The Pillars of the Earth, the musical adaptation of Ken Follett’s bestselling novel, has wrapped up an epic season at Madrid’s Teatro EDP Gran Vía. This large-scale production by Beon Entertainment brought together set design, music, and lighting to immerse audiences in a deeply emotional and architecturally rich Middle Ages – full of theatrical magic. And, as you might expect, lighting was one of the show’s major stars, with a powerful lighting design entirely built around Ayrton luminaires. The lighting design, crafted by Felipe Ramos and Juanjo Beloqui with incredible expressiveness and technical precision, created a wide range of atmospheres:…
Author: Jacob Waite
At the beginning of 2025, Patrick Rabus was tasked with handling the production design for a tour by Tim Kamrad, a young pop artist who is increasingly attracting attention with his electronic sounds and strong stage presence. For almost the first month, Kamrad toured medium-sized venues in Germany. “The venues were deliberately kept intimate, but Tim’s presence has grown considerably since then – not least thanks to [his appearance as judge on German TV series] The Voice of Germany,” explained Rabus. “It wasn’t about appearing bigger than we are, but rather about shaping the stage in a way that does…
Christian radio station WJTL returned to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on 17 May for WJTL Fest. STRAY Production Services brought its new PARAGON LED profile luminaires for the event, and STRAY’s Jon Boyer handled the lighting design. “Because the event is outside on a mobile stage, during the day, and without haze, I needed a fixture punchy enough to make an impact but also diverse enough that I could create an artistic show,” Boyer stated. “It proved an ideal event for our new PARAGON fixtures.” As STRAY’s outdoor event roster continues to grow, the company invested in…
On 13–14 June, the Italian beach resort of Fano became the location for a one-of-a-kind audio-visual extravaganza as the Adriatic Sound Festival brought a pure celebration of techno music and underground spirit to the city’s historic airfield. Designed by Stufish Entertainment Architects, the Hangar Stage paid a bold tribute to Fano’s aviation legacy and the power of electronic music, reimagining Fano’s historic airfield as an open-air techno cathedral, framed by three iconic hangars. Sound for the stage was supplied by local event production and technology specialist Backstage who deployed an all-NEXO system comprising main left and right hangs of 15…
TiMax Spatial Studios, based in London’s Tileyard, is the new HQ and studio space for TiMax. As the company celebrates the opening of its audio hub, TiMax can also announce its collaboration with Sonosphere. Together the two companies will provide a flexible, multi-purpose, immersive audio London hub to demonstrate, educate, promote and deliver immersive audio systems, workflow and content. The state-of-the-art suite offers a 26.4.6 TiMax mixing studio, featuring TiMax SoundHub and its powerful spatial audio and show control capabilities. TiMax Tracker D4 is installed with an eight-sensor system, and the studio also offers opportunities to work with TiMax panLab,…
The Rock For People music festival celebrated its 30th anniversary with a five-day event featuring an all-star lineup and an expanded capacity of 50,000, which saw a fully sold-out audience flock to the Park 360 site in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic – a former military airfield dating back to the 1930s. Technical production – lighting, audio, video, rigging – for the main KB and Tesco stages, the Europa 2 tent, as well as a number of smaller stages, was supplied by Czech rental company T SERVIS – who provided over 300 Robe moving lights. A T SERVIS crew of 70…
American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims has blended country, pop, and R&B into a global success story, accompanied this year by his biggest live shows to date, including a sold-out arena run in the UK, even setting a new attendance record at Manchester’s Co-op Live venue. The tour is now in the US before the team returns to Australia this autumn followed by Asia and the Middle East. Supporting the crew as they navigate larger spaces in all corners of the world on the I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy tour, Clair Global Account Executive, Justin Weaver commented: “I can’t say enough about the…
DPA Microphones’ US team, a partner of Wisycom SRL, is hosting a free webinar focused on Wisycom’s innovative RF distribution technology for wireless audio, and its integration with professional microphone systems. The sessions will take place on Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 9 a.m. EDT (3:00 p.m. CEST) and 3:00 p.m. EDT (9:00 p.m. CEST), and are open to all audio professionals and enthusiasts eager to deepen their understanding of next-generation RF performance. Hosted by DPA Microphones’ Geoff Baynard, the brand’s US-based Business Development Manager, Wireless, this online event will provide insight into the flexible, high-performance solutions that Wisycom has…
London’s iconic Trafalgar Square was transformed into the capital’s brightest basketball stage as the inaugural Jr NBA 3v3 Finals were held under the gaze of Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery, which hosted 10 city secondary schools in an electrifying final. The tournament was held on Friday 6 June and operated by London Marathon Events (LME) in collaboration between the NBA and LME designed to get more children across the capital playing basketball for boys, girls and wheelchair competitions. The team at Henley Theatre Services (HTS) were appointed to construct the three separate NBA courts in the middle of Trafalgar…
