UK - Lady Gaga can always be counted on to set a singularly flamboyant fashion bar. The singer certainly didn’t disappoint when she appeared with co-star Joaquin Phoenix at the London premiere of the Warner Bros. film Joker: Folie à Deux.

Wearing a scarlet satin faille Celine gown paired with a matching bold-shouldered bolero jacket, accented by a 20-karat Tiffany brooch and sporting crystal tear drop jewellery under her right eye, the singer-actress captured widespread media attention for her appearance.

While the media focused on the star’s impressive fashion statement, the team at Milton Keynes-based Impact Productions Services (IPS) were impressed by how vivid the images displayed on the Chauvet Professional REM 3IP panels they installed looked in the press coverage of the event.

IPS used the bright, 3.9mm pitch video panels

UK - The Rose Theatre Kingston, the largest producing theatre in south-west London, has become the first performing arts venue in the UK to install Martin’s MAC Viper XIP, adding 30 fixtures to its house rig and replacing the theatre’s previous MAC Encores as its principal moving-head fixture.

Emma Sayers, head of lighting & stage at the theatre, first encountered the MAC Viper XIP at a private demonstration at the 2023 PLASA Show. After a direct comparison with the older MAC Encores, she was impressed by the superior performance of the new fixtures. “The colours are so much more saturated, and it does pastel colours nicely too. And because you can do the high contrast colours and the subtle colours it works for what we do here,” Emma says. "It was ticking all of the boxes."

The fixture's ability to handle both bold, high-contrast colours

UK - Producer, recording engineer and mixing engineer, Freemonk, has enhanced his nearfield monitoring setup with the addition of a Chord Electronics Alto. Freemonk is using the headphone and nearfield monitor amp to drive the NS-10 monitors at Friary Studios.

When it comes to creating music, Freemonk prefers to work with an analogue workflow, and the historic equipment at Friary Studios is a testament to this. While choosing to work in the analogue domain provides its fair share of challenges, the results that he has achieved in everything from jazz to hip hop are testament to a producer at the top of his craft.

He discovered Chord Electronics after talking with fellow producer MsM. “Chord Electronics came into my life with a typical nerd chat with MsM, who is a fantastic mixing engineer based in London,” he recalled. “I'd noticed he was using

Finland - In the world of Formula 1, technology plays a pivotal role in performance, not just on the track but before drivers even touch the steering wheel. Racing simulators, equipped with cutting-edge audio-visual systems, are increasingly being used to mirror the intense atmosphere of race day.

In Finland, experienced AV engineer Andy Symonds and his Cave Oy company have taken this technology a step further by employing Genelec loudspeaker systems to create a one-of-a-kind simulator facility aimed at nurturing the next generation of Finnish racing talent.

Symonds’ simulators, located at Cave’s headquarters in Seinäjoki, are designed with a clear purpose in mind: to provide young drivers with an opportunity to train in an environment that closely replicates the real-world conditions of Formula and GT racing. To achieve this, Symonds relied on

Germany - St Hedwig’s cathedral in the heart of Berlin is modelled after the Pantheon in Rome. Construction work began in 1747, finally opening its doors to worshipers in 1773. The building is highly regarded by the people of Berlin, and to preserve its rich history, it has just undergone an extensive renovation period that’s seen the entire interior transformed. Holoplot has been chosen to supply the audio solution, delivering its X2 Matrix Array system for seamless, unobtrusive spoken word reinforcement.

The brief for the publicly funded construction work was exceptionally detailed, with high expectations. St Hedwig’s is benefitting from a complete renewal, the new look reflecting the cathedral’s history. The nave sees big changes, whilst the original interior layout returns, but now with seating in the round. The aesthetic is clean and simple with

UK - Taking place at The Vaults beneath Waterloo Station, Rhythm and Ruse offered theatregoers an immersive night of magic, music and revelry. Harkening back to the prohibition era, the show took place in a ‘Speakeasy’ and allowed audiences to experience astounding close-up illusions from mere inches away, live music from a four-piece jazz band, a secret society of magicians devised by immersive theatre experts as well as food and drink across the evening.

The show featured a lighting design by up-and-coming designer Skylar Turnbull Hurd, with this being her first time lighting a show of this scale and with a full LX team. With its reputation for both supporting young lighting designers, as well as supplying immersive theatrical productions, White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, was called upon to provide the show’s lighting fixtures.

