On 14 July 2025, at the grand opening of the Versatile AI Virtual Film Base and the AI Virtual Film Technology Launch Event in Deqing, the World’s largest monolithic LED virtual production stage was officially unveiled. Jointly developed by Absen and Versatile, this stage features a 270-degree curved LED screen with a diameter of 50 meters and a height of 12 meters. The total floor area of the stage reaches 5,000 square meters, with the LED display covering approximately 1,700 square meters. Powered by LED Virtual production technology, the recreation of complex, large-scale, and costly scenes in film and television…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Taking it back to the early 2000s, alternative rock band Incubus graced arena stages for the first time in the UK in over a decade. Staging the band’s first ever O2 arena show was a tight-knit crew, which included three members of the same family along for the ride. From Persian rugs to lasers, the Incubus show had it all… Production Manager, Eddie Kercher caught up with TPi on a break during the tour, while driving to go fishing with Lighting Designer, Graham Rolak, to discuss his longevity with the touring outfit after being a part of the Incubus crew…
Following the release of her fourth solo studio album, Forever Is A Feeling, Lucy Dacus hit the road with her latest live campaign, stopping off at some of the world’s largest festivals on her way, with Worley Sound providing sonic support for the run. “I started working with Lucy in 2017, we started out sleeping on a mattress on Lucy’s floor as a FOH engineer, tour manager, and even mixing wedges – it has been so cool to see it evolve and be part of the process,” Aly Carlisle-Steinberg, FOH Engineer, reminisced. Carlisle-Steinberg wanted the Forever Is A Feeling live…
Following on from his hit single, End of Beginning, Djo – the stage name of American actor and musician, Joe Keery – and his six-piece band hit the road with a scalable production design curated by creative studio, Human Person, with lighting delivered by Colour Sound Experiment and audio supplied by Triplex Productions. TPi heads to Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse to get an insight into the making and mixing of the tour. The artist’s rise in popularity saw his management team get in touch with Only Helix, who appointed Tour and Production Manager, Dan McKay to oversee the tour’s execution. “One…
What were some of the overarching goals of this latest software update? “To start 2025, we’ve taken a bold new step into the world of cabling. It’s a complex and ambitious feature, but an essential one; no lighting design software feels truly complete without the ability to plan and calculate cabling requirements. While there’s still more to come, this addition already marks a significant leap forward for WYSIWYG, greatly expanding its capabilities and strengthening its position as a comprehensive production solution.” What advances have been made to the Cables feature and how will this aid end users? “The new Cables…
When did talks with Powersoft about the partnership first begin and why were they a natural fit for LD Systems? “We started exploring the partnership in early 2023. It became quickly clear that there was a shared understanding of where modern amplification is headed: energy efficiency, network integration, and reliability in challenging environments. Powersoft has a strong track record in those areas. For us at LD Systems, it wasn’t about branding or image — it was about solid tech and a supply partner we could count on to deliver at scale, with consistency.” What will this partnership mean for the…
A trend we’ve seen at TPi is the higher demand for production value at live events, and a part of this ever-growing pressure is the stipulation that shows must remain uniform, venue on venue, continent on continent, especially with fans now able to access shows from across the world on their mobile phones. Consistency was a prerequisite when it came to Kylie Minogue’s Tension Tour, for which Solotech provided a 360° package. “Kylie has seen the value in having bespoke systems to support the production to the right standard for her, which is why we are seeing more of the…
Following the lasting impact of The Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021 in Houston, Texas – where 10 audience members died because of a crowd crush – Pink Bows Foundation, with two of their industry veterans are on a mission to standardise a global Showstop Procedure to further enhance the safety of music and sport fans around the world. Steve Allen FdA MIFireE FIIRSM RSP, who has managed safety and security at major events for the past 30 years, and has toured with Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Oasis and Eminem, among others; alongside Dr Mark Hamilton FdA MA (Dist.)…
Over the past 50 years, Britannia Row Productions has grown into a globally recognised provider of world class audio solutions, working with some of the biggest names in music, sports and live event production, guided by its leaders in the development and application of technical innovation, training and crew logistics. The story began in 1975 when iconic rock band Pink Floyd purchased a building at 35 Britannia Row, Islington, London, to house their rapidly growing touring equipment. The Britannia Row group of companies was formed to rent out Pink Floyd’s sound and lighting inventory to other bands during tour breaks.…
