Lighting

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19 March 2025

UK - The OffWestEnd Theatre Awards (Offies) celebrated the creativity and talent that define the UK’s independent theatre scene. Marking its 15th anniversary, the ceremony unveiled a bold new direction, moving away from the traditional category model. Instead, the Offies introduced eight areas of exceptional contribution, reflecting the diversity, artistry, and ambition that make fringe and Off-West End theatre so vital.

The ceremony took place at Central Hall Westminster, a historic venue for theatre. Nestled in the heart of Westminster, it has hosted many performances and events over the years - including the first-ever public debut of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1968. Fast forward to 2025, and the Offies took centre stage, hosted by drag artist Divina de Campo, celebrating a total of 48 w

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19 March 2025

USA - When 50 Cent set a six-date residency at Planet Hollywood’s PH Live auditorium in Las Vegas during the festive season – including a memorable New Year’s Eve show that ended at midnight – he set out to create a retro party atmosphere under the banner of In Da Club featuring his many hits.

Assisting him was a top creative team that included experienced lighting designer Nate Files. With a project portfolio that is impressively versatile, he jumped to the call when contacted by production designer Kley Tarcitano. Although he would be working with the artist (and GLP’s new JDC2 IP hybrid strobe) for the first time, he was familiar with the venue, having helped produce several shows there with DX7 Design, including Miranda Lambert.

However, he was aware that he would not only need to work within an ageing existing house lighting rig but al

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18 March 2025

South Africa - Johannesburg-based rental and production company MGG has made a sizable investment in new Robe moving lights, taking delivery of 76 x fixtures from Robe’s Southern Africa distributor, DWR Distribution, including the first iForte and iForte LTXs and the first SVB1 luminaires on the continent of Africa.

The total order comprised 24 x iFortes, 48 x SVB1s, and four iForte LTXs which are for use with the four RoboSpot BaseStations they already own.

MGG – which this year celebrates its 25th birthday – started as a small company when owner and managing director Mark Gaylard was still at school and running mobile discos. It has steadily grown and become a highly successful and visible technical supplier in South Africa. MGG purchased its first Robe products in 2008 – eight ColorMix 250 ATs.

“Robust build quality and longevity

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18 March 2025

Sweden - Dear Evan Hansen, the award-winning musical about a high school senior with social anxiety, received its Swedish premiere in Stockholm on 23 January at the Intiman Theatre. The show has been creatively lit by renowned Swedish lighting designer, Palle Palmé, using only Ayrton Rivale Profiles. Ayrton is distributed exclusively in Sweden by Topstage.

Palmé explains his decision to use only Rivale Profiles in his design. “My first design intention was to create different sized ‘rooms’ using light, so I looked for a mid-size moving light with great shutter blades and an extraordinary colour mix.

“I was very happy with Rivale’s shutters which are extremely accurate compared to those of other brands. They allowed me to sharply shutter the ‘rooms’ and focus the audience on where the action takes place.

“I also foun

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18 March 2025

UK - The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) in London has won numerous awards for its musical theatre and musical productions. What makes it special is that the actors are all teenagers and young adults between the ages of 11 and 23 who are cast during extensive auditions. The list of famous graduates is long and ranges from Jessie J to Idris Elba and Jude Law.

In the 2024 summer season, the NYMT performed three musicals at London’s Southwark Playhouse Theatre: Into the Woods, Catastrophe Bay and Our House. Three different lighting designers were in charge of the lighting design. All of whom share a few things in common: the joy of working with young people on and off the stage – and a lighting rig consisting of various Cameo lights.

As the three musicals were performed virtually back to back, the three lighting design

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18 March 2025

Singapore - Mandai Wildlife Group’s Night Safari has unveiled its latest attraction, the Pangolin Trail, an extension of the renowned Creatures of the Night trail. Comprising of several enclosures that showcase the natural habitats of nocturnal animals, the Pangolin Trail experience is enhanced by Martin architectural lighting fixtures, designed and deployed by lighting consultants, Light Collab.

The design brief called for a seamless integration of light and darkness to mimic the serene effect of moonlight, creating an environment where nocturnal animals would feel at ease while remaining active and visible to visitors. Light Collab worked closely with the Martin APAC team to implement a carefully curated lighting system using 27 fixtures from Martin’s Exterior Wash family. These luminaires were strategically placed a

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18 March 2025

UK - For Edinburgh's popular two-day FLY Festival at Princes Gardens, Nick Jevons opted to go with a single lighting fixture model for the 40m-long main stage: the Chauvet Professional Colorado PXL Bar 16 supplied by Liteup. The festival featured the music of internationally acclaimed DJs from Peggy Gou to Henrik Schwarz.