UK - The Last Dinner Party is a British indie rock band formed in 2021 and fronted by lead singer Abigail Morris. Promoting their new album, Prelude to Ecstasy, the band has just completed a two-month UK and EU tour with a theatrical set, and lighting design by award-winning LD, Ed Warren.

Key to Warren’s design were Ayrton Rivale Profiles and Kyalami laser-sourced spots, compact units which fit well into the touring rig. Warren used seven Rivale Profile and 12 Kyalami on the stage floor behind the band and 27 Rivale Profile and 24 Kyalami spread across three overhead trusses.

“For our spots we needed something with a nice wide zoom and smooth colour mixing as the main spots of the show,” says Warren. “The Rivale Profiles met these criteria very well. We used the floor spots to backlight the band and predominantly Abi, the lead singe

Poland - Experienced sound engineer, Bartosz ‘Bartek’ Kurkowski has found Optocore to be a vital component in the stage production of Polish singer songwriter Dawid Podsiadło.

The artist’s massive 360° arena and stadium tour is the biggest to ever take place in Poland, and Optocore’s M8 MADI device has been at the heart of a playback that runs additional tracks, clicks, cues and timecode at both FOH and monitor world on a DiGiCo loop.

Explaining the underlying reasons for adopting the M8, Bartek said, “I decided to use MADI for this set-up to give maximum flexibility, in case we needed to expand track count in the future.”

The challenge, he said, had been to incorporate MADI streams into their Optocore loop. The M8 MADI switch can do precisely that, providing four MADI input and four MADI output ports, offering 256 digital audio

Ukraine - The Anniversary Concert of Onuka, accompanied by the renowned Naoni Orchestra, took place at the majestic October Palace in Kyiv, celebrating a decade of Oouka's career.

Astra Wash19Pix fixtures by Prolights, supplied by Complex-V, were utilised, delivering lighting that highlighted the orchestra and created a dynamic visual experience. Compactly positioned among the orchestra, the fixtures seamlessly enhanced the ambiance of the event. Additionally, the outer pixel ring of the Astra Wash19Pix was used to craft dramatic visuals that perfectly blended with the structure and rhythm of the show.

The lighting design was led by the creative duo Vasilii Tonkonog and David Vasilenko, while the production was expertly managed by Franz Audio. Together, their collaboration brought an immersive and visually stunning environment to life, complementing

USA - Dating back to 1932, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Martin Marietta Centre for the Performing Arts in North Carolina, is the principal performance location in a four-venue performing arts centre. This also includes Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theatre and Kennedy Theatre.

Over the generations locally based rental partner RMB Audio has been a frequent visitor, providing tech support for all spaces.

But it is the 2,369 capacity Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, with its varied programme of musicals, comedy and dance shows, that is the crown jewel. And it is here that the sound contractor has upgraded an ancient public address system with Martin Audio’s latest Wavefront Precision technology.

RMB Audio owner Cooper Cannady reports that it was way back in late 2020 - right in the middle of the COVID pandemic - that the request

UK - Sarner International has announced its appointment by East Staffordshire Borough Council to lead the initial visitor experience design stages for the ambitious Brewery Heritage & Social History Experience in Burton-upon-Trent.

This new immersive visitor attraction aims to celebrate Burton-upon-Trent’s pivotal role in brewing history and revitalise its standing as the home of IPA. Blending advanced technology, engaging storytelling, and interactive elements, the experience will reveal the art and science of brewing beer while highlighting Burton’s historical role as a global leader in beer production and the social fabric that shaped the town.

Through a sensory journey into Burton’s brewing heritage, visitors are introduced to the concept of Burton’s naturally mineral-rich water and immersed in the tale of the ‘waters of life’. Th

USA - The Latin Grammy Awards were back in Miami on 15 November to celebrate the 25th edition of the Latin Music event. Artists, musicians, and producers gathered at the Kaseya Centre to award the most successful hits of the year. Shure Axient Digital Wireless System was selected to ensure quality audio throughout the night.

Axient Digital delivered solid RF and consistent signal quality throughout the event. Engineers and artists relied on 24 channels of Shure PSM 1000 In Ear Monitoring System and 12 channels of the Axient Digital Wireless System. The production also included 18 ADX2 handheld wireless microphone transmitters, four AD2 handheld microphone transmitters and two ADX1 bodypack transmitters.