The newest addition to Elation’s FUZE Series, the FUZE PFX, brings all the power and versatility of a multi-purpose automated fixture — now in an incredibly compact footprint. Designed to deliver serious output and feature-rich flexibility in a smaller package, the FUZE PFX is ideal for both production and installation environments. The FUZE PFX delivers over 15000 lumens of output and can handle everything from tight beams and precise framing to expansive washes. Despite its feature-packed design and powerful 400W white LED engine, the FUZE PFX maintains a compact and lightweight form factor, making it an ideal choice for venues…
Audio Plus has supplied XTA DPA100 amplification for multiple Funktion One systems at MiNT Festival in Leeds. With its origins in the celebrated MiNT Club in Leeds, MiNT Festival is Yorkshire’s biggest dance music event. The festival, which evolved from a collection of local gatherings, takes place near the city on a purpose-built arena at the 130-acre Newsam Farm, attracting thousands of Leeds music lovers to its multiple stages. This year’s edition featured Josh Baker’s You&Me, Morgan Seatree’s Unfussy, plus Patrick Topping, Kettama, East End Dubs, and more. East Anglia-based Audio Plus provided sound across the site. More than thirty…
RCM returned to Wembley Stadium in June to provide full confidence monitor support for Mariah Carey’s headline set at Capital’s Summertime Ball – marking the artist’s first UK performance in six years. RCM deployed 12 large-format confidence monitors, custom-built and supplied by UK-based specialists >Teleprompter.Video manufactured by Apt-GB. “On a stage like Wembley, sightlines and clarity are everything, especially for an artist as legendary as Mariah,” said RCM Co-Founder and Director Nick Dew. “The scale of the show demanded a technical setup that could match the performance, both in terms of quality and coverage.” The collaboration between RCM and Apt-GB…
Fans who turned out to catch the show by EDM titans ATLiens at Red Rocks on Saturday May 17 couldn’t see the famous rock formation during their performance due to the size (36-foot 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, atmospherics, and pyro effects, all revolving around a space theme, dramatically altered the aura of the stage at every turn. Luis Torres of HiLite Designs orchestrated this transformational journey using a powerful, flexible…
“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 iconic career. In light of this philosophy, the seven-time Grammy Award winner likely would have been very pleased to see what was happening this year at the 37 annual MerleFest, the Americana music festival honouring his memory. The festival is named after Doc’s late son and fellow musician Merle Watson was heartfelt. Enhancing the atmosphere at the festival’s famed Doc and Merle Watson main stage and two other sites at the…
Dreamliner Luxury Coaches has announced the opening of a new facility located at the Rock Lititz production community in Lititz, PA. The 5,000-square-foot facility expands Dreamliner’s national footprint, joining existing locations in Fontana, CA, Denver, CO, and Nashville, TN. Rock Lititz is a renowned community that supports innovation and creativity within the live event industry. Its ecosystem includes top-tier resources across design, engineering, manufacturing, and more, serving as a one-stop shop for world-class live experiences. Other vendors and key players in the community include Clair Global, Rock-it Cargo, Tait, 4Wall, and Fuse Technical Group. Dreamliner is the first and only…
Ultimo Sharpy is the next evolution of Claypaky’s Sharpy: a compact IP66-rated beam moving head, purpose-built for the most demanding environments, productions, and expectations. With its power-to-size ratio, advanced optics, and fast, true CMY colour mixing, it delivers mid-air effects, infinite motion, and absolute precision. At the heart of Ultimo Sharpy lies a brand-new 250W Ultra-High Performance short-arc lamp, designed for maximum output and sustainability. Delivering an 100,000 lux at 20 meters (over 9,300 fc at 65 ft), it packs the punch of much larger fixtures all while keeping the compact, iconic shape of the original Sharpy. Designed for the…
ACT Entertainment has announced the appointment of two members of the lighting sales team to newly designated sales territories. Jonathan Schneider and Asha Washington have been named as Regional Outside Sales Reps – Lighting for the South Central US and Southeast US, respectively. “We are thrilled to continue growing the lighting sales team within ACT Entertainment,” said Director of Sales, Doug Mekanik. “Both Jonathan and Asha bring unique experiences to the overall team ranging in expertise from touring to prior sales territory management. By adding these two team members, we are able to provide our growing customer base with the…
Grid Faeries x Ecotricity are leading the charge to power London’s outdoor music events with renewable energy, with the first-ever main stage powered by green energy, at LIDO Festival in Victoria Park. “LIDO was a first for London, an outdoor, main stage, run entirely on green energy, and it won’t be the last. It’s time to get diesel out of our festivals. Grid Faeries x Ecotricity are here to show how there’s another way to power the live music scene,” Dale Vince OBE said. In conjunction with LIDO Festival, Grid Faeries x Ecotricity successfully demonstrated in the real world how a mainstream London…
