Stageco steel and ROE Visual LED screens played a pivotal role in one of the most significant live music events in Dutch history – DI-RECT’s farewell concerts at Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium, home of Feyenoord. Tasked with delivering this historic production, Sightline Productions engaged Stageco to provide staging infrastructure and the build while Creative Technology (CT) Netherlands selected ROE Visual’s Black Quartz LED panels to create an impressive production for 145,000 fans.
The concerts marked the final chapter in De Kuip’s legacy as a live music venue. Over nearly five decades, the stadium has evolved into one of the Netherlands’ most revered concert stages. However, due to upcoming residential developments and increasing concerns over noise pollution, the City of Rotterdam has decided to discontinue large-scale performances at the venue.
DI-RECT embraced the emotional gravity of the moment. As the band paid tribute to decades of musical history at De Kuip – following in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, U2, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones. CT Netherlands was entrusted with the execution of the LED installation, selecting ROE Visual’s Black Quartz Series. The final setup featured 966 sq m of ROE BQ6 and 56 sq m of BQ4, integrated into a striking 27m-tall LED canvas.
“The specific requirements of the client naturally led us to high-end products like the ROE BQ series,” said Jeroen Boere, Project Director at CT Netherlands.
“We’ve deployed this product at many high-profile events, and the DI-RECT show once again confirms it was the right choice. Combined with the Megapixel Helios processing platform, it allows us to control each pixel perfectly – natively across 8K resolution canvases.”
With video content driven by Megapixel HELIOS LED processors and Disguise GX 3 media servers, the system operated across a dual 8K configuration, delivering precise colour reproduction, high refresh rates, and real-time content synchronisation.
A standout feature was its ability to handle full white brightness levels from 1% to 100%, offering creative flexibility for both subtle transitions and powerful visual moments.
One of the most striking elements of the show’s design featured two massive LED structures flanking the stage, representing a stylised hand (over 24m tall) and a profiled head of Spike, the stage name of DI-RECT’s Frans van Zoest.
These sculptural elements required a custom-engineered rear support structure, specially developed to handle the complex rigging loads and outdoor conditions. The 24m-tall shaped LED surfaces demanded bespoke steelwork and precise structural calculations to ensure safety and stability throughout the performances.
“This was the highest video screen structure that I have ever built,” experienced Stageco Project Manager, Henkjan Luesink said, reflecting on the tonnes of black steel gear supplied for DI-RECT and two support acts on the bill, The Indien and Son Mieux. “We built an elevator within the system to enable quick changeovers.”
The entire stage set fit into 30 trailers. In total, Stageco lifted 17 tonnes of material, including additional wind bracing, making for a heavy system.
“Our knowledge of De Kuip helped a lot. It’s a historic, tight space, not built for live events. It took a week and half to prepare how to transport the equipment and build different sections, in collaboration with the vendors.”
In addition to collaboration, the order of the unload was vital to the success of the project. Stageco deployed in-house constructor Paul Schijfsma to assess windloads, bracing and preparing the build within Eurocode regulation.
“The most difficult part was actually centralising all the equipment as opposed to weight loads,” Luesink remarked. To this end, an experienced 36-strong team of Stageco staff, as well as some additional freelancers and production crew – making up approximately 450 people in total – were involved in the overall build, including 50 crew members assembling the smaller stage.
This project also coincided with multiple projects for the staging company, meaning equipment was allocated in advance and sourced from Stageco’s Tildonk warehouse in Belgium with further scaffolding infrastructure coming from across the Netherlands.
“95% of the gear was off the shelf with 5% custom made specials, which have since been recycled on projects,” Luesink reported, drawing paralell’s between Stageco’s material and the ease of implementation of Lego.
“Everything comes in varying sizes and configurations,” he continued. “In this case, we provided additional roller beams to lift the video screens into place, once they were built on the stage floor.”
Timing, in addition to collaboration and creative problem solving, was paramount. “The timeline was tight. We had several meetings with R&D departments and project leaders in the build-up to the show, and all those hours, ensured the smooth and safe implementation of the system,” he concluded.
“Fundamentally, we are a company that makes people happy, so we were proud to be involved and collaborate with fellow companies on this momentous project.”
In addition to Sightline Productions, Stageco and CT Netherlands, the vendor roster featured stagebrothers (set construction), The Powershop (power generators), Ampco Flashlight Rental (lighting and audio), MisterBeam (visual content), and Production World (production). As De Kuip closes its gates to live music, DI-RECT and the entire production team leave behind a momentous farewell – one that seamlessly blends music, history, and world-class visual technology.
“This wasn’t just a concert – it was the final chapter in De Kuip’s storied music history,” concluded CT Project Manager, Jordy Mulders. “We are incredibly proud to have contributed to this legacy and been able to deliver uncompromised visual excellence.”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Nathan Reinds
