On 9 August 2025, the summer edition of Lakedance took place in Best, the Netherlands – a festival that has become a staple in the Dutch event calendar. With around 20,000 to 25,000 visitors, the lakeside venue was filled with sunshine, music, and a meticulously crafted production with products from Showtec and Infinity.
Organiser First Vision once again succeeded in creating a unique atmosphere, thanks in no small part to the creative and technical partners who left their mark behind the scenes. The creative concept was led by Lastblast from Eindhoven. They were responsible not only for the festival’s visual identity but also composed the music for the closing show and produced the intros that set the tone for the event. Stage design was handled by Roxxi, while lighting design came from Koen van Elderen of Maoss. Technical execution and equipment were provided by Hoevenaars Licht Geluid Video, who took on the Main Area this year.
A range of powerful and innovative Highlite products were chosen for the lighting show: eight Infinity iW-741 RDM for dynamic beam effects, 90 Showtec Spectra Strobe, strategically placed on stage and in the delay towers, delivering high-impact pixel bar effects, 62 Showtec Helix S5000 Q4 with various Beam Shapers (20°, 40°, and 60° x 15°) to illuminate the décor and palm trees and 16 Showtec Helix M1100 Q4 Mobile as flexible and powerful front lighting for the DJs.
According to Willem Smits, account manager at Hoevenaars, the choice for Highlite products was primarily based on output and functionality: “We were looking for pixel bars that didn’t resemble fairground lights – they had to be bold, and definitely not look like Sunstrips. The Spectra Strobe was exactly what we needed: high power, sleek design, and impressive brightness.”
One of the biggest challenges was sourcing suitable pixel bars within the set budget. When the originally selected fixtures turned out to be unavailable, the new Showtec Spectra Strobe offered the perfect solution. “We were able to create effects with these that simply weren’t possible with other fixtures,” Smits explained.
The lighting design, inspired by the vibe of Miami Vice, aimed to evoke a tropical, neon-infused atmosphere without being a direct imitation. “Pixel bars fit that style perfectly, especially once it gets dark,” said Smits.
What made this production particularly special was the visibility of the lighting during daylight hours. “Normally, you only see something once it’s dark, but with these fixtures, we could already put on a show during the day,” said Smits. The Spectra Strobes were so powerful that the light operator jokingly remarked: “Oh, so now I have to work during the day as well?!”
This didn’t go unnoticed by the client either: “You often hire a fixture for just 1.5 hours of use on a long summer evening, but these perform all day long.” Other clients of Hoevenaars visiting the festival were quick to express interest in using the same equipment for their own events.
Feedback on the show was unanimously positive. Both the client and the lighting designer were impressed by the possibilities and the final result. The closing show, programmed by Koen van Elderen, was the undisputed highlight of the evening – an audiovisual climax that will stay with the audience for a long time.
