Poland - The musical We Will Rock You had its Polish premiere this spring, powered by a Meyer Sound system headlined by Lina compact linear line array loudspeakers at the Roma Musical Theatre in Warsaw.
Directed by Wojciech Kępczyński, the production features the music of Queen neatly translated into Polish, crossing the boundaries of a theatrical performance and transforming into a rock concert.
Along with the LINA loudspeakers, the full system included 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, VLFC very low-frequency control elements, UPA-2P, UPM‑1P, and UP-4XP loudspeakers, ULTRA‑X42 compact loudspeakers, and MM‑4XP miniature self-powered loudspeakers, along with the Galileo GALAXY Network Platform and D‑Mitri Digital Audio Platform.

Italy - Marrageddon, the successful first hip hop festival from King of Rap, Marracash, involved two massive concerts in the two cities that are symbolic of the rapper: Milan and Naples.
Marrageddon gathered no less than 84,000 people at the Hippodrome La Maura in Milan on 23 September and more than 55,000 at the Hippodrome di Agnano in Naples on 30 September.
The festival hosted not only the big names of Italian rap - Fabri Fibra, Paky, Shiva, Salmo, Guè Pequeno, Lazza, Madame - but also dozens of emerging artists, integrating fireworks, lasers and 1,000sq.m of LED wall, as well as suspension cables to fly Marracash above the dance troupe.
Lighting designer Giorgio De Cassan of Ombra Design, who was entrusted by the rapper with the entire creative direction of his Italian tour, lit this event. The LD opted for 40 Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures, supplied

Germany - Since 1994, the rather tranquil Baden-Württemberg state capital of Stuttgart has been transformed into a quivering music metropolis for a few days every year (notwithstanding the city’s never-ending railway station construction drama).
The Jazzopen music festival – which, contrary to what the name suggests, has been open to artists of all musical genres since the beginning – has developed into a world-class concert event. This year, around 50,000 visitors experienced performances by Melody Gardot, Deep Purple, Grace Jones, Die Fantastischen Vier, Joss Stone, Simply Red and many others over the festival’s 11 days.
Event technology specialist, Sound & Light Veranstaltungstechnik from Leonberg, has consistently supported Jazzopen as a technology partner in recent years and has been a permanent service provider for sound, light and video technology o

USA - El Carlos Elegante is a Mexican and South American inspired restaurant in the Design District of Dallas, Texas. A creation of the successful Dallas-based Duro Hospitality Group, the eclectic venue consists of multiple dining areas and building materials. The front and back courtyards include retractable roofs creating indoor/outdoor seating. The restaurant required a sound system that would work within the architecture and style of the space and also withstand the extreme Texas weather in the outdoor dining areas.
Integrator NX A/V chose Fulcrum Acoustic speakers because of their form factor, sound quality and reliability. The small-footprint of the coaxial CX loudspeakers created a space-efficient design. Since all Fulcrum Acoustic speakers are-built-to-order, the customer was able to order unfinished boxes and custom stain them to match the space. They also appreciat

USA - Clear-Com intercom solutions have long been a go-to for NYC’s Public Theater, a means to ensure the behind-the-scenes technology for the stories they tell on stage is up to the task, now and for the future. In doing so, The Public Theater has recently implemented a new Clear-Com system to serve the multiple performance spaces in their Lower Manhattan headquarters on Lafayette Street at Astor Place in Manhattan.
One of the nation’s first non-profit theatres, The Public Theater has supported emerging playwrights and performers for over 60 years, including the premier of Hamilton in 2015, and has won numerous awards, including six Pulitzer Prizes.
The project they’re currently working on is a system designed to provide reliable comms throughout their headquarters’ five theatres and their cabaret venue, Joe’s Pub. “The building wasn't meant to be

Europe - LED product designer and manufacturer, Forge is partnering with Lumileds to provide outdoor lighting solutions dedicated to preserving dark skies.
The partnership combines decades of experience and expertise with LED innovation, creating considerate product designs that help to combat the impact of light pollution on the planet.
The partnership sees the creation of turnkey solutions for professional lighting products, combining Lumileds’ Luxeon NightScape technology with Forge’s rapid product realisation capabilities.
The disruptive effects of blue light from LEDs on human melatonin levels and sleep regulation are well documented, but as the world comes to a greater understanding of the devastating effects of this blue component on nocturnal wildlife, legislation has been implemented to seed real change.
In the UK the ILP’s GN08/23 gives