Claypaky lighting, including Arolla Profile HPs, A.leda B-EYE K20s and Mini-Bs, comprised the bulk of the fixtures illuminating Gala Dynastie 2025 at Montreal’s Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts. Omnison in Montreal supplied the luminaires to Lighting Designer, Steve Wary of SW Design Lumière for the televised awards ceremony, which celebrated Black excellence across Quebec’s arts, media and cultural sectors. “Gala Dynastie has been held every year for the past nine years, and the production has grown and the resources have evolved over that time,” noted Wary. “The creative aspect is very important to this event. Beyond the more conventional…
The iconic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has received an innovative adaptation in Poland. The Kujawsko-Pomorski Music Theatre in Toruń has reimagined the production by moving it into an unconventional space, the Od Nowa music club, and staging it as the country’s first-ever silent disco musical. At the heart of the production was KLANG and DiGiCo’s Quantum 225 Pulse. Together they formed the backbone of an immersive sound experience that gave audiences a brand-new experience and musicians complete control over their monitoring environment. Known for its avant-garde productions, the Musical Theatre in Toruń took on the ambitious task of presenting…
With less than a month to go, the Fete stalls, Manor House and karting teams are all sold out, and Backup Tech’s Fabulous Village Fete is shaping up to truly live up to its name. The Parish Council judges (LSi’s Claire Beeson, Stewart Hume from TPi, Chris Barratt from AAA, ABTT’s Elysia Moore and PLASA’s Peter Heath) are sharpening their pencils and refining their taste buds to pick the Best Fete Stall, Best Dressed Fete’r, Best Fete Stall Game, the Cake Off and Veg Off, plus winners will be declared for the Catching Flies (fly fishing) and Pheasant Shooting competitions.…
The Beatsteaks, one of Germany’s most successful punk rock bands, have been out on their Please tour, in support of the album of the same name, since spring 2024. This tour has continued in 2025. Lighting Designer, Joanna Ossolinska, who has worked with the band for several years, developed a completely new lighting concept for the tour – with some deliberate references to previous tours: The characteristic line of light and the Viennese curtain as a backdrop have long been part of the Beatsteaks’ DNA and needed to be retained. The goal was to create a flexible setup that would…
Vertus Group, a division of Jonas Software, has welcomed CAST Group of Companies to its growing portfolio. “After more than 30 years of building, growing, inventing, and leading CAST, it was time to pass on the torch,” said Gilray Densham, Founder of CAST. “We found the perfect home in Vertus Group. They will continue our legacy and drive the company forward through innovation, the very thing that makes CAST an industry leader.” “Joining the Vertus Group marks the start of CAST’s next evolution, one that blends continuity with acceleration,” said Stuart Green, CEO of CAST. “What excites me most is…
Tour and Production Manager, Stewart Chown, who works alongside remote Production Manager, Gareth Russell, has trusted Britannia Row’s services with many of their touring acts over the course of their careers. So, when American singer, songwriter and musician Sharon Van Etten announced she’d be touring a new record with her brand-new band, The Attachment Theory, Britannia Row’s high quality, budget friendly, and global expertise was required once again. “The band aspect is quite a new thing for Sharon, and our brief was to bring everything up to a certain production level,” began Chown. “It’s not a huge tour – our…
Concert Stuff Group has appointed Chance Stahlhut as Chief Operating Officer. Stahlhut began his career in punk clubs and small-venue tours, eventually rising through the ranks to become a respected leader in audio, rigging, and lighting. He toured the world for more than a decade as an engineer and Crew Chief with Clair Global before transitioning into the business side of production in 2012. At VER, he helped launch the Tour Sound division, where he held leadership roles across sales, operations, and management. After VER’s acquisition by PRG, Stahlhut continued in senior positions overseeing complex productions and cross-functional teams. Most…
As part of its bid to engage young people with the production industries, Production Futures returned to stage a brand activation at BLUDFEST, which took place at Milton Keynes Bowl on 21 June. The festival’s eclectic lineup, curated by dynamic singer-songwriter, YUNGBLUD, attracted a hugely diverse range of fans, including many young people for whom the Production Futures pop-up stand provided insights into possible careers in the production sector. The Production Futures stand was located in the fan-zone entrance, and as well as providing information about the organisation’s upcoming ON TOUR shows, ran a series of popular competitions designed to…
The Ehrlich Brothers have been delighting a wide audience with their spectacular live shows for over a decade. Their new production, Diamonds, premiered in mid-November in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle before visiting the largest arenas in Germany, where they have been presenting the best of their most popular illusions. With the help of exceptional lighting and stage technology, the successful magician duo is once again setting standards in the live entertainment world. Thomas Gerdon of GERDON DESIGN is once again responsible for the production design. He and his team have been accompanying the Ehrlich Brothers on their tours since 2019. For the…
