Bahrain - A large complement of Claypaky lighting fixtures was on hand for the celebration hosted by the State of Kuwait at Bahrain National Stadium, following the victory of the Bahrain national team at football’s 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, the second win in Bahraini football history.

The reception was attended by His Majesty the King and many notables in sports and government. Fans went wild cheering the team which scored a victory over Oman to achieve their second title in six years.

Faalyat Event Management was the main event organiser. Showtech Productions W.L.L., an event management company in Bahrain, produced the gala event and provided the lighting design and fixtures. Lawrence Rodricks, CEO of Showtech, was the lighting designer. Claypaky fixtures included 40 Skylos, 40 Xtylos, and 40 Scenius Profiles. 

Alex Douglas, a freelance ligh

Australia - Kevin Northrup, lighting designer for Luke Combs, chose an array of Ayrton fixtures, MDG theONE and Atmosphere HO foggers/hazers, and grandMA3 consoles for the singer-songwriter’s recent stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand. All of the brands are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

The Winston Salem, North Carolina-based Northrup has been working with Combs since his headline arena show in Asheville in 2017 and was lighting designer for Combs’ 2023 Australian arena tour. The new tour played eight dates in January and February in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The show continued the look established by production designer Ollie Metcalfe for Combs’s 2023 North American stadium tour. “We knew that looked good, would work and fit the timeline we had,” says Northrup. “Luke likes to do real

UK - IPS (Impact Production Services) has announced the addition of the Martin MAC Viper XIP to its lighting rental stock. In response to strong customer demand, this latest addition to the Martin lineup introduces an LED source, IP-rated version of the classic Viper fixture family, enhancing all the best attributes of previous models.

Included as part of IPS’s Technical Production and Dry Hire service, the addition of the MAC Viper XIP expands IPS’s inventory, providing event professionals with access to advanced lighting technology suitable for a variety of applications.

IPS head of lighting, Davis Cmoch, highlighted the technical capabilities of the new fixture stating: “The new Viper XIP boasts Framing Shutters as standard, a key feature that previously set the Performance fixture apart from the Profile version. Additionally, its impressive

The Netherlands - Two key performance spaces – Odeon and Spiegel – in the bustling Netherlands regional epicentre of Zwolle, chose Robe moving lights as a vital element of their transition to LED lighting, with the purchase of six T1 Profiles, 18 x Painte Profiles, 24 x LEDBeam 350s and 24 x LEDBeam FWQ 150 Washes, all delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux.

Discussions related to the move to LED started in 2022, and Zwolle Theatre’s head of technical Dennis Bouwhuis and head of lighting Jan Willem Jansen explained that, as they already had some older Robe moving lights – ColorWash 250s and ColorSpot 700s – in the inventory, they had already known the brand for a long time and enjoyed its reliability.

The Zwolle Theatre dates back to 1869 and also has the Hanzestrohm Hall (AKA the ‘Small Hall’) for 457 people, one of the

Lithuania - High-profile politicians and dignitaries from across Europe attended a special event in Vilnius to mark a shift in the Baltic states’ power grid in February, with Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Servers energising the visuals.

Energy Independence Day celebrated decades of work by Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and the EU to connect power to Europe rather than Russia. As Polish President Andrzej Duda and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the press, a highly synchronised and video effect-laden show was presented, by creative technical storytellers at Lithuania-based Marfa Lights.

Andrius Stasiulis, founder of Marfa Lights and his team sourced a Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Server from Vilnius-based Video Projektai to run the visual elements of the event, which was held at the Vilnius LITEX

France - Nearly 30 years ago, Mathieu Kassovitz's film La Haine influenced an entire generation of French youth, winning the 1995 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Director and the European Film Award for the Discovery of the Year, before rapidly becoming a classic of French cinema.

At the end of 2024, this cult film took to the stage in the form of an immersive and explosive musical, combining dance, rap, film and theatre – La Haine, Jusqu'ici rien n'a changé (La Haine, Nothing Has Changed So Far), produced by La Haine Production, with Live Nation as the executive producer. In this theatrical adaptation, 15 scenes follow a group of three friends from a rough suburb in Paris, against the background of an impactful original soundtrack. At the heart of this artistic feat lies a technological p

Czech Republic - Pioneering Czech Art Nouveau painter-illustrator Alfons (Alphonse) Mucha is famous for his monumental canvases depicting the history of the Slavic peoples. 

