howard, as well as interactive demonstrations.

In his session, the multi-award-winning Warren will be demonstrating how he uses MagicQ for live and pre-programmed shows in a seamless fashion every time. During his interactive Q&A session he will walk visitors thro

Details

01 May 2025

USA - Brigham Young University-Idaho has invested in 14 Ayrton Cobra2 fixtures for its Rexburg campus.

Cobra2 is a phosphor laser source luminaire with an extreme range of focus and excellent colour reproduction. Its IP65 rating makes it a suitable choice for outdoor conditions.

Patrick Laing, lighting designer with BYU-Idaho’s AV and Broadcast Productions, says the university already had Ayrton Khamsin, Ghibli, Argo 6 FX and Zonda 3 FX fixtures and was looking for an IP-rated beam to cover more outdoor student events. 

The brightness of Cobra’s laser source easily cuts through other lighting, and its gobos and prisms, infinite pan and tilt, and saturated colours will offer Laing new creative options for a range of student activities. The fixtures have already been used in BYU-Idaho’s Hart Auditorium for a concert by a YouTube sensatio

Details

01 May 2025

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the addition of the ACME Tornado to its line-up of concert touring inventory.

“The ACME Tornado seamlessly integrates multiple visual effects into a single, versatile fixture, empowering designers to explore and realise their most ambitious creative visions,” said Bandit Lites VP of business and innovation, Jake Tickle.

“The fixture’s colour mixing, sharp gobos, and versatile zoom range provide the tools needed to craft immersive, stand-out looks. By adding the ACME Tornado to our rental fleet, Bandit is reaffirming our commitment to offering designers the latest, most dependable technology to bring their visions to life on the road.”

The Tornado will initially be featured on Trevor Drawdy’s lighting design for country superstar Hardy’s upcoming tour, as well as Mike St-Jean’s lighting design f

Details

01 May 2025

Europe - At Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, Obsidian Control Systems previewed the NXW – a sleek, portable, and fully featured PC control wing designed to bring professional-grade power to any Onyx setup.

Through its USB-C connection, the NXW provides a responsive, professional hardware surface to operate Onyx on any PC system without compromises. Designed for freelancers, touring professionals, and fixed installs alike, the NXW delivers everything lighting operators love in a compact, road-ready form. From RGB-backlit motorized playback faders to RGB-backlit keycaps and customizable multi-function buttons, every detail is crafted to boost speed, precision, and creativity.

“The NXW might be small in size, but it’s packed with features our users have been asking for,” says Koy Neminathan, business development director at Obsidian. “Whether yo

Details

30 April 2025

UK - Indie rockers The Wombats are currently touring the UK and Europe with a bold new visual identity, powered by the first touring deployment of the VLHive 151 Digital FX lighting fixture from Vari-Lite.

The show has been designed by lighting designer Rosie Haigh, who is also Vari-Lite business development manager at Signify. Haigh’s design embraces a dynamic, textural approach that brings the band’s latest album, Oh! The Ocean, vividly to life on stage, without a single LED screen in sight.

As part of the creative brief, The Wombats asked Haigh – who has worked with the band for over two years – to move away from video walls, while still delivering rich depth and high-impact visuals upstage. In response Haigh harnessed the creative power of the VLHive 151 – a fully digital lighting fixture that merges high-output light, advanced

Details

30 April 2025

Switzerland - Basel-based lighting and scenic designer Lukas Marian chose Claypaky Tambora Batten Squares and Sinfonya Profile 600 fixtures for the world premiere of Oresteia. The dance production by choreographers Frank Fannar Pedersen and Javier Rodriguez Cobos debuted with the St. Gallen Dance Company at the Konzert & Theater St. Gallen.

Based on Greek mythology, Oresteia features an immersive scenography and lighting design by Marian with embedded Claypaky fixtures that achieve a special aesthetic. The original Oresteia is a trilogy of fifth-century BCE Greek tragedies by Aeschylus concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus, and the pacification of the Furies.

“I had complete freedom in planning the de

Details

30 April 2025

USA - Stray Production Services, a full-service event production company based in Lititz, Pennsylvania has announced an investment in Elation’s Paragon LED profile moving head. The move strengthens the company's already robust inventory of Elation gear and sets the stage for Paragon to become a workhorse fixture across various indoor and outdoor productions.