The show started with the Person of the Year Carlos Vives. Next, Ela Taubert, winner of Mejor Artista Revelación surprised all the attendee

Spain - Since 2004, SeeSound has offered top professional solutions in the audiovisual market. With the mindset that the best technology and innovations are the keys to achieving this goal, SeeSound often turns to a variety of RF solutions from Wisycom. This includes the brand’s MRK16 Ultra-wideband Wireless Receiver System, MCR54 Four-channel True Diversity Wireless Microphone Receivers, MPR50 Wideband IEM Receivers and MTP60 Multiband Bodypack Transmitters.

For the theatrical touring productions of The Phantom of the Opera and The Producers, SeeSound deployed the Wisycom solutions mentioned above, in combination with the brand’s SPL2208 Wideband Active Antenna Combiner/Splitter.

“The Wisycom wireless coverage capabilities are great, and the audio quality is one of the main strengths of this system,” says Javier G. Isequill

UK - Video rental company Universal Pixels (UP) wraps for Christmas on the back of shows with Idles, Massive Attack, and Nile Rodgers & CHIC at M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, plus the alt star-studded Mark Lanegan 60 – A Celebration, and Kelsea Ballerini, both at London’s Roundhouse.

In its eighth year, UP brought the big picture to an array of video projects in 2024, celebrated turns/tours from the likes of Black Keys, Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Green Day, and Thom Yorke/The Smile.

Across the same 12 months, Universal Pixels’ staff numbers are up by a third and more than £2m has gone into new kit, the biggest annual spend in UP history.

Founder/commercial director at Universal Pixels, Phil Mercer, comments: “It’s been an incredible year. Again. Teaming up with outstanding creatives, delivering, designin

USA - Country music group Midland has taken to the road for the Get Lucky Tour with a lighting system provided by long-time vendor, Bandit Lites. The Grammy-nominated group (comprised of Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson and Cam Duddy) recently released their fourth studio album Barely Blue to critical acclaim.

“It’s a whole new tour, whole new look, whole new set, whole new lighting setup and stage plot,” Carson told a Rio Rancho reporter. “It’s just fun to rebuild the set list and the whole, kind of, live experience when you have a new album. You can kind of integrate that into it, but it’s going to be the same Midland energy and entertainment, so it’ll be a fun night of honkey-tonkin’.”

Inspired by the retro rigs seen on various tours, Cam Duddy (bassist for Midland and creative director) sought a PAR can look. Working

Italy - A stone’s throw from Monaco and nestled on the Italian Riviera, Twiga Baia Beniamin is the latest venue from Flavio Briatore. Set in a bay and complementing its spectacular surroundings, the venue offers a blend of design, fine dining, and a luxurious atmosphere.

To enhance the guest experience further, an audio system from Brescia-based Outline has been installed. The system was delivered by Vibra Service, a Ligurian company known for equipping some of the region’s most prestigious spaces.

To ensure an audio experience worthy of its international DJ roster and refined clientele, Stefano Lo Sardo, founder and managing director of Vibra Service, selected Outline’s Vegas series. “The Vegas range won us over for three key reasons: its exceptional sound quality, impressive SPL, and robust weather resistance – it’s a true outdoor perfo

Canada - The University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall is a historic venue with a circular design. Imagined by prominent architects Darling and Pearson and completed in 1907, it has become a university landmark, hosting the annual convocation ceremonies and serving as the primary venue for academic and social functions due to its seating capacity of over 1,700.

Plagued by challenging acoustics, the hall’s reflective surfaces introduced significant complications, particularly for speech intelligibility. The previous sound system in Convocation Hall, an aging column array, was no longer effective – lacking the clarity needed for speech reinforcement in such a large, reverberant space. Renkus-Heinz was identified as the solution for these challenges, particularly its Iconyx line of loudspeakers, known for their advanced beam-steering technology.

Th

Luxemburg - In the international banking quarter of Kirchberg lies the Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall, commonly known as the Luxembourg Philharmonie, designed by Christian de Portzamparc and opened in 2005.

In its young existence, the Philharmonie has swiftly become a vital cultural hub, hosting nearly 400 performances annually that encompass a vast palette of genres, including classical, jazz, world music, and more. The venue’s programming versatility is mirrored in its fluctuating audience capacity, encompassing three performance spaces, including the principal Grande Auditorium which can accommodate anywhere from 400 to 1,500 spectators, depending on its configuration.