"Convincing others that the concept of having one fixture type would work to deliver enough different looks for a two-day dance festival was a challenge," said Jevons. "I’m proud to say the results did not disappoint."

Persuading everyone to go alone with his one fixture plan was one of the challenges Jevons faced, the other was to ensure that the two rows of 1,000 x 139 x 273mm (39.37 x 5.47 x 10.75 in) fixtures in his design, each consisting of 40 units, were aligned in two straight lines. He credits the production team

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17 March 2025

UK - Adlib returned to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage earlier this month for the largest annual music industry careers event for young people in the North of England. The team engaged with attendees to discuss career paths and showcase the inspiring roles available in the live events industry.

Over 700 people attended the 2025 Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, which was delivered in partnership with Universal Music, Spotify, UK Music, PLASA, LIPA, Revere Arts, and LIMF Academy.

Adlib has a long-standing tradition of supporting the next generation of talent through regular open days at Adlib HQ, as well as providing work experience, apprenticeship opportunities, and participation in Early Careers events.

Lisa Mitchell, training and development, Adlib comments: "We’ve been delighted to support the Liverpool Phil

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17 March 2025

UK - Rise AV, an organisation dedicated to promoting gender diversity and professional development in the AV, live, and residential technology sectors, has announced the launch of its inaugural UK Mentoring Programme Agenda. Starting in May, the six-month initiative is designed to empower women by providing invaluable support to those with up to six years of experience, as well as those at the start of their career journey.

The Rise AV Mentoring Programme is made possible through the essential support of leading industry organisations that share the programme’s commitment to empowering women and upskilling the workforce to safeguard the future of the AV sector. Thanks to the generosity of Rise AV’s industry partners and the dedication of its esteemed mentors, participation in the programme is free of charge.

Rise AV extends its thanks to headline

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17 March 2025

Singapore - Claypaky fixtures scored big at the World Table Tennis Grand Smash Singapore 2025, where a large complement of Sharpy X Frames and Sharpy Washes were deployed for competition lighting and for audience-pleasing sports presentations that kept fans’ energy high.

The six-year-old organisation which runs commercialised table tennis tournaments, WTT considers its Grand Smashes to be the pillars of the sport and the most important events in the table tennis calendar. The WTT series started its Singapore leg in 2021 with Gabriel Chan acting as lighting designer/programmer. Singapore hosted the inaugural WTT Grand Smash tournament in 2022 and has since been the cradle of Grand Smash tournaments around the world.

According to Gabriel Chan the lighting design for the Singapore Grand Smash needs to fulfil three functions. The fiel

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17 March 2025

USA - New Jersey-based Squeek Lights has expanded its inventory by adding Elation’s new Paragon LED profile moving head, becoming one of the first rental companies in the US to stock the award-winning fixture. With the acquisition, Squeek Lights currently has the largest inventory of Paragon lights in the US, enhancing its capacity to deliver top-tier lighting solutions for live events.

“Paragon really checked all the boxes for us,” said Victor Zeiser, managing partner at Squeek Lights. “We compared it to similar products and found it had features that others didn’t. Plus, its versatility as a multi-purpose light was very attractive. Paragon does everything we need it to.”

Zeiser first encountered Paragon in its prototype phase and later saw the market-ready model at the LDI tradeshow in December, where it won the Best Debuting Product Aw

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17 March 2025

Australia - CPC Production Services is a leading live event and broadcast production company in Ipswich, Queensland. It has recently chosen to invest in Prolights solutions, supplied by Show Technology, the official distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

Recognised for delivering a full spectrum of live event and broadcast production services, the company has invested in Prolights EclProfile CT+IP and Prolights EclSoft LinearIP fixtures, along with additional EclPanel TWC and EclPanel TWCJr panels to enhance its stock.

“We've got a large outside broadcast truck, and our Prolights gear is great for that work,” commented Murray Keidge, managing director of CPC. “However, we love them for all of our work, particularly overhead lighting on theatre stages, for which they are stunning.”

