Kazakhstan - Earlier this year, lighting designer, Dmitriy Karabetskiy utilised Vista by Chroma-Q’s Vista 3 lighting & media control system to deliver spectacular lighting for the inaugural series of Central Asia’s Got Talent.
A spin-off of the Got Talent TV show franchise - one of the world’s most successful reality TV formats, with versions in over 68 countries - Central Asia’s Got Talent showcases acts from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Season 1 premiered on the Khabar, Zo'r TV, KTRK, and Safina TV channels.
Dmitriy, who had

South Africa - The tallest building in Africa – The Leonardo, a 234m mixed-use property development in Sandton, Johannesburg – was lit up for the South African launch of the new Microsoft Xbox Series X console – standing out against the night sky highlighted in green by Robe BMFL moving lights, with the Xbox logo emblazoned onto the top of floors of the tower.
The lighting, crew and technical production were delivered by event technical specialists MSTARR working for event producers Penquin.
Amassed media, press and VIPs watched the spectacle unfold from the rooftop b

UK - In celebration of their upcoming new album For Those That Wish To Exist, Architects performed an exclusive livestream show at The Royal Albert Hall on 21 November.
PRG supplied all lighting, rigging, media server (D3) and LED for the live performance which was streamed globally via the streaming service Veeps.
Production designer Paul McAdams utilised the space, creating a high energy design to showcase the venue and ensure viewers watching the stream could experience that same live energy from behind their screens.
“The team at PRG were extremely profes

Italy - When opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed on the steps of the impressive baroque cathedral in the Sicilian city of Noto this October, the UNESCO world heritage site was turned into a unique stage, full of atmosphere and historical splendour. The artist was accompanied for the performance by the orchestra and choir of the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, directed by Alberto Bartalini.
The televised event, adapted for COVID-19 health guidelines, aimed to celebrate the island’s seven UNESCO sites and to promote the region to the wider world. Italian lighting designer Mas

UK - Back in September when it was announced that theatres could play to socially-distanced audiences, this saw a range of venues prepare for their re-opening. One of these included the Charing Cross Theatre which re-opened with the world premiere of GH Boy. The lighting designer was Tony Simpson, who approached White Light to supply the lighting equipment.
Prior to its Charing Cross run, the show was originally going to play at The Vaults. Tony explains: “We were initially supposed to be opening in April and heading into the Waterloo tunnels. We had site visits, meeting

Switzerland - Each summer, The Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) takes place for two weeks in Switzerland, on Lake Geneva's shores. Shure has backed the festival each year since 1995 by providing onsite support and a large number of wired as well as wireless microphones. Sadly, this year is different, and like so many events across the globe, MJF 2020 was unable to take place.
Determined to ensure music lives on despite the current global crisis, the team at The Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation (MJAF) - a non-profit foundation helping to promote up-and-coming talent - has maintained it

Australia - During the Covid-19 era, production companies have sought many ingenious ways to keep clients satisfied and the work coming in. In June, Australia’s Big Picture launched its’ premium live event studio offering a technologically advanced and connected virtual event space. This high-tech studio supports clients in delivering a broadcast-quality online event, corporate theatre, and live performance experiences.
Big Picture’s flexibility and technical prowess recently led to a mammoth two-day shoot with country superstar Keith Urban. Keith’s production house Human

Lithuania - This August saw a production of The Flying Dutchman, Richard Wagner’s fifth masterpiece, brought to Lithuanian opera fans for the first time. Staged in an open-air setting by the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre and featuring leading Lithuanian soloists including Sandra Janušaitė, the event became one of the most celebrated musical productions of the year, selling out all of its socially distanced 1,000 seats to lucky spectators.
Dual DiGiCo SD12 96-channel consoles with two SD-Racks and D2-Racks were selected by one of the largest audio rental companies in t

