Projects

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30 June 2025

Finland - PPDS has announced the installation of 800 hotel TVs, digital signage, and dvLED walls inside Finland’s advanced business hotel complex, the Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport.

Located immediately outside Vantaa Airport’s main terminal, the 12-floor multi-purpose Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport boasts 505 luxury guest rooms, a scenic rooftop cocktail bar, an à la carte restaurant, a gym, and heated outdoor pool.

The hotel also features a 21-room conference centre and plush 1,050-capacity ballroom.

The hotel’s owners, Strawberry Hotels – one of the largest hotel groups in the Nordics – turned to PPDS to support ‘the ultimate away-from-home digital experience’ for its hotel guests, while putting the complex on the global map for its advanced and interactive conferencing capabilities.

Working together with solution sp

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27 June 2025

Poland - The rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has received an innovative adaptation in Poland. The Kujawsko-Pomorski Music Theatre in Toruń has reimagined the production by moving it into an unconventional space, the Od Nowa music club, and staging it as the country’s first-ever silent disco musical.

At the heart of the production was KLANG and DiGiCo’s Quantum 225 Pulse. Together they formed the backbone of an immersive sound experience that gave musicians complete control over their monitoring environment.

Known for its avant-garde productions, the Musical Theatre in Toruń took on the ambitious task of presenting Jesus Christ Superstar in a format never before seen on Polish stages, blurring the lines between performance art, concert, and immersive installation. The decision to stage the piece in a club stemmed from the cre

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27 June 2025

Spain - Opened in 1985, La Sala Galileo Galilei in Madrid is one of the city’s flagship cultural spaces. The venue is housed in the old Galileo Cinema and features Hellenic-style decor, making for a distinctive environment for patrons to enjoy a varied programme of live music, comedy and magic.

La Sala recently underwent a significant refurbishment carried out by Inercia Tecnología Audiovisual and Syncronía Instalaciones, both based in Madrid, with the aim of improving performance and ensuring versatility and flexibility when using the space.

The project included the selection, design and supply of a variety of solutions for sound, video, lighting and staging, all of which needed to respect the original essence of the hall and the aesthetics that had characterised the space for 40 years. Another of the main challenges of the project was the short

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27 June 2025

USA - For the owners of Milwaukee live venue The Rave – Joe Balestrieri and Leslie West – the installation of a pair of dBTechnologies VIO rigs is just one of many improvements made to the historic venue.

Since purchasing the property in 1991, restoring the former Eagles Club to its original glory has been a labour of love. “Many cities have iconic venues built in the 20s – Radio City, the Chicago Theatre, the Lyric Opera House, and Fox Theatres. In Wisconsin, this is the largest example of classic 20s architecture," Balestrieri says, adding that restoring the building to create an architecturally spectacular, state-of-the-art venue “was just the right thing to do. And we're still not done . . . with the new system, the sound in The Rave Hall and Eagles Ballroom is spectacular; equal to anybody's.”

“There are always improvements happeni

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27 June 2025

USA - It is one of the most distinctive stage backdrops on the outdoor touring circuit in North America. A trio of 300m year old monoliths called Ship Rock, Creation Rock and Stage Rock tower over the stages at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, reflecting red because of the iron oxides inside them, and making this venue a very special place.

Designers regularly make sure to incorporate this distinctive geological feature into their light shows whenever their clients appear here.

Fans who turned out to catch the show by EDM titans ATLiens at Red Rocks on Saturday 17 May couldn’t see the famous rock formation during their performance due to the size (36ft trim) of the stage. Instead of gazing at the familiar prehistoric background, they got to be immersed in a fantastical galactic experience, as a big video wall, along with intense variations in light, lasers,

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27 June 2025

Germany - The Beatsteaks, one of Germany’s most successful punk rock bands, have been out on their Please tour, in support of the album of the same name, since spring 2024. This tour has continued in 2025.

Lighting designer Joanna Ossolinska, who has worked with the band for several years, developed a completely new lighting concept for the tour – with some deliberate references to previous tours. The characteristic line of light and the Viennese curtain as a backdrop have long been part of the Beatsteaks’ DNA and needed to be retained.

The goal was to create a flexible setup that would accommodate both the highly variable set list and the logistical requirements. At the same time, it was important to capture the band’s signature style.