China - Established just under two years ago by Tencent Interactive Entertainment Group's Content Development Department (CDD), the Shenzhen-based CDD Virtual Studio has been pioneering new content production methods for China's largest online gaming platform, Tencent Games.
It currently stands as the only virtual studio in the country equipped with CDD's self-developed VP and XR dual-system automatic switching capability, which allows for rapid system switching within one minute, enabling the facility to meet the high-end VP and XR system shooting requirements for large-scale productions in film and television. The studio utilises Brompton Technology LED video processing and AOTO LED screen as part of its technical setup.
CDD virtual production technical manager Nornor Chen notes that since the studio’s foundation, the team has been very open to exploring new appli

USA - Country music singer Hardy is out on his debut arena tour with a lighting package from Bandit Lites. The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour, named for his highest charting album to date, merges his country roots and rock sound, to deliver music that rings true for his millions of listeners. The second leg of his tour kicked off in the fall and features Lainey Wilson and Dylan Marlowe.
Bandit Lites is providing more than 200 fixtures for the tour including Chauvet Maverick Storm 1 Hybrids, Chauvet Rogue R2X Washes, Chauvet Strike 4 Arrays, Chauvet Strike M, Chauvet COLORado PXL Bar 16 and VL 3600. Two grandMA3 Full consoles provide control for LD Trevor Drawdy, who expertly layered in the lighting visuals to work with the tour’s other visual elements, such as pyro, video and IMAG effects.
“The workhorse fixture in the rig is the VL3600, a very dynamic fixture w

The Netherlands - When it opened in June 1972 it was called Paard van Troje (Dutch for Trojan Horse), perhaps a reference to its underground vibe, its tendency to host counterculture bands that weren’t always welcomed in mainstream circles, and its previous life as a squat. By 2016, however, this live music venue in the Prinsegracht had long since become so established that the clandestine label no longer seemed to fit, so its name was changed simply to Paard.
The new moniker did nothing to diminish the edgy, intense vibe inside the venue, which can accommodate 1,100 fans in the largest of its three halls. It remains as strong as ever, made even more potent today by the recent installation of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Air Light Holland.
Daan Stakenburg, the lead lighting technician at Paard, notes that the Chauvet Professional fixtures were selected

USA - The non-profit AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas will observe its 15th anniversary next year and the five performance venues on its campus - the 2,200-seat Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, the 547-capacity Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, the outdoor performance space, Annette Strauss Square, whose lawn can hold up to 2,200, and two highly-utilized black box theatre spaces -have geared up to celebrate with a new sound system and an array of DiGiCo products that will enhance the sonic capabilities in the $360m facility.
The new systems, including a new d&b audiotechnik PA, were designed mainly for use in the Margaret McDermott Hall, located within the Winspear Opera House, and home to The Dallas Opera and Texas Ballet Theater; however, all of the DiGiCo systems will be available for use in any of the venues as needed.
Those systems include two Quant

UK - Christie reports its continuing partnership with the BFI for the 67th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) in partnership with American Express. The BFI LFF returned to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank of the Thames, where the concert hall served as the main red carpet gala venue from 4-15 October.
Dominic Simmons, head of technical services at the BFI, says, "Christie RGB pure laser projectors show extremely vivid colours and contrast on the screen. Last year, directors and film representatives witnessed their work on the Christie Real|Laser illuminated projector and loved what they saw. I'm pleased that we're able to again screen films in high quality using Christie for the Royal Festival Hall."
Christie cinema sales manager, Phil Lord, comments: “It’s a pleasure to continue our longstanding partnership with the BFI and the BFI London

India - The synergy between two leading lighting brands took centre stage when Claypaky and ARRI teamed to light music videos from the Bollywood film, Dream Girl 2.
Dream Girl 2 is a new Hindi-language comedy-drama about a man who creates chaos and confusion when he disguises himself as a woman. Director of photography C.K Muraleedharan was challenged to create music videos for two item songs, upbeat dance numbers featuring the hero in his female disguise; one song with a club dance vibe; and a festival celebration song with the lead actors – all shot at different locations.
Equipment rental company Light Craft & Sound provided Claypaky Tambora Batten Square, Sharpy X Frame, HY B-Eye K25, and Mythos2 fixtures as well as ARRI SkyPanel S60-C lights for the shoots.
The lighting equipment was chosen for “the amount of trust we have in the brands

