Unilumin has developed U-shield technology designed for the rental market. Designed as a durability solution, U-shield enhances the robustness of LED displays under demanding operational conditions. Compared to traditional SMD solutions, it delivers up to five times the protection while reducing lamp damage rates by up to 90%. By optimising viewing angles and minimising specular reflection, it ensures consistent image quality from every perspective. High-brightness chips combined with fully black backplanes deliver contrast and vivid colour reproduction, making it especially suitable for HDR content and high-end stage applications. For rental customers, the benefits go even further, with drastically reduced failure…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Neg Earth Lights has maintained an ongoing collaboration with Rose Bruford College since 2021. This year, the partnership saw 20 students dedicate significant time to preparing the lighting for their end of year “Creative Lighting Control” 2026 show. Arriving on site at Neg Earth Lights, they were well prepared with a strong professional approach. Melissa Russell, Rental Asset Coordinator, commented: It was a pleasure to have the Rose Bruford students on site at Neg Earth Lights and to work alongside them in preparing their lighting and equipment for the 2026 CLC live event.” The Neg Earth team were fortunate to attend the CLC event and were impressed with the lighting designs…
Production Futures has announced the launch of its Make Noise campaign, a national initiative aimed at young people aged 12–18, designed to raise awareness of the wide range of ‘behind the scenes’ roles in the production and live events industry. Make Noise is about inspiring young people to explore careers in the sector and become the next generation of production industry talent. The launch comes at a time when the UK government and creative industry bodies are actively working to demystify careers in the arts and technical sectors, with research showing that while many young people are interested in creative…
Wu-Tang Clan brought The Final Chamber European tour to arenas across the continent this year, with lighting, video and rigging supplied by PRG from its Longbridge base in Birmingham. Billed as the group’s final European run, the tour carries the weight of more than three decades of influence — a body of work built by RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa that reshaped hip hop’s sonic and cultural landscape. Against that backdrop, Tour and Creative Director Jen Bui, lighting designer Ben Walton and Principal designer Jack Cannon faced a significant challenge: honouring a…
KB Event has completed a private equity-backed management buy-out (MBO), reshaping its ownership and leadership as of 17 April 2026. Founded in 1992 by Stuart McPherson, the Nottingham-based company is a specialist in event transport, storage and logistics, delivering complex global solutions for high-profile clients. Operating out of the UK and Ireland, KB Event supports concerts, world tours, festivals, exhibitions and corporate events with trucking, managed logistics, storage, project management and customs services. The business continues to lead on sustainable transport, reducing the environmental impact of live events through innovations such as HVO and electric trucks. This commitment has been…
Ayrton has announced the official launch of MagicBlade Neo, an infinitely modular linear fixture with a mastery of light, and the latest innovation in its Creative Series. MagicBlade Neo is an entirely new concept: an innovative luminaire and marvel of technology capable of creating endlessly reconfigurable, multi-shaped light curtains, vortices, and volumetric effects. Built on the foundation of the all-new MagicDot Neo, it features five independently controllable moving heads, spaced just 3mm apart, a technical feat made possible by an innovative structure designed to efficiently absorb vibrations, ensuring stability and precision in all circumstances. The close proximity of the moving…
TiMax and Martin Audio have announced a half-day industry event, called Beyond Stereo: Spatial Mixing for Theatre Professionals. Hosted at RADA’s JVT Theatre (Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre) on 26th May 2026, the session is free to attend and all theatre professionals are welcome to register. The event acknowledges that although spatial effects are used widely in theatre, most theatre sound professionals are still working in stereo because that is the reality of most loudspeaker deployments. From this working premise, Beyond Stereo aims to demonstrate, in a working theatre environment, what lies beyond. Spatial audio expert, Phil Wright leads a session that…
Lighting designer Richard Larkum has spent nearly two decades working with the Hog platform, bringing its control capabilities to concert stages around the world. Most recently, Larkum took the new Stage Hog console on a 27-date European tour with Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, including stops in Berlin, London, and Amsterdam. Larkum’s story with Hog began over 20 years ago, as he was starting to break into arena shows and larger concert venues. Around that time, he felt that the consoles he had been using weren’t powerful enough to handle the bigger shows he was beginning to take on. To…
In an effort to promote neurodiversity in the workplace, TPi Award winners Neg Earth Lights invited neurodiversity consultant Maisie Cass, to speak about designing work to fit people, not people to fit work. She also shared ways to reduce stigma and challenge common misconceptions around neurodiversity. Around one in seven people in the UK are estimated to be neurodivergent, with the live events industry thought to have one of the highest proportions. However, many neurodiverse people may feel uncomfortable disclosing their condition to their employers due to fears of stigma, as behaviours are often labelled rather than understood. Neg Earth…