“The Beatsteaks have always preferred a stage design without traditional spotlights, gob

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27 June 2025

UK - Tribute band Queen Extravaganza’s latest tour celebrated the 50th anniversary of Queen’s seminal Bohemian Rhapsody. Providing an appropriately lavish setting for this celebratory tour was a production created by Rick Lipson of Stu Fish, who designed the set, and lighting designer Rob Sinclair.

Ensuring that the concert production continued to deliver dynamic and colourful looks on a consistent basis as the tour made its way from one sold-out venue to the next was Jason Hyne, who ran the one-track time-coded show (with some cue stacks), on his own ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console. The flexibility of that console was invaluable in helping him scale the show to different venues.

“We worked at a lot of different sized venues on the tour, which is always a challenge, but it keeps it interesting when you need to make the show fit i

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26 June 2025

UK - Crystal Palace Park became the epicentre of ‘a sonic revolution’ as Polygon Live LDN delivered the UK's largest outdoor 360° immersive sound festival from 2-4 May 2025. The three-day event brought together artistry and spatial audio innovation, with artists such as Jon Hopkins, Max Cooper, Cosmo Sheldrake, and Halina Rice performing specially crafted sets within Polygon's signature hemispherical dome – a space where sound ‘moves beyond traditional stereo boundaries to surround listeners from every direction’.

For CEO Nico Elliott, the Crystal Palace event represents the culmination of nearly a decade spent reimagining how audiences connect with music. "We're creating audio environments where every element can move through three-dimensional space with purpose," Elliott explains. Since first integrating L-ISA technology at Thailand's <

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26 June 2025

UK - A hat-trick of Powersoft amplifier platforms, including multiple models from the company’s Ottocanali series, are powering a new public address and voice alarm (PA/VA) system at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Complemented by Unica- and Mezzo-series amplifiers, also from Powersoft’s extensive fixed-install range, the Ottocanalis provide the amplification backbone for a safety-first, EN 54-certified PA/VA system delivered by UK-based system integrator ImPerium Integration.

Opened in 1897 and originally home to a semi-professional rugby league team, Elland Road has been home to three-time English football champions Leeds United FC since the club’s formation in 1919. Like many heritage stadiums in the UK, Elland Road’s layout betrays its humble roots, with different parts of the venue having been updated separately in the 128 years since its

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26 June 2025

UK - London’s Trafalgar Square was transformed into the capital’s brightest basketball stage as the inaugural Jr NBA 3v3 Finals were held under the gaze of Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery, and featured 10 city secondary schools in an electrifying final. 

The tournament was held on Friday 6 June and operated by London Marathon Events (LME) in collaboration between the NBA and LME, designed to get more children across the capital playing basketball for boys, girls and wheelchair competitions.

The team at Henley Theatre Services (HTS) were appointed to construct the three separate NBA courts in the middle of Trafalgar Square for this prestigious one-day event, working in partnership with PopUpArena.

Three truss structures were erected to formulate the temporary courts, which consisted of two 18m x 15m courts built from 10m tall P

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26 June 2025

Japan - The Nagoya Betsuin of the Shinshu Otani-ha is a historic temple located in Aichi Prefecture’s Nagoya City. Affectionately known as Higashi Betsuin, it has grown into a central place of worship in the Japanese region since its construction in 1632.

As well as hosting Buddhist ceremonies and religious events, the temple is used for exchange events and markets, making it an important meeting place for the local community. However, the building’s distinctive architecture comes with complex audio challenges, including intelligibility in the main hall.

To resolve long-standing acoustic issues and improve clarity for attendees, the Taimensho reception hall recently enjoyed a significant upgrade with the help of Renkus-Heinz distributor Beetech, who installed an Iconyx Compact audio system.

The reception hall is a large, traditional templ

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26 June 2025

Austria - Prime Studio, one of Europe’s most scenic and technically sophisticated recording destinations, has once again partnered with Van Damme to bring high-spec custom cabling to its latest room: Studio C.

Located in St. Gilgen in the Austrian Alps, Prime Studio is known for its world-class acoustics, rare vintage gear, and surroundings. The studio’s founders, Bjorn Heitzer and Gerhard Buchbauer, previously worked with Van Damme on Studio A, and returned in late 2023 to equip Studio C; a mastering and post-production control room built around legendary Abbey Road EMI TG12345 MK IV and TG12410 consoles.