USA - Throughout the summer, a lighting rig comprised almost exclusively of ADJ IP65-rated fixtures was used to illuminate the Grand Performances series of free concerts in Downtown LA.
California Plaza was illuminated for the weekly Saturday evening concerts by ADJ’s lime-infused Encore series of static LED wash fixtures, complemented by Hydro Wash X19 moving heads. In addition, key lighting and Gobo projections were handled by ADJ’s flagship Hydro Profile IP65-rated automated profile luminaires, which sat at the heart of lighting designer Edgar Gonzalez’s extensive rig.
Grand Performances is a non-profit organisation that provides free access to global performing arts, made possible thanks to generous support from the LA City Department of Cultural Affairs and LA County’s Department of Arts and Culture. Its mission is to inspire community, celebrate diversit

USA - Popular rapper and producer ИF just finished a massive US leg of his Hope world tour which featured lighting and production design created by Chris Denholm (also production manager & musical director) and Clay Joiner (also lighting designer & programmer, as well as operator on the European leg).
The pair have worked together for some time, and extol the advantages of having two brains, imaginations and sets of experience - both contrasting and converging - to boost the creative dynamic they bring to the table.
Prominent on the lighting rig was a selection of Robe products including 160 Robe Spikies, 26 BMFL WashBeams and two BMFL FollowSpots running on two RoboSpot systems, together with other luminaires.
Chris and Clay had also successfully collaborated on the previous ИF tour in 2021. This one played bigger venues reflecting the artists

UK - Impact Production Services (IPS) has bolstered its vast inventory of stage structures and lighting fixtures with the first 100 new impression X5 IP Bars from GLP, available for hire.
Large quantities of these were immediately dry-hired to two high profile events, the Glastonbury Festival and the Oppenheimer film premiere at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London, as well as making a high-profile appearance with Afrobeats star Wizkid at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (with inventory provided by Entec Live).
IPS owner and key account director, James Mason, along with managing director Karl Saunders first saw the new fixture on demonstration at this year’s Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt and were sufficiently impressed to place an order, making them the first company in the world to have them in hire stock.
The fully featured impression X5 IP Bar is an IP

Singapore - Lighting designer Gabriel Chan chose to run lighting for an innovative production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) for the 2023 season of Shakespeare in The Park (SITP) on a full grandMA3 system.
This production was staged at Fort Canning Green within Fort Canning Park, ran for four weeks, and was directed by Guy Unsworth, featuring an industrial inspired ‘Athens’ set design by Richard Kent.
Gabriel’s starting point for lighting the show was the impressive cityscape set, which comprised 17 scenic chimneys and resembled a giant industrial complex with flourishes of futurism and some nods to classicist architecture, and, naturally, the special outdoor location.
With approximately 226 lighting fixtures on the rig, 6,321 parameters of control plus five smoke and haze generators, Gabriel chose a grandMA3

Portugal - Nearly 40 Christie projectors and LCD displays brought Vogue’s Iconic Party to life, held in September in Lisbon to celebrate the magazine’s 20th anniversary in Portugal, with technical production by ADLC Audiovisuais.
The Vogue Iconic Party, attended by a host of local celebrities, aimed to honour all those who produce, buy, and support the publication. The concept of the party was to bring together everything that makes people want to go out in one space, from meeting friends, and movies, to art exhibitions, nightclubs, and bars.
The organisers recreated a small city divided into two streets in the warehouse of the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon. Each street had its own flavour: one inviting people to go out and the other to live more quietly.
Twenty-two different projections were made on screens, walls, and floors, and LCD displays were also

Italy - The semifinals and final of the 2023 Men's European Volleyball Championship, held at the PalaEur in Rome, shone brightly thanks to the innovative use of Prolights' Sunblast 3000FC
The entire lighting system for this event was provided by Europroduzione s.r.l. and conceived by lighting designer Dario Risolo. The lighting project involved the strategic installation of 110 units of Prolights' Sunblast 3000FC inside the arena, showcasing their extraordinary versatility.
Risolo remarked on the crucial importance of the Sunblast 3000FC in creating the desired lighting effects. "I chose them for both special effects like strobe and colours and as reinforcement for the game's white light," Risolo stated.
Prolights' strobo blinders were strategically positioned on hanging rigs and on the third ring of the Palalottomatica, ensuring illumination in every corner of