Before investing in a Prolights inventory, Keidge

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14 March 2025

UK - Zeal has made a major investment in Martin MAC Viper XIP fixtures, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality lighting solutions for live events and productions.

“With LED technology advancing rapidly, new fixtures are constantly being released,” says Steve Hough, managing director at Zeal. “But when it comes to spots, our priority is finding a fixture that provides consistency, quality, and longevity. When [exclusive Martin Professional UK distributor] Sound Technology demoed the MAC Viper XIP, we expected something similar to what we’d seen before – but this one really stood out. It impressed both our design and production teams enough to investigate it further and, ultimately, make it our go-to spot fixture.”

Zeal first saw the Viper XIP in August 2024 – in the middle of a busy period. Despite the packed schedule, the

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14 March 2025

Austria - Stefaniensaal, a concert hall in Graz, Austria, has recently enhanced its lighting system with the installation of Elation’s Fuze Pendant downlighting fixtures. This upgrade was successfully implemented by PKE, with the lighting solutions specifically tailored to meet the needs of the historic venue.

Stefaniensaal, located in the heart of Graz’s Congress Centre is celebrated for its architecture and acoustics, including a magnificent pipe organ, making it one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world. The hall, which has a capacity of 1,100, is home to the city’s Recreation Orchestra.

Hosting a wide range of events, from classical concerts and balls to conferences, congresses and presentations, the hall required a lighting solution that was not only versatile but also sensitive to the historic and aesthetic features of the spac

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14 March 2025

Finland - Tony Kushner’s Angels in America continues its sell-out performances at Finland’s National Theatre, with a projection-heavy design driven by a Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Server.

Staged in the theatre’s Small Stage space, the 292-strong audience each night is drawn to the proscenium opening which is 10m wide and 6m high, where the 15m-wide back wall is turned entirely into a projection surface. On stage, the team has rigged a set that features 13 pillars, ‘ancient’ marble and a piece of statue bulging from the wall, and five portrait-shaped window frames, making projection a challenge.

“The set consists primarily of a single stage image – a ‘too wide’ back wall, which we wanted to turn into a projection surface,” explains Ville Virtanen, head of the lighting and video department at the Finnish Natio

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14 March 2025

USA - Country superstar Alan Jackson is performing a lively selection of his many hits on the Last Call Tour, which concludes 17 May at Milwaukee's 17,000-seat Fiserv Forum.

The tour's production manager and lighting designer Mason Felps with 46 Entertainment has done his client proud, with a bold panoramic show that “reflects the timeless spirit of Jackson's inimitable sound”.

"We reprogrammed the entire show this year, positioning the fixtures wider to create expansive, atmospheric looks that enhance the mood," said Felps. "Dynamic colour changes shift with the energy and progression of each song, adding depth and impact to the visuals. This show is built on big looks, really utilizing the Color Strike Ms to set the mood and provide the audience lighting that Alan loves."

Felps used 56 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M fixtur

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14 March 2025

UK - Robe stepped up the energy in the room for the 24th edition of the TPi Awards, supplying nearly 250 of its latest moving LED lights to help create the production lighting design – imagined by Robe’s own creative team – for the high-profile industry event produced by TPi Magazine, part of Mondiale Technology Media.

The event was staged at the Evolution London venue in Battersea and was hosted – for the second consecutive year – by Emmanuel Sonub, with over 1,850 industry professionals in the audience.

Robe technology was showcased by a team led by lighting director Nathan Wan, associate LD Andy Webb, lead programmer Jordan Tinniswood, programmer Kyle Evans and Robe International’s exhibition and production manager, Tomas Kohout who co-ordinated all the logistics needed to amass this large amount of kit at Evolution.<

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14 March 2025

France - The municipality of La Tour-de-Salvagny has a new Anolis lighting installation on the eye-catching roundabout in front of the Pasino Grand Partouche entertainment complex. Formerly known as Casino Lyon Vert, Pasino Grand is a flagship establishment of the Partouche Group.

As part of its overall energy optimisation policy, the city of Lyon delegated its civic lighting responsibilities to SIGERLy (Syndicat de Gestion des Énergies de la Région Lyonnaise), founded in 1935, an organisation that unites the Lyon metropolitan area and 65 municipalities, undertaking public service missions focused on energy management.

This specific initiative made it possible to modernise the lighting on this roulette table-shaped roundabout which is a popular landmark, utilising the highly versatile Anolis Calumma XS LED fixtures.