The Parisian period of Mucha's life serves as the inspiration for I Art Nouveau, a visual experience from the creators of the popular show Vivaldianno, led by Michal Dvořák, a member of the Czech rock band Lucie. 

I Art Nouveau takes 21st century audiences at Prague's Hybernia Theatre on an unforgettable journey back in time to Art Nouveau's golden age in Paris. 

Indeed, those who see I Art Nouveau often feel like they have stepped into the glamorous world of one of Mucha's posters, with its sleek daring styles and urbane sophistication. But this enchanting magic does not rise from artwork alone. There is also music, dance

USA - The 2025 edition of The Maine’s 8123 Fest transformed the Mesa Amphitheatre in Arizona into an electrifying experience enhanced by ADJ Lighting’s Jolt Panel FX, Jolt Bar FX, and 32 HEX Panel IP fixtures. Utilised to extend the video elements of the show across the entire stage, these fixtures played a crucial role in production/lighting designer Carlos Katsurayama’s rig, creating an immersive visual spectacle for fans of the alt rock band.

Founded in 2007, The Maine is associated with a variety of rock music genres, especially alternative, pop punk and emo. The band has built a dedicated following through their heartfelt anthems and strong fan engagement, which reaches its zenith at their very own festival, 8123 Fest. First held in 2017, to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary, 8123 Fest has become a biannual gathering of The Maine’

UK - TSL Lighting has introduced three key additions to its team: Matt Farquhar, Jamie Wells, and Luke McCreary. Each of them brings considerable industry experience and knowledge, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to enhancing the efficiency and quality of operations.

Farquhar joined TSL in June 2024 as head of operations, overseeing IT, transport, warehouse, assets, and projects. With over 50 members of staff under his leadership and five managers, including Wells and McCreary, reporting directly to him. Farquhar plays a crucial role in driving operational efficiency and keeping TSL’s business operations aligned with growth targets.

“It’s always a bit unnerving not knowing what kind of team you’re coming into, but I’ve loved starting at TSL,” says Farquhar. “It’s been fantastic – I’ve been made to feel welcome and the

USA - Motown is a good distance from Music City (533 miles, to be exact), but inspiration has a way of transcending geographical space. It was on a trip back home to Detroit for the holidays that Alexandra Kay's lighting designer, Corbin Alvae saw a stylised heart in an advertisement. It struck him with a vision for the set piece for his client's current 30-city Cupid's A Cowgirl tour.

"The concept for this design really came when AK talked about this being the start of a new phase of her career," said Alvae. "We called it the Lover Girl Era. So, when I was designing this with her and her management, I really wanted something to stand out as a good centre prop to bring this show together. One day visiting home in Michigan for the holidays, I drove by a massive red heart, and it just hit me with a lot of inspiration to tie together not only

UK - Poole’s Lighthouse staged its first Work Experience Day last weekend as 15 Year 10 pupils from local schools got a taste of life at one of the country’s largest multi-venue arts centres.

As well as hearing about the different jobs that make Lighthouse work, the young people were able to learn about how the different performance spaces are used and how sound and lighting function in them.

“I just wanted to thank you for the amazing opportunity today, I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said one young person.

“I also wanted to thank you for the sugar-free sweets and chocolate, it was really touching to feel my needs considered and I'm very grateful. I definitely learned a lot today and enjoyed learning from the best.”

The Work Experience Day was organised in response to the unprecedented number of requests Light

India - In celebration of reaching a 25-year foundation tenure, Magarpatta, a 450-acre gated community consisting of commercial areas, residential compounds, hospital, school, 25-acre urban park, and a shopping mall, commissioned the facade illumination of their city gates. To mark a quarter-century, they wanted to create an awe-inspiring lighting display at the main entrance.

The gates at the entrance were adorned with dynamic lighting to enhance the appeal for both residents and visitors. Semblance Studio, a local lighting design firm from Pune, chose K-LITE to provide the lighting solutions.