The new installation was completed using a range of bespoke Van Damme assemblies, including: EDAC looms made with 12-pair Blue Series cable, D-sub looms using both 8-pair and 16-pair Blue Series, AES digital connections using Green Series cable

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26 June 2025

USA - The Miller Centre for the Arts at Reading Area Community College in Pennsylvania is a visually striking, acoustically refined performing arts centre known for hosting a wide array of national acts, local productions, student showcases and community programming. With more than 100 ticketed events annually, and many more college and civic engagements, venue leaders sought to modernise its aging sound system to meet the expectations of both audiences and touring professionals.

Stray Production Services, a longtime user and integrator of JBL Professional products, partnered with the college to deliver a comprehensive audio upgrade anchored by the JBL VTX A6 line array system and Crown iTech Series amplifiers. The new setup provides pristine clarity, even coverage and a sleek aesthetic that complements the unique design of the room.

“This beautifu

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25 June 2025

Ireland - d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker systems have been chosen for installation in Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse, one of Ireland’s leading visitor attractions. Three systems, designed and installed by d&b partner Acoustik to meet a new live music concept from John Brady Events, plus new installations in two other visitor zones, were meticulously planned and predicted using d&b’s ArrayCalc software, and employ d&b’s installation-specific xS-Series cabinets.

Guinness Storehouse is celebrating its 25th anniversary as an attraction this year, having pulled in over 25m visitors in that time.

In 2024, Guinness Storehouse was looking for innovative ways to further enhance that visitor experience. Their aim was to introduce a lively new element of culturally relevant activities. The question was, how could they add to the mix on offer

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25 June 2025

USA - The Grammy-nominated Common Kings have toured with A-list artists like Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Meghan Trainor – headlining shows and festivals worldwide.

Audio engineer Tim Koch started working with the California-based Reggae group about four years ago, mixing some of their local events between tours. "I've been fortunate to be asked back as the band continues to grow," said Koch. "We've done some killer shows together. I've worked with them as an A2, monitor engineer, and occasional FOH as well."

Common Kings recently hosted a ‘takeover’ event at The House of Blues in Anaheim, CA - with the band hosting three separate shows in three different rooms within the venue for three consecutive days. The multi-room event proved to be an enormous technical hurdle, but nothing beyond what Koch and the team could handle.

"It too

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25 June 2025

Germany - The Ehrlich Brothers have been delighting a wide audience with their spectacular live shows for over a decade. Their new production, Diamonds, premiered in mid-November in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle before visiting the largest arenas in Germany, where they have been presenting the best of their most popular illusions. With the help of lighting and stage technology, the successful magician duo is once again setting standards in the live entertainment world.

Thomas Gerdon (Gerdon Design) is once again responsible for the production design. He and his team have been accompanying the Ehrlich Brothers on their tours since 2019. For the Diamonds tour, Gerdon developed a new concept that intensifies the essence of magic through light. “If you have seen illusions before, it is all the more important to present them visually in a new an

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25 June 2025

Saudi Arabia - Luminex kicked off the festival season at the inaugural edition of A Thousand and One, Riyadh’s newest large-scale music festival.

Across five distinct stages, Qafilah, Sahaab, Bizar Bazar, Bustan, and Qasr, the festival hosted both world-class DJs and rising stars. Colour Sound Experiment provided complete lighting, video, and control solutions for all stages, backed by robust and intelligent networking infrastructure.

Each stage relies on a dependable network backbone built around Luminex GigaCore switches. Every stage has multiple racks: FOH, stage left, stage right – all connected via GigaCore switches’ ISL ports. Using Luminex’s RLinkX feature, the team created a redundant ring network with ultra-fast recovery, ensuring automatic fallback in case of link failure.

Each stage was routed to a dedicated backup

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25 June 2025

USA - “I just tried to play something that felt like home,” the legendary flat picking guitarist Doc Watson told the Country Music Hall of Fame when looking back on his career. The seven-time Grammy Award winner likely would have been very pleased to see what was happening this year at the 37th annual MerleFest, the Americana music festival honouring his memory.

The music played at the festival – which is named after Doc’s late son and fellow musician Merle Watson – was warm, witty, inviting, and heartfelt, the kind of sound that makes anyone feel right at home, especially when it’s played in North Carolina’s beautiful hill country.