As the demands of contemporary performance continue to evolve, so does the need for cutting-edge audio technology able to reinforce the variety of performances

The Netherlands - Next Venue recently completed an impressive lighting installation in the entrance hall of the Midden Nederland Hallen in Barneveld, welcoming every visitor with an ambience perfectly suited to the ongoing event.

While the venue is currently hosting the acclaimed 40-45 musical, which attracts large numbers of visitors every weekend, the setup is a permanent enhancement to its multifunctional spaces, ensuring a seamless blend of ambience and functionality.

The venue's entrance greenhouse, formerly part of Floriade 2022, is now a 6,000 m² foyer with a blend of natural light, elegant fixtures, and energy-efficient solutions. The installation includes 100 Infinity Raccoon Junior P7/4 fixtures, each fitted with a 40° filter, strategically mounted in the trusswork of the glass atrium. These high-performance fixtures provide exce

Romania - Cuget Liber Media Group has unveiled the newly renovated Club SNC in Constanța, transforming a historic building into a modern venue for media, cultural, and professional events. Now home to the Cuget Liber daily and online newspaper, Sursa de Sănătate (Source of Wellness), and Antena 3 Constanța TV channel, the venue has become a hub that combines modern functionality with advanced technology.

To meet the high standards of this space, Prolights, in partnership with its Romanian distributor SC ARA Events Solutions, delivered a lighting system tailored to Club SNC's needs. Audiovision, the project integrator, ensured flawless installation and performance of the system, which includes EclProfile FWVWBK, EclFresnel VWBK, LumiPar 12UQPro, Jet Wash19, and Jet Hybrid200.

This lighting system supports a variety of ac

UK - As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Pharos Architectural Controls has released a new set of podcast episodes focusing on some of the projects that have been able to scale up – either in size or in the complexity of programming – thanks to Pharos.

The 20 Years of Pharos campaign is spotlighting 10 lighting professionals and 10 projects that have shaped the success of the company over the last two decades.

Renowned lighting professionals Nick Abel from LS Group in New Zealand, and Peter van Nuland from GVA Lighting in Canada both feature in this part of the campaign to chat through their careers and how working with Pharos has enabled them to bring both large and intricate projects to life.

The podcasts provide another deep dive into the ways in which Pharos technologies – and the teams behind the gear – work col

USA - Like the music it celebrates, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, which just marked its 39th year, has also drawn on its ability to embrace new ideas to remain vibrant and relevant.

The 2024 ceremony provided a good example of this commitment, as a dynamic lighting design by Allen Branton that featured over 250 Chauvet Professional fixtures (supplied by 4Wall Entertainment), worked seamlessly with a Bruce Rodgers production design, and an immersive video design by Bianca Moncada of Darmah, to engage the live and TV audience on a deep level, all while supporting the activities on stage.

Much of the magic that happened inside the Rocket Mortgage Field House on a Saturday evening was made possible by the design team’s ongoing readiness to adapt to new technologies. This was most evident in the event

UK - British record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Fred Again has gained palpable notoriety through emotive remixing, aided by live performances that create real excitement. His team trusts Britannia Row Productions to be part of that live evolution, one that has got the industry, and the electronic world, talking.

Following a successful career producing chat-topping tunes for many household names, Fred Again found his own way into the limelight, recording a collection of songs during lockdown before bagging a BRIT Award for his efforts. This year, his blend of atmospheric house saw him become a two-time Grammy winner.

His ambition to connect with fans has worked in every venue size. Originally, audio rental was a mere two radio mics, offered by Clair Global's Stuart Gilmore after he heard Marea (we've lost dancing) on

USA - Pacific Coast Entertainment (PCE), live event production company and AV equipment provider in Southern California, recently provided a premium sound system to the newly opened Great Park Live venue, using the Anya ADAPTive loudspeaker from EAW. Tom Pappanduros, production manager at PCE, led the installation of the system, showcasing technical expertise and commitment to high-quality sound for the City of Irvine’s innovative venue.

Nestled within the park's picturesque setting, Great Park Live offers an entertainment experience for guests of all ages. This venue has been so successful that the city of Irvine will continue to invest in a permanent amphitheatre, set to open in 2027.

Great Park Live offers acoustic challenges. “The venue is situated in the middle of neighbourhoods,” says Pappanduros. “We needed a sound system with enough c

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