UK - GC Live, a new event organiser has launched into the UK event sector with a nationwide portfolio of seasonal lighting trails and firework festivals.
Powered by leading event service suppliers, 21CC Group, the new event organiser will spearhead the design and delivery of events, large-scale creative illumination trails and seasonal festival celebrations across the UK.
Geoff Crow, director of GC Live said: “In close partnership with our dedicated supply chain, we are perfectly placed as a team of experienced event professionals and seasoned creative producers to innovate, design and fully event manage a suite of events and experiences nationwide.”
Confirming an ambitious line-up of eight major events this year, GC Live will deliver a series of illuminated trails at historic venues including Wondrous Woods at Gosford House and Starry Nights Dean Castle in

Spain - Holoplot’s authorised distributor in Spain and Portugal, Sound Architecture, collaborated with Ilusovi Servicios to deploy the X1 Matrix Array at Marbella's boutique Starlite Occident 2023 Festival.
Already gracing some of the world’s most renowned venues, including the largest sound system install on the planet at Sphere Las Vegas, as well as installations at The Beacon Theatre in New York and at Lightroom in London, Starlite Occident marked the first outdoor live show deployment of X1.
Starlite Occident is a three-month-long extravaganza set in a transformed quarry. It hosts an impressive line-up of both UK and Spanish artists, which this year included Tom Jones, Pablo López, Iggy Pop, the Black Eyed Peas, Marta Sánchez, and Luis Fonsi.
The Holoplot X1 Matrix Array had caught the attention of the festival's production team, with Aaron Guerrero, l

UK - After their memorable double header weekend - when they supplied Martin Audio PA rigs to stages at Glastonbury and in support of Queens of the Stone Age at Cardiff Castle - rental partner SWG Events were back in the Castle grounds for shows with Sir Tom Jones.
The second of three shows saw support by another native son, Stereophonics front man Kelly Jones, this time leading his own spin-off band, Far From Saints.
Cardiff Castle has become a new venue for SWG Events, and so a meticulous design was undertaken for Sir Tom Jones where the optimisation of the system was of paramount importance, as SWG head of audio, Simon Purse explained. “The PA had to avoid the walls surrounding the Castle green to avoid any slapback. This was crucial and having DISPLAY [D3 software] really helped. Also, since the castle is in the middle of the City Centre, keeping noise pollution

Estonia - To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Olympic Committee, president Urmas Sõõrumaa hosted a reception for hundreds of guests that took place at the Adila Retreat Centre near Tallinn. The event was organised by Global Productions with equipment supplied by funTIME Showservice.
Guests were greeted with drinks and had the chance to mingle with each other before listening to presentations from speakers who stood on a stage that was put together using Showgear’s Mammoth Dex. Surrounding the stage, televisions mounted on Milos Pro-30 Step G trusses showed great Estonian sporting moments. To enhance the atmosphere, eight Showtec Studio Beams and twelve Showtec LED Light Bar 8s were used.
After the presentations, guests were treated to an extensive tour of Adila’s 10-hectare grounds with information directly broadcast to individuals through DAP’

UK - Twenty-six years after Oasis’ legendary Knebworth gig, Liam Gallagher drew in audiences as a solo performer in front of 80,000 fans at the same outdoor British venue, a monumental return to form which gave us Gallagher’s third live album, Knebworth 22 (Live).
Gallagher then embarked on an intimate, eight-show UK tour which included London haunt, KOKO, a venue production manager Davey Murphy knows well. “I worked in-house between 2008 and 2014, so I have a lot of experience with the venue. I’ve seen a whole array of artists come through, so I really looked forward to this show,” he begins.
Murphy has worked with Skan since joining the Gallagher camp five years ago, citing the company's dedication and quality service as just two of the reasons their relationship continues to grow.
“The support directors Chris Fitch and Abby Llewellyn offe

Portugal - Europalco played a pivotal role in managing audio-visual signal distribution across all PA systems and LED wall towers for World Youth Day 2023, hosted in Lisbon.
Since its inception in 1985, World Youth Day (WYD), a gathering for young people organised by the Catholic Church, has seen the convergence of up to 1.5m attendees during the Pope's visit. For the Colina do Encontro, one of the main meeting points of the event, Europalco took on the key role of providing image and sound distribution. The 40m-wide and 24m-high main stage designed by architect João Matos, spanning an area of 430m², was prominently positioned within the Parque Eduardo VII. Everything featured on the stage was seamlessly broadcast throughout the sprawling 30-hectare venue in Lisbon's centre.
Europalco engineered a bespoke distribution system for this purpose, designed to seamlessly t

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