Stray is located on the Rock Lititz Campus, a production campus and home to dozens of leading production vendors in the live events industry. Only a short drive from New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia, Stray specialises in events of all types, including large-scale installations. Its extensive Elation inventory is a key part of its production capabilities but as its outdoor event roster continues to grow, so does the need for powerful, IP-rated fixtures.

“We wanted quality

Details

29 April 2025

UK - For the first time, PLASA Focus Leeds has launched an official mobile app, now available to download on both Apple and Android devices. Introduced following the success of the PLASA Show London app in 2024, which saw strong uptake among visitors, the new app is designed to maximise engagement and efficiency at the 2025 show.

Taking place at the Royal Armouries, Leeds on 13–14 May 2025, the event will once again welcome thousands of professionals working across live events, AV, lighting, audio, rigging, staging and more. The PLASA Focus Leeds app serves as a comprehensive, digital companion for navigating the show, enabling you to:

 - Access and print visitor badges directly from the app

 - Browse a full exhibitor and product list in advance

 - View the detailed seminar and workshop schedule

 - Use the inter

Details

29 April 2025

Mexico - Based in the thriving commercial and industrial centre of Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon in northeastern Mexico, and occupying 7,000 sq.m of warehouse space, technical production company Serpro Producciones offers lighting, audio, rigging, stage, and backline rentals.

Led by Emmanuel Gonzalez and supported by an enthusiastic team, Serpro has built a reputation for service quality and is active in all sectors of entertainment, with a particular focus on the music industry. The company supplies numerous festivals, including the renowned Pa'l Norte Festival in Monterrey, as well as concerts and touring shows of all types and sizes.

A regular Robe investor since 2016, over the last two years the moving light inventory has jumped substantially to now include 120 x Robe Fortes, 13 x iFortes, 24 x iForte LTXs and a 12-wa

Details

28 April 2025

France - The Showlight quadrennial is a rare event that you do not want to miss. Three days of lighting professionals networking and exchanging ideas, listening to speakers at the top of their profession, all in the beautiful setting of Dijon, France. This gathering only happens once every four years – and it’s for everyone.

Historically, Showlight is conducted solely in English but this year is different. Located in France and supported by French lighting manufacturer and headline sponsor, Robert Juliat, we look forward to welcoming many French-speaking delegates as well as international attendees.

To make sure nobody misses a word, for the first time Showlight is offering simultaneous translation of the Papers and Q&A sessions across four languages. Delegates can choose to listen – and ask questions – in English, French, Italian and Spa

Details

28 April 2025

Denmark - Litecom has made a major investment in new Robe moving lights. The company is based in Copenhagen and has a branch in Stockholm, Sweden and works extensively across the two countries and throughout Scandinavia.

2024’s purchases include 50 x Forte Profile moving lights, 60 x Painte Profiles and 136 x Spiider LED wash beams, all delivered by Danish distributor, Light Partner. This was followed by a further investment of 24 more Fortes, another 50 x Paintes plus three BMFL FollowSpots.

“This decision was based on boosting our inventory with reliable stage lighting products that are universally useful across all our projects,” explained Litecom lighting designer Martin Wallin.

Wallin has been with the company for 19 years and oversees all the major broadcast projects, which have included supplying lighting to the Eurovision Song C

Details

28 April 2025

France - "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." Kelian Sevrée and the team at Concept K embrace that concept, and they proved its merit in style at the 2025 Dystopia festivals, held in two separate locations, Mulhouse and Rennes.

At both sites, they departed from the standard practice (that says you must have a massive video wall on a festival’s main stage). Instead, they animated their two main stages, both of which were devoted to hardcore music, with brawny collections of lighting effects, including the Chauvet Professional Color Strike M, as well as some compelling cubic set pieces.

“Unlike what is done in most modern productions, we chose not to include a video screen at the back of the stage,” explained Sevrée. “Given the scale of the event, we were able to break away from this standard element, a

Details

28 April 2025

India - The Chambal riverfront in Kota, Rajasthan is an urban development that has rejuvenated a 6km stretch of land into a thriving cultural and tourist destination.

Designed to celebrate the architectural heritage and cultural richness of India, the riverfront features 26 distinct ghats, each representing a different regional style. Among these, the Rajputana Ghat highlights the art and traditions of nine regions of Rajasthan, while the Sahitya Ghat pays homage to literary giants with statues of renowned authors and a library housing thousands of books.

