The latest tour by the artist Saiko featured a lighting design based on Claypaky solutions. The visual concept supported the artist’s live performance with a coherent, precise, and technically demanding stage setup at every tour date. The lighting design, developed by lighting designer Miguel Hidalgo, was conceived around a robust and highly versatile system capable of meeting the show’s diverse artistic and technical requirements. The selection of Claypaky fixtures made it possible to build a strong visual narrative aligned with the show’s artistic identity and the highest quality standards in the industry. Claypaky lighting equipment used on the tour featured…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
GLP has appointed Julian von den Stemmen as its new Marketing Director, effective 1 July. He succeeds Ulrich Steinle, who is leaving the company by his own choice after 17 years to pursue new career opportunities. The transition has been structured to preserve continuity across GLP’s international marketing activities. Steinle and von den Stemmen will work alongside one another during a joint handover period. This is an approach that reflects GLP’s broader character as a company, which is collaborative, personal, and built on lasting relationships. Steinle joined GLP nearly two decades ago and played a central role in defining how…
Melbourne-based production company Diverse Audio Visual Events (DAVE) recently deployed AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA two RS Gen.2 media server as the backbone of the complete video system for Hilltop Hoods’ Never Coming Home Tour 2026, a national run of arena shows that sold out across Australia. Hilltop Hoods, one of Australia’s most successful recording acts, took the Never Coming Home Tour to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne and RAC Arena in Perth, and more, with sold-out dates placing Diverse AV at the heart of one of the country’s biggest hip-hop tours of the year. Brad Hurle,…
Lublin-based events support specialists Pionier Art have just announced a major investment in CODA Audio. Pionier Art has been specialising in technical support for a variety of events since 2010. Based in Lublin the company offers comprehensive technical solutions for concerts and festivals, as well as corporate and sporting events, inside and outside, across Poland. Covering everything from staging and lighting to multimedia and professional audio systems, Pionier has an impressive track record of completed projects for an equally impressive client list. Many leading brands, institutions, and artists, both Polish and international, place their trust in this well-established provider. In…
Production Futures has announced that it will return to Production Park, Wakefield, on Thursday 19 November 2026 for its final ON TOUR event of the year. Following highly successful visits to the AO Arena in Manchester and London’s Roundhouse, which smashed previous attendance records, Production Futures promises another action-packed day which will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, and networking, as well as presenting paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry. A host of world-leading manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors, will have representatives present at the event to provide advice,…
Europalco has expanded its logistics infrastructure in Portugal with the significant expansion of its warehouse in Porto and the opening of a new warehouse in the Algarve, strengthening its ability to support events with local equipment, technical teams, and faster regional response. The new facilities mark an important step in the company’s shift from a centralised logistics structure to a network-based model. By establishing permanent operational bases in two of Portugal’s main event regions, Europalco is increasing agility, improving flexibility, and reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transport of heavy structures and equipment. The warehouses will function as local…
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has issued the oral testimony that was delivered by NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 Committee in Washington, D.C., on Friday, 8 May. Mlynczak’s oral testimony delivered a powerful narative on the impact of tariffs on American businesses, music education, and consumers of musical instruments. This message enhances the case and data already provided in NAMM’s previously submitted written comments. The USTR selected 151 assocations and companies to provide in-person testimony to support the 811 written comments recieved. NAMM joined other…
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), Finland’s national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, returned for its fifteenth edition in 2026, broadcast live from the Nokia Arena in Tampere by YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. With Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen ultimately claiming Finland’s Eurovision spot with their song Liekinheitin, the event demanded a visual production equal to its audience. At the centre of that were two INFiLED LED screen systems, together forming one of the most technically ambitious setups in the competition’s history. Technical delivery was handled by Akun Tehdas Oy, a Finnish AV production company and one of the…
The British Music Embassy (BME) returned to SXSW for its 2026 edition, once again taking over Palm Door on Sixth for a full week of live performances, industry programming, and broadcast activity. Operating continuously from daytime panels through late-night performances, the BME brought together emerging UK talent, production professionals, and global industry partners within a tightly run, dedicated venue. Production was prepped by Ant Forbes of Production Park and led on site by the same, with loudspeaker systems supplied by Fidelis Sound & Lighting. System design and tuning were carried out by dBTechnologies USA Applications Engineer Andy Tindall and dBTechnologies…