UK - Popular UK rockers Nothing But Thieves recently played a series of Live from The Warehouse pay-per-view live stream concerts, designed by Warren Hutchison and directed by Tim Perrett, that traversed three time zones - USA, UK and Australia / Asia Pacific - having just released the new single Impossible and announcing a major UK, Ireland and European tour for autumn 2021.
The warehouse was Fareham, UK-based lighting rental specialist Liteup’s premises - part of which has been repurposed and energised for streaming activities since the first coronavirus lockdown

The Netherlands - Transformed into an online experience, the 2020 edition of Defqon.1 still attracted considerable interest. The three-day festival saw more than 80 artists preform and featuring every key element of Defqon.1 resulted in ‘one of the most spectacular live streams so far’. Together with the Q-Dance team, LD Robbert-Jan Vernooij was in charge of lighting. The design features a significant amount of CLF fixtures, supplied by Rent-All.
The 360° perspective asked for a full waterproof lighting package. Since the design was based on a flat surface of 160x200m, rain-

USA - Despite being launched just six years ago, Eikon Group has already established itself as a leading player in the digital audio mastering, versioning and localisation industry, with a client list that includes many major studios and entertainment distribution companies.
Eikon recently opened a major new facility in Burbank, California, which features Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems in four of its audio-critical, Dolby Atmos screening rooms.
With clients that include Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Disney, 20th Century, Netflix, CBS, Universal International Pictures a

UK - The fashion marketplace app Depop recently approached Flipside Soundsystem to design and install an audio visual AV system for its recently established front-of-house area - intended for holding team meetings of up to 150 employees while also showcasing new products from its sustainable fashion portfolio.
Requiring a comprehensive audio visual installation that was in-keeping with the brand’s niche aesthetic, the Flipside team were on-hand to deliver a solution that could disappear into the background when not in use.
In terms of sound, the speakers included two Yam

UK - A.C. Special Projects (AC-SP) supplied all the show lighting, as well as the power and data infrastructure for Bodmin Jail’s new immersive visitor attraction, designed and delivered by Sarner International.
Built in 1779 for King George III, Bodmin Jail has played an important role in Cornwall’s history and this bold redevelopment gives visitors the chance to delve into an intriguing hidden history. A massive investment in Cornwall’s tourism and visitor economy, this was the biggest attraction opening in 2020 with its state-of-the-art technology allowing for a more imme

Albania - Prosound, Martin Audio’s Albanian distributor, has recently carried out two diverse installations of the manufacturer’s systems - a new urban bar in Tirana, the Albanian capital, and a seasonal holiday beach resort in Dhërmi, in the south-west of the country.
The Grand Bar has been constructed on the premises of the recently reconstructed Air Albania Stadium in Tirana. Prosound had already worked with the same owners on another bar of the same name. “The owners were looking for a sound system that could function both as a background and foreground system, with ev

USA - It was “like riding a bike” is how John Garberson described his experience working the lighting console for the opening acts at Arizona Bike Week. The president of Creative BackStage, Garberson hadn’t run the boards at a show in six years (his work managing his business prevented that, when he sat down at the desk for this four-day festival.
Given the way Creative BackStage was growing, Garberson really didn’t expect to be running boards again. But in 2020, few things have gone as expected. With his festival and event business halted in March, he occupied himself by

Russia - This year, the Dream Island, a cultural and entertainment complex in the Nagatinskaya floodplain on the banks of the Moskva River, opened its doors to its first guests.
The park is part of a major renovation project of the former ZIL industrial area covering some 600 ha. It is divided into four areas: sports grounds, a residential complex, a stadium and the Dream Island entertainment complex.
It includes Europe's largest indoor theme park, a city promenade and a 44-hectare landscape park. The complex has dozens of attraction rides, restaurants, cafes, a multiplex c

