With two major anniversary shows on 5th and 6th of September 2025, PUR celebrated the 30th anniversary of their multi-platinum album Abenteuerland at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. For the eighth edition of PUR and Friends, a complex 360° stage design was created, featuring a central main stage and three expansive catwalks – all of which was illuminated by an extensive lighting system, featuring more than 140 GLP impression X5 fixtures.
As is tradition with PUR and Friends, the band did not take the stage alone: guests including Nik Kershaw, Heinz Rudolf Kunze, Eva Briegel (Juli) and Nicholas Müller (Jupiter Jones) joined the show, broadening the evening’s musical spectrum.
Lighting designer Gunther Hecker, who has been working with PUR since 2018, once again deliberately chose the impression X5: “For me, the X5 is THE LED washlight right now,” he said. “The colour mixing, output and zoom range are simply outstanding. Visually, it holds its own even alongside very powerful spots. I’ve had excellent experiences with the X5 on Herbert Grönemeyer’s shows – and it performed flawlessly here once again.”
The square main stage (16m by 16 m) formed the heart of the show. Three catwalks extended into the audience – two measuring 12 metres each and one 20 metres long. Above the stage, four tapering trusses arranged in an octagonal layout created the show’s distinctive 360° structure.
“With 360° shows, everything must work from every angle. The lighting rig was huge — several hundred fixtures in total. It really helps to have a washlight that performs reliably across all parameters,” the designer emphasises.
The more than 140 GLP impression X5 fixtures were integrated across multiple levels of the setup. The largest share was installed on the trusses: 72 impression X5 units were mounted on the outermost of the four octagonal truss rings above the audience area, with an additional 16 on the next smaller octagon directly above the stage.
The impression X5 also played a key role in the floor package. Along the square main stage, five fixtures per side were positioned along the front edges. Each of the two 12-metre catwalks featured ten X5 units, while a total of 18 were used on the 20-metre catwalk.
A decisive factor in Hecker’s choice was the X5’s colour quality. The intelligent colour mixing system expands and optimises the fixture’s usable colour gamut, enabling exceptionally precise control of saturated colours and calibrated white tones. iQ.Gamut ensures accurate colour temperatures, consistent white points and vibrant effects — providing the colour stability and repeatability that are essential for large-scale arena productions.
The technical service provider for the production was TDA Clair. Timo Martens served as lighting operator for the shows. Simon Zimanda was responsible for video switching, with video content supplied by Clubkind.