Anolis – the architect

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13 March 2025

Europe - The deadline for Showlight’s new Emerging Professionals Bursary/Scholarship Scheme has been extended to Monday 31 March 2025.

Aimed at early career freelance professionals to help make attendance more affordable, this is a fantastic opportunity to win a ‘scholarship’ that gives you access to some of the most creative minds in the entertainment lighting industry.

Successful applicants will have free access to Showlight 2025’s full schedule of activities (ticket price normally €580.00) including the Papers Sessions, Workshops, Exhibition, Welcome Reception (in Dijon’s ornate, historic Salle des États), Company Dinners and the grand Conference Dinner in a glamorous, as yet undisclosed location! A hotel room will also be included with the bursary and we hope to offer some assistance with travel costs too.

“Showlight wants

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13 March 2025

Europe - January/February saw Universal Pixels (UP) providing the backdrop to Snow Patrol’s European arena tour showcasing their chart-topping eighth LP, The Forest is the Path.

UP supplied three upstage Roe V4ST LED walls with Brompton processing, Panasonic RQ35 projectors, Panasonic UC4000 & UE150 cameras and Disguise media servers – the album gave the sell-out tour a theme of growth and overgrowth. Roll drops coming in and out are among the unique production elements bringing an extra dimension to Atticus Finch and Flint Studio’s imagery in front of the band’s trademark projection and LED layers.

Snow Patrol are on the road infrequently, it’s six years since their last full production arena run, so confirmed dates foster considerable expectation. And the practised team behind the tour, from PM Robin Scott and show designer D

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13 March 2025

The Netherlands - An impressive new permanent exhibition inside Drents Museum has been brought to life by Ata Tech with a comprehensive audiovisual package from Pharos Architectural Controls and Genelec.

The exhibition comprises 15 rooms that create a labyrinth of interactive storytelling, revitalising the northeastern province of Drenthe in the Netherlands. Visitors experience an array of interactive adventures, from a mammoth hunt to a farmer’s wedding. The exhibit also features the world’s oldest-known boat, the 12,000-year-old Pesse canoe, discovered near the museum in the 1950s.

Advanced technologies from Pharos and Genelec were utilised to create the interactive soundscapes and projections that also enable guests to participate in games such as spear throwing and canoeing. A Pharos Designer LPC (Lighting Playback Controller) created the int

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13 March 2025

Hungary - The newly opened Vibe Budapest, the latest project of the Costes Group, has chosen Prolights solutions to create spectacular lighting effects and an engaging atmosphere. The lighting system design and installation were managed by LISYS-Project, which integrated Prolights Jet Hybrid200 moving heads to illuminate the stage and enhance the venue's scenic design.

These compact and versatile fixtures, delivering high quality and intense brightness, not only enhance the stage but also illuminate dancers, acrobats, and performers moving between the tables, creating an immersive and dynamic atmosphere. Their fast zoom ensures maximum scenic flexibility, while the combination of colour wheel, dual gobo wheels, prism effect, and frost function offers endless creative possibilities, further amplifying the visual impact.

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13 March 2025

USA - Christie has announced the appointment of Sean James as executive vice-president, global sales & service, at Christie. In this new role, James will lead the sales function and continue to lead the company’s service organisation.

"Sean’s proven leadership, combined with his ability to foster strong, lasting relationships, makes him highly qualified to lead our sales and service teams," says Michael Phipps, president and chief operating officer, Christie. "His extensive experience in visual technologies and services, uniquely positions him to lead our new optimised operations to better serve our customers while ensuring long-term sustainability.”

With more than 28 years of experience at Christie, Sean James, who started his career as a field engineer servicing cinema equipment, was instrumental in developing support programmes and relat

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13 March 2025

USA - PRG (Production Resource Group) has announced promotions within its Corporate Events (CE) division, including production veteran Matt Hohmann to senior director of production services, alongside the addition of five technical directors (TDs).

Most recently serving as director of production services, Hohmann originally began his career as a lighting intern at the company before quickly ascending the ranks. His leadership in production services – and close focus on process enhancement and operational excellence – has been pivotal in managing a robust pipeline at PRG. In conjunction with Hohmann’s advancement comes the appointment of Eric Hanson, Justin Juriga, Wendy Coop, James Oyler, and Walker Harris as the division’s new technical directors.

This strategic expansion reinforces PRG’s commitment to providing expert technical guidance,