Beyond its cultural significance, the restoration of the Chambal Riverfront plays a crucial role in ecosystem revitalisation, renewing the connection between the community and the river. The west-side garden of the project combines art, lighting, and horticulture, offering visitors a captivating exp

Details

25 April 2025

USA - Billie Holiday observed that every song – like every person – must be unique, or it isn’t music. As a lighting designer, Jack Thomas agrees. Guided by this principle, he set out to leave visual fingerprints on each song in Bayside’s current North American Errors Tour.

“I programmed this show with Bayside to be very precise with cue-to-cue transitions so each moment of every song has its own specific fingerprint,” he explained. “Doing so keeps the energy fresh and exciting.”

Thomas’ ‘fingerprints’ provide the accompaniment to the emotionally powerful music on the New York punk rockers 25th anniversary tour. Calling forth a variety of lush colour blends, artful touches of atmospherics, unique light angles, and a touch of geometric patterns courtesy of this Chauvet Professional Epix Bars, Thomas reflects the distinct

Details

25 April 2025

South Africa - Cape Town-based Flicker-Free Lighting Rentals is a new lighting rental and dry hire company headed by Jason Watts, geared towards offering the region’s buoyant film, TV, commercial and event industry premium lighting solutions.

Their seed investments included several Astera products – Titan Tubes, AX5 and AX9 LED PARS, LunaBulbs and HydraPanels – flexible, fully wireless, innovative fixtures that have been constantly busy and have helped contribute to the company’s immediate success since launching in 2024.

Watts explained that they are dedicated to supplying film productions, gaffers, DOPs and event lighting designers with quality kit – quickly and seamlessly. Their carefully selected inventory caters to multiple sectors and hybrid applications, with a strong focus on both direct rentals and dry hire to other rental companie

Details

24 April 2025

UK - IPS (Impact Production Services), specialist supplier in the delivery of staging and structures, technical production, and equipment hire to the events industry has announced that its new, purpose-built warehouse in Milton Keynes is now officially open.

This opening marks a significant milestone in the company’s continued growth journey and represents the realisation of a vision first announced in February. The new facility, located just a mile from the existing site, is now fully operational and already playing a key role in supporting IPS’s expanding operations across the UK and beyond.

“Opening this new facility has been long awaited, and we’re absolutely thrilled to see the warehouse up and running,” said James Mason, founder of IPS. “This is a major investment in the future of IPS, and as we prepare for the summer, we’re excit

Details

24 April 2025

Finland - A large complement of Claypaky Sharpys and Tambora Batten squares illuminated the final qualifying event for Finland’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. 

The finale of UMK (Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu), or New Music Competition, was held at the Nokia Arena in Tampere on 8 February when broadcaster Yle treated viewers to six performances to determine who would represent Finland at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland in May.

Lighting designer Pekka Martti and Ari Levela, creative director/founder of MOBB Helsinki Oy, designed the stage for UMK 2025. Martti chose 68 Sharpys and 46 Tambora Batten squares to light the two-hour show.

“Sharpys were used as audience ‘extras’ for songs with 360º shots and when performers went out on the catwalk,” explains Martti. “Sharpys still giv

Details

24 April 2025

UK - The Human League’s Generations arena tour kicked off its UK leg in December 2024. By the band’s third show they’d already elicited a five-star review from the Guardian, who described the show as “An evening of immaculate electro pop, delivered with grace, precision, and elation”.

Behind the scenes, seasoned production manager Sarah Hollis was at the helm. Hollis has been production managing tours since the late 90s and has worked with The Human League since their 2008, Steel City tour. “I was also the stage manager on that tour,” she explained, “which was a mixture of arenas, theatres and a couple of academies (and not in the order you’d like!) so let’s say it kept me on my toes, and I’ve been working with the band ever since.”

Emmy Award winning designer, Rob Sinclair, was asked by the band’s

Details

24 April 2025

Europe - Raw Cereal, a renowned global creative production studio, was tasked with designing a bold, immersive visual experience for Hardy's Quit!! tour. With Hardy's evolving musical style blending country, rock, and pop, Raw Cereal had to ensure the visual elements matched the energy and variety of his performances. For the second time, they relied on AV Stumpfl's Pixera media server, known for its flexibility and robust feature set.

Cort Lawrence, the tour’s creative director, explained the scope of Raw Cereal's involvement: "On the show, we handled everything from the production design, stage design, lighting design, scenic design, as well as pyro, special effects, video content, and just overall show." The team was responsible for creating a comprehensive experience that connected Hardy's new album visuals with his live performances.