Over 300 Robe moving lights featured prominently on the Main Stage
Croatia - Ultra Europe 2018 was staged in Split, Croatia, offering three dynamic performance areas – Main Stage, Resistance and Arcadia – in and around the Poljud Stadium.
Zagreb-based Promo Logistika was the site-wide technical provider for sound, lighting, video, rigging, logistics, crew and – via carefully selected partner companies – staging. It’s the sixth year the massive event has been presented in Europe, and the fourth year that Promo Logistika has ensured that the many layers of demanding international creative and technical standards have been met and exceeded.
Over 300 Robe moving lights featured prominently on the Main Stage this year explained Miro Hrg, Promo Logistika’s production lighting co-ordinator for that area.
The overall production lighting design for the Main Stage was created by Patrick Dierson who works on all Ultra events worldwide, and the Resistance lighting was designed by Andy Hurst, working in a similar capacity.
Around 80 percent of DJ’s including all the headliners and anyone playing after 10 p.m. each night brought their own LDs / lighting directors / operators, which this year included, Afrojack, Hardwell, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Eric Pridz, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Marshmallow, Armin van Buuren and more.
The main stage moving light count broke down to 20 x BMFL Spots, 26 x BMFL Blades, 48 x MegaPointes, 40 x Pointes, 48 x Spiiders and 42 x LEDWash 600s.
“The design was clearly and intelligently through through,” comments creative director Miro Hrg. “Enough presence, but sensible numbers so that each light source had a proper job to do.”
For main stage control three grandMA2 full size consoles were used, with another full size and full pre-viz running in the onsite previsualisation suite.
This year’s Resistance stage was in a slightly different location which improved the crowdflow.
The lighting design was based on 10 automated hexagonal trussing pods clad with video panels and rigged with an assortment of lightsources that has also become instantly recognisable worldwide. Andy Hurst himself operated each night, also with some Robes at his disposal - 14 x CycFX 8s, 28 x MegaPointes, 20 x BMFL Spots and 8 x LEDWash 600s.
Performance collective Arcadia’s crew built their well-known Afterburner set - a 360-degree stage complete with flaming central spire and dance platforms radiating outwards,rings of fire-shooting torches, gas tanks, and smoke machines.
In addition to these three areas, Promo Logistika also provided lighting, sound and video for two full VIP areas - north and south - of the stadium, utilising more Robe MMX Spots, CycFX 8s and LEDBeam 150’s. A special custom designed VIP area was lit with PATT 2013s and 2017s.
(Jim Evans)

Latest Issue. . .