K-LITE supplied products including Form-17, underwater lights, and Aster 15 solutions which combined to form a cohesive lighting scheme. Form-17 fixtures were installed in the niche of the entrance and Aster 15 were placed in the niches of the entrance lateral

Italy - The entertainment world is gathering in Rimini from 23-25 March for the new edition of MIR – Multimedia Integration Expo, dedicated to technological innovation in the live events and audiovisual industry.

This year, Claypaky returns to the stage to showcase its most innovative lighting technologies in the Audiosales Live Experience Area. This space in Hall C2 will host the Claypaky Product Show, where visitors can see Claypaky’s latest innovations in action.

“In recent years, Audiosales and Claypaky have organised a series of events to introduce and provide hands-on experiences with new technologies and products, starting with the Experience Days, which welcomed hundreds of lighting professionals to Claypaky,” explains Stefano Rocchi, CEO of Audiosales. “For this year’s MIR, we have embraced an innovativ

UK - The OffWestEnd Theatre Awards (Offies) celebrated the creativity and talent that define the UK’s independent theatre scene. Marking its 15th anniversary, the ceremony unveiled a bold new direction, moving away from the traditional category model. Instead, the Offies introduced eight areas of exceptional contribution, reflecting the diversity, artistry, and ambition that make fringe and Off-West End theatre so vital.

The ceremony took place at Central Hall Westminster, a historic venue for theatre. Nestled in the heart of Westminster, it has hosted many performances and events over the years - including the first-ever public debut of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1968. Fast forward to 2025, and the Offies took centre stage, hosted by drag artist Divina de Campo, celebrating a total of 48 w

USA - When 50 Cent set a six-date residency at Planet Hollywood’s PH Live auditorium in Las Vegas during the festive season – including a memorable New Year’s Eve show that ended at midnight – he set out to create a retro party atmosphere under the banner of In Da Club featuring his many hits.

Assisting him was a top creative team that included experienced lighting designer Nate Files. With a project portfolio that is impressively versatile, he jumped to the call when contacted by production designer Kley Tarcitano. Although he would be working with the artist (and GLP’s new JDC2 IP hybrid strobe) for the first time, he was familiar with the venue, having helped produce several shows there with DX7 Design, including Miranda Lambert.

However, he was aware that he would not only need to work within an ageing existing house lighting rig but al

South Africa - Johannesburg-based rental and production company MGG has made a sizable investment in new Robe moving lights, taking delivery of 76 x fixtures from Robe’s Southern Africa distributor, DWR Distribution, including the first iForte and iForte LTXs and the first SVB1 luminaires on the continent of Africa.

The total order comprised 24 x iFortes, 48 x SVB1s, and four iForte LTXs which are for use with the four RoboSpot BaseStations they already own.

MGG – which this year celebrates its 25th birthday – started as a small company when owner and managing director Mark Gaylard was still at school and running mobile discos. It has steadily grown and become a highly successful and visible technical supplier in South Africa. MGG purchased its first Robe products in 2008 – eight ColorMix 250 ATs.

“Robust build quality and longevity

Sweden - Dear Evan Hansen, the award-winning musical about a high school senior with social anxiety, received its Swedish premiere in Stockholm on 23 January at the Intiman Theatre. The show has been creatively lit by renowned Swedish lighting designer, Palle Palmé, using only Ayrton Rivale Profiles. Ayrton is distributed exclusively in Sweden by Topstage.

Palmé explains his decision to use only Rivale Profiles in his design. “My first design intention was to create different sized ‘rooms’ using light, so I looked for a mid-size moving light with great shutter blades and an extraordinary colour mix.

“I was very happy with Rivale’s shutters which are extremely accurate compared to those of other brands. They allowed me to sharply shutter the ‘rooms’ and focus the audience on where the action takes place.

“I also foun

UK - The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) in London has won numerous awards for its musical theatre and musical productions. What makes it special is that the actors are all teenagers and young adults between the ages of 11 and 23 who are cast during extensive auditions. The list of famous graduates is long and ranges from Jessie J to Idris Elba and Jude Law.

In the 2024 summer season, the NYMT performed three musicals at London’s Southwark Playhouse Theatre: Into the Woods, Catastrophe Bay and Our House. Three different lighting designers were in charge of the lighting design. All of whom share a few things in common: the joy of working with young people on and off the stage – and a lighting rig consisting of various Cameo lights.