Wu-Tang Clan thrilled North America with a 2025 farewell tour dubbed Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber. The tour, with sets lasting two and a half hours over four acts, travelled across the U.S. and Canada to give ardent fans a chance to cheer the legends of East Coast rap. Cohesion was the selected PA on each of the 27 coast-to-coast stops of this extraordinary send-off. The stage was shared by the eight surviving original members of Wu-Tang Clan: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa, as well as Young Dirty Bastard (YDB), the son…
Sound Devices has announced the launch of Astral Mini Plus, the latest iteration of the brand’s compact wireless transmitter bodypacks. The new Mini Plus wireless transmitter builds on the proven success of the original with a familiar ergonomic form factor and rugged performance while also adding longer battery life, extended tuning flexibility, IP67 water resistance, and improved usability features for faster setup times and operation. This makes Astral Mini Plus well-suited for challenging location sound, live music, and live theatre productions of any size or scope. Sound Devices Astral transmitters and receivers have become a favourite of location sound and…
Shure has welcomed two new Vice Presidents and announced the appointment of a longtime Company officer to its Executive Staff. Phil McPhee has joined Shure as Vice President of Operations and Chief Supply Chain Officer. He will be a member of the Executive Staff. McPhee brings more than two decades of global leadership experience across operations, manufacturing, sourcing, and product-driven organizations in the pro and consumer audio industries. He has led complex, multi-site operations across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a strong track record of scaling global supply chains, strengthening operational excellence, and aligning manufacturing strategy with long-term business growth.…
NST Audio has announced the appointment of Contact Distribution as its distribution partner for Canada. Founded in 1988 Contact focus on professional audio and audio networking solutions, for large and small-scale installations, touring and live venues. Bill Coons, the Director of Sales and founder of the company, is proud of the support they offer: “We are a family affair, with my son Brandon handling central Canadian sales, my brother-in-law Scott on operations, and my partner of 52 years Linda (our CFO), handling finance and me! Being related brings its advantages – we always know what’s going on, but maybe…
NoNonsense Group has delivered a clear statement at the 2026 Event Production Awards, taking home the accolades of both the Legend Award and Best Staging Provider. Co-founder and director Liz Madden was recognised with the Legend Award, a reflection of more than three decades working at the sharp end of live event production. Madden’s contribution extends well beyond project delivery. As co-chair of the Production Services Association, she has played a consistent role in shaping industry standards, supporting workforce development and pushing for a more joined-up approach across suppliers. Over more than 20 years as a PSA member, including over…
Immersive audio specialist Areal has appointed POLAR as the official distributor for its entire professional audio portfolio in Great Britain. From its Belgium headquarters, Areal develops hardware and software that make immersive audio accessible in real-world live sound, installation, and content creation scenarios. The manufacturer’s Upmix Engine hardware converts stereo content into spatial audio in real time, providing venues and rental companies with an answer to the challenge of accommodating stereo performances on immersive systems. The company is also set to launch the SR1 spatial reference headphone, combining a quad-driver architecture in each earcup with Areal’s Acoustic Image Mapping technology,…
ADJ has announced its participation in MIR Expo 2026, taking place 12–14 April at the Rimini Expo Centre in Rimini, Italy. As a key gathering for lighting designers, rental companies, integrators, and entertainment technology professionals, the show offers an ideal platform for ADJ to connect with the Italian market and demonstrate its latest innovations. At this year’s event, ADJ will debut a range of exciting new fixtures to the Italian market and also showcase a selection of proven, popular products already widely adopted across the region. ADJ will introduce a lineup of new fixtures to the Italian market at the…
White Light (WL) supported lighting designer Matt Ladkin on Dance//Offline, The Manor LDN’s dynamic dance festival held at Indigo at The O2. As one of London’s leading dance studios, The Manor LDN has built a reputation for elevating training and performance opportunities for dancers of all levels. Their commitment to championing creativity and community has positioned them as a driving force in the capital’s dance culture, and this festival marks an ambitious extension of that mission. Based in Finsbury Park, The Manor LDN offers a broad programme of classes led by industry‑leading choreographers and performers. Following the success of their…
Over the past five years, DiGiCo’s Quantum 225 has proven itself as a powerful workhorse for live music venues, tours, festivals, theatres, houses of worship, and many other uses. Now, the compact mixing console has evolved with the introduction of the Quantum 225 DS. Featuring dual integral screens giving users expanded capabilities, this latest addition to the Quantum lineup represents a robust, festival-ready, and competitively-priced console. Whereas the standard Quantum 225 features a left-panel bracket to accommodate a channel or overview screen, KLANG:kontroller, or laptop, the Quantum 225 DS is equipped with two 17-inch, full-colour, daylight-bright TFT multitouch screens for enhanced workflow…