Enhancing this atmosphere at the festival’s famed Doc and Merle Watson main stage and two other sites at the four-day event were inviting, richly textured and colourful lightshows designed by Nehe

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25 June 2025

UK - As part of its bid to engage young people with the production industries, Production Futures returned to stage a brand activation at Bludfest, which took place at Milton Keynes Bowl on 21 June. The festival’s eclectic lineup, curated by singer-songwriter Yungblud, attracted a diverse range of fans, including many young people for whom the Production Futures pop-up stand provided insights into possible careers in the production sector.

The Production Futures stand was located in the fan-zone entrance, and as well as providing information about the organisation’s upcoming On Tour shows, ran a series of popular competitions designed to attract the interest of young people with limited knowledge of the wide range of opportunities in the sector.

The stand was designed by Abigail Skelton and Ant Ioannou, two second-year students

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25 June 2025

UK - Tour and production manager Stewart Chown, who works alongside remote production manager Gareth Russell, has trusted Britannia Row's services with many of their touring acts over the course of their careers. So, when American singer, songwriter and musician Sharon Van Etten announced she'd be touring a new record with her new band, The Attachment Theory, Britannia Row's services were required once again.

"The band aspect is quite a new thing for Sharon, and our brief was to bring everything up to a certain production level," begins Stewart. "It's not a huge tour - our audio package is economical - but we wanted to make it as efficient as possible to give Sharon and the band the best production for their touring budget.

"We're good friends with our account executive Jonathan Dunlop, so he was our first point of call for audio. We've hand-picked o

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24 June 2025

World - Metallica’s M72 world tour, renowned for its innovative in-the-round stage and ‘no repeat weekend’ format, has adopted the Pixera media server system from AV Stumpfl. This transition enhances the tour’s massive video setup, delivering ‘an unparalleled visual experience’ across its eight 100ft-tall towers, each featuring three 50 × 30ft LED screens, totalling 24 discrete surfaces – the brainchild of creative director and production designer Dan Braun.

The M72 tour, which began in 2023 and has captivated upwards of 80,000 fans per night, relies on a sophisticated technical infrastructure to match its ambitious creative vision. Metallica’s switch to Pixera, first tested at the Soundstorm festival in 2023, has proven transformative. “Pixera’s rendering capabilities, especially for Notch effects, are unmatch

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24 June 2025

Spain - The popular Circlassica show returned to Madrid for the 2024-2025 season staged in the IFEMA Madrid big white tent, with a new edition, Circlassica, la historia mundial continúa (Circlassica, the world story continues), produced by Productores de Sonrisas and lit by Juanjo Llorens who once again sprinkled some of his illuminative magic on the action.

Juanjo has a penchant for spectacularly lighting high-octane, high-impact circus-style performance shows and this was no exception, so he reached into the toolbox for Robe moving lights, using 40 × LEDBeam 150s, 22 × Spiiders, 20 × MegaPointes, 16 × LEDBeam 350 and 14 × Esprites.

These were all picked for their multifunctionality. “I took advantage of numerous features on all these fixture types,” explained Juanjo, “power, different types of looks and lenses

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24 June 2025

China - The Spring Festival Gala took place this January for a spectacular Luna New Year’s Eve celebration. As the first year with established UNESCO World Heritage status, the Spring Festival Gala had unprecedented global reach. KV2 Audio was chosen to provide an audio solution to work alongside the visually captivating performances and impressive venues.  

Four venues joined together as branches of the main event in Beijing, and for the first time a Jiangnan city, Wuxi, was selected as one of these locations. The waterside town combines traditional Chinese culture with modern civilisation, providing an enchanting setting for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.  

On the shore of Taihu Lake, the Wuxi venue featured vast, outdoor performance areas. An audio system was required that would be able to cover the expansive spaces suc

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24 June 2025

USA - For Miami’s booming hospitality market, where lively nightlife and excellent gastronomic experiences are the order of the day, the expectations for atmosphere are high. For venues where every detail counts, sound quality plays a crucial role in shaping guest experiences.

Miami-based integrator Davel Rodriguez, principal at DRVCS, has turned to K-array to solve the challenges of balancing audio quality with aesthetics. DRVCS has been at the forefront of integrating these solutions across some of the most design-forward venues, not just in Miami, but nationwide, including New York City restaurant Mēdüzā Mediterrania.

“Miami is growing up to another level,” says Rodriguez. “Restaurants and bars are opening every day, and the design standards just keep on rising. Everyone wants to create something exceptional. K-array helps us get there,