USA - The University of Tennessee, Knoxville held 10 in-person commencement ceremonies 19-22 November at Thompson-Boling Arena for spring, summer and fall 2020 graduates. Bandit Lites supplied a lighting system for the socially-distanced event which included additional health and safety protocols, allowing graduates and their families the opportunity to safely gather to celebrate their momentous accomplishments.
“Though the ceremonies will look a little different, we have worked to preserve the spirit of a typical commencement so we can celebrate all our graduates, who have work

USA - Like many churches adapting to conditions around COVID-19, Winter Garden, Florida’s Mosaic Church has had to limit the number of, and attendance at, its Sunday gatherings. However, the pandemic has not muted the church’s sizable and enthusiastic music complement for those services. Twice each Sunday, as many as 12 musicians and vocalists assemble on stage for an authentic worship experience before those seated, socially distanced, in the 1,500-seat auditorium.
In December 2017, following the renovation of a 78,000sq.ft former big-box store into its new main sanctuary, Mo

Germany - Located on the river Rhine, the town of Oestrich-Winkel is perhaps best known for being at the heart of the Rheingau wine-growing region and its annual Rheingau Musik Festival. But in a quiet residential street, Studio 22 owner and audio engineer Stephan Weber is at the cutting edge of live and recorded sound with Yamaha Rivage PM5 and Nuage systems.
Stephan started as a professional IT networking specialist but, like so many who graduate to the audio industry, worked as a musician in his spare time. A small home studio and mixing local bands led to more audio work, incl

France - In a positive sign for the French exhibition and conference industry, the Savoie Expo has completed a sizeable investment in Nexo sound reinforcement systems for its new auditorium, anticipating a return to large-scale live events in 2021.
Savoie Expo is located in Chambéry, in the Alpine heart of France’s second tourist region. Strategically placed to take advantage of close links to Lyon and Geneva, as well as both winter sports and summer recreation, the venue organises a range of trade fairs and exhibitions and hosts major seminar and conference events.
Hall

UK - London’s latest 1Rebel fitness centre features a lighting system, which was designed by Durham Marenghi of Durhamld Limited, and includes 54 Chauvet Professional COLORado 1 Solo and 11 COLORado 2 Solo LED fixtures supplied by Middlesex Sound and Lighting.
“I was approached by Giles Dean and his team at 1Rebel to create some impactful night club style lighting for their gyms around London,” said Magenghi. “Working alongside Ryan Hopkins at Lights Control Rigging, we created a virtual animation to present the concept to our client. They were very supportive of the ideas

Australia – Property developers, Cavcorp, recently completed the luxurious 15-storey Le Bain apartment complex, in the Brisbane suburb of Newstead.
Described as an immersive experience that delivers a sub-tropical poolside lifestyle, it is redolent of the beaches of Southern France. Crowned by eight Penthouses and a private rooftop pool, it also includes a heated pool, music streaming, temperature-controlled spa baths, private dining room, sun deck with sunbeds, sauna, Technogym, barbeque and an alfresco dining area.
To service this, the developers engaged AV integrators,

UK - Polar has announced the addition of AtlasIED to its portfolio. Based in the USA, AtlasIED is a global electronics manufacturer, providing comprehensive audio solutions for commercial business environments. The company manufactures mass notification, life safety, VoIP and speech privacy systems which interface with, existing and future analogue and IT-based infrastructures.
AtlasIED offers around 2000 specialist products for every application in commercial premises, education, public transport hubs, sports arenas, hospitals, hotels and retail settings.
Stuart Leader, dir

South Africa - The newly refurbished Seabrooke’s Theatre at Durban High School (DHS) is making waves and delighting audiences with one successful comedy after the next. After a seven-month entertainment famine, the theatre was launched with Sylvia, presented by KickstArt Theatre Company, which ran from 23 October to 1 November.
Seabrooke’s Theatre is a 100-seater auditorium used by the schools Dramatic Arts Department as well as by amateur and professional companies and groups. Thanks to a generous contribution by DHS old boy and theatre lover, Chris Seabrooke, a much-n

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