Few live events blur the line between sport, music and art quite like Art on Ice. Hosted from 27 February to the 6 March across three arenas in Switzerland, the internationally celebrated ice performance show combines world‑class figure skating with live music. At the heart of the 2026 production was 300m² of Absen JP8 Pro LED. Habegger and NicLen Switzerland were chosen to supply and install Absen’s visual backdrop to the ice. From the stands, the LED screens became an extension of the choreography itself, providing flowing colour, texture and light moving in rhythm with skaters and musicians without distracting…
POLAR has announced the expansion of its team with the appointment of Nick White to the post of Business Development Manager. White brings with him twenty years of experience across the professional audio visual industry, spanning system integration, distribution, and manufacturing. With a strong recent focus on software solutions, he possesses valuable expertise in combining hardware and software to create impactful user experiences. POLAR Managing Director John Midgley commented: “Nick joins POLAR at a very opportune moment. We have recently added several new brands to our portfolio, and are beginning the rollout of our ‘Go to Market’ strategy. Nicks extensive…
Area Four Industries UK (A4IUK) has announced the official launch of the new SkillsLab Training Programme at the upcoming PLASA Leeds. Developed to support the evolving needs of the live events and entertainment technology sector, the A4IUK SkillsLab platform provides industry professionals with access to a growing portfolio of specialist educational and technical training programmes across the Area Four Industries brand family including: EXE Technology, MILOS, LITEC and PROLYTE. Based at the A4IUK Innovation Centre in Holbeach Hurn, Lincs, SkillsLab has been created to equip riggers, technicians, engineers, production professionals, and venue teams with the practical knowledge and technical skills…
New research examining the economic value, employment and key issues for the UK Outdoor Events Sector has been published, 8 years after the last sector-specific report was produced. The headline number of at least £25 billion annual economic value of the sector covers the full cascade of value that events generate. It makes outdoor events the single largest component of the UK’s £61.6 billion events industry – bigger than conferences, exhibitions and business events combined. The central finding of this research is quite straightforward: events generate far more economic value than their organisers ever see in their own accounts. Every…
Leading UK charity Music Venue Trust (MVT) and The National Lottery have announced the first line-ups for Everywhere At Once, a UK-wide live music weekend that brings the festival season to grassroots venues across the country. Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of 26 to 28 June, 2026, more than 400 grassroots music venues will unite across the UK to create Everywhere At Once. For one extraordinary weekend, venues from Falmouth to Aberdeen will stage hundreds of live music events under the banner of Everywhere At Once, celebrating the grassroots network that British music is…
Riedel Communications has announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management and overarching group leadership. As part of this development, Marc Engroff has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Riedel Communications. At the same time, Frank Eischet transitions into the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Riedel Group, with an increased focus on group-level strategy and cross-functional alignment. As part of a previously defined evolution of the leadership structure, this move is being implemented at a time of dynamic developments across the broader Riedel environment, including…
Coheed and Cambria launched an amphitheater tour last summer co-billed with iconic emo-pop band Taking Back Sunday. The 25-date trek across the United States and Canada featured a dazzling arrangement of lasers and lights, a giant inflatable sunglasses-adorned skull, and support from a robust Cohesion audio system. Coheed and Cambria treated fans to plenty of hits old and new. The set featured singles from their latest album, including Goodbye, Sunshine and Blind Side Sonny alongside beloved classics such as A Favor House Atlantic, Blood Red Summer, and In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, plus a boisterous encore of The…
Pro Subrental Marketplace has partnered with Flex Rental Solutions, making it much easier for users to populate their PSM Marketplace Inventory. This software integration is part of the long-term strategic plan for Pro Subrental Marketplace to make it easier for users to quickly locate and secure the right equipment within the tools they use every day. “This is the first step in making the cross-rental marketplace much easier to manage,” explained Pro Subrental Marketplace CEO, Greg Smith. “I’m delighted that Chris and the team at Flex have embraced the concept of PSM, even joining me for in presenting the concept…
Budapest-based production company BG Events recently deployed what is believed to be the largest total hang for a single event of Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision series. A total of 120 line array elements from the WPL, WPC and WPS series, together with 36 SXH218 subs, were specified for BSW at the Papp László Arena. Celebrating two decades since BSW first formed in 2006, the #BSW20 tour marks a defining moment for the group, charting their journey from the underground hip-hop scene to the summit of Hungary’s live music industry as one of the country’s premier stadium-level performers. It was BG…