As the three musicals were performed virtually back to back, the three lighting design

Singapore - Mandai Wildlife Group’s Night Safari has unveiled its latest attraction, the Pangolin Trail, an extension of the renowned Creatures of the Night trail. Comprising of several enclosures that showcase the natural habitats of nocturnal animals, the Pangolin Trail experience is enhanced by Martin architectural lighting fixtures, designed and deployed by lighting consultants, Light Collab.

The design brief called for a seamless integration of light and darkness to mimic the serene effect of moonlight, creating an environment where nocturnal animals would feel at ease while remaining active and visible to visitors. Light Collab worked closely with the Martin APAC team to implement a carefully curated lighting system using 27 fixtures from Martin’s Exterior Wash family. These luminaires were strategically placed a

UK - For Edinburgh's popular two-day FLY Festival at Princes Gardens, Nick Jevons opted to go with a single lighting fixture model for the 40m-long main stage: the Chauvet Professional Colorado PXL Bar 16 supplied by Liteup. The festival featured the music of internationally acclaimed DJs from Peggy Gou to Henrik Schwarz.

"Convincing others that the concept of having one fixture type would work to deliver enough different looks for a two-day dance festival was a challenge," said Jevons. "I’m proud to say the results did not disappoint."

Persuading everyone to go alone with his one fixture plan was one of the challenges Jevons faced, the other was to ensure that the two rows of 1,000 x 139 x 273mm (39.37 x 5.47 x 10.75 in) fixtures in his design, each consisting of 40 units, were aligned in two straight lines. He credits the production team

UK - Adlib returned to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage earlier this month for the largest annual music industry careers event for young people in the North of England. The team engaged with attendees to discuss career paths and showcase the inspiring roles available in the live events industry.

Over 700 people attended the 2025 Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, which was delivered in partnership with Universal Music, Spotify, UK Music, PLASA, LIPA, Revere Arts, and LIMF Academy.

Adlib has a long-standing tradition of supporting the next generation of talent through regular open days at Adlib HQ, as well as providing work experience, apprenticeship opportunities, and participation in Early Careers events.

Lisa Mitchell, training and development, Adlib comments: "We’ve been delighted to support the Liverpool Phil

UK - Rise AV, an organisation dedicated to promoting gender diversity and professional development in the AV, live, and residential technology sectors, has announced the launch of its inaugural UK Mentoring Programme Agenda. Starting in May, the six-month initiative is designed to empower women by providing invaluable support to those with up to six years of experience, as well as those at the start of their career journey.

The Rise AV Mentoring Programme is made possible through the essential support of leading industry organisations that share the programme’s commitment to empowering women and upskilling the workforce to safeguard the future of the AV sector. Thanks to the generosity of Rise AV’s industry partners and the dedication of its esteemed mentors, participation in the programme is free of charge.

Rise AV extends its thanks to headline

Singapore - Claypaky fixtures scored big at the World Table Tennis Grand Smash Singapore 2025, where a large complement of Sharpy X Frames and Sharpy Washes were deployed for competition lighting and for audience-pleasing sports presentations that kept fans’ energy high.

The six-year-old organisation which runs commercialised table tennis tournaments, WTT considers its Grand Smashes to be the pillars of the sport and the most important events in the table tennis calendar. The WTT series started its Singapore leg in 2021 with Gabriel Chan acting as lighting designer/programmer. Singapore hosted the inaugural WTT Grand Smash tournament in 2022 and has since been the cradle of Grand Smash tournaments around the world.

According to Gabriel Chan the lighting design for the Singapore Grand Smash needs to fulfil three functions. The fiel

USA - New Jersey-based Squeek Lights has expanded its inventory by adding Elation’s new Paragon LED profile moving head, becoming one of the first rental companies in the US to stock the award-winning fixture. With the acquisition, Squeek Lights currently has the largest inventory of Paragon lights in the US, enhancing its capacity to deliver top-tier lighting solutions for live events.

“Paragon really checked all the boxes for us,” said Victor Zeiser, managing partner at Squeek Lights. “We compared it to similar products and found it had features that others didn’t. Plus, its versatility as a multi-purpose light was very attractive. Paragon does everything we need it to.”

Zeiser first encountered Paragon in its prototype phase and later saw the market-ready model at the LDI tradeshow in December, where it won the Best Debuting Product Aw

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