The 70^th edition of the world’s best-known international pop extravaganza was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), together with the host broadcaster, which this year was Austria’s Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).

A stunning production lighting design, featuring nearly 550 Robe luminaires, was created by Tim Routledge and his team, working on their third ESC event, and collaborating closely with set, video and production designer Florian Wieder to present a vibrant, flexible and visually impactful environment.

This had to work for the needs and imagination of all 35 delegations, for audiences catching the excitement first-hand right there in the Stadthalle, and for the millions from around the world tuning in on various live streamed and broadcasted channels to experience the event unfolding.

Prominent on the lighting rig were 190 of Robe’s just-launched GigaPointe laser-source multifunctional moving light, 98 WTF!s – IP rated LED strobe-wash-blinder fixtures – and 25 Robe HolyPATT vintage-style LED ‘scenic’ luminaires.

In addition to these, Tim’s general lighting rig included 182 Robe SVB1 multisource LED wash beams, which he also used on last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, and have since become a firm favourite.

He also chose 64 Robe iFORTES and iFORTE LTXs – fitted with the HCF (High Colour Fidelity) engines – for all the key lighting and specials on the main stage and in the Green Room, this year located in the arena opposite the stage along the other ‘short-end’ side of the venue.

The impressive architecture of the performance space was based on curves, spheres and understated elegance juxtaposed with elements of fun and quirkiness – in the true spirit of Eurovision. It offered a technically smart universe of possibilities for all performing there.

A large, sweeping ‘signature’ passerelle feature with video floor started at ground level stage left and looped around the middle of the room in front of the stage, curving upwards at stage right in a giant rollercoaster-style loop, snaking around to finish high up in the roof stage left.

A portrait-oriented central LED screen curved seamlessly from above into the stage floor below and extended into a central thrust that traversed the arena floor, splitting into a double staircase at the other side, ascending to the Green Room.

All of this brought a beautiful flow and harmony to the scene for lighting and playback video, which seamlessly combined with the other technical disciplines and worked brilliantly as a piece of televisual art.

The central screen was framed either side by seven columns of moving lights, bringing an epic and breathtaking cinematic feel to the entire space and giving clear sight lines from all around the arena.

Tim’s highly talented team included his associate lighting designers Morgan Evans and James Scott; moving light programmers Alex Mildenhall and Martin Higgins; key light programmer Marc Nicholson; overnight programmers Olly Martin and Manfred Nikitzer; follow spot caller Louisa Smurthwaite and playback video producer Sam Lisher and team. His gaffer and crew chief was Keith Duncan.

All lighting equipment for the event was supplied by rental company Neg Earth out of the UK, with whom Tim also worked on last year’s event and on his first ESC as lighting designer in Liverpool, UK, in 2023.

Tim was delighted to be able to use GigaPointes on this show and they became “headline fixtures” of the show.

The product was just launched at ISE in February and powered by a 350W white phosphor laser source engine, it is a hugely anticipated multifunctional effects fixture, and it was a real moment to have so many of them used on such a high-profile event, following a demo at the end of 2025.

In Vienna, they were positioned all around the space.

They were prominent along the top of the front sections of the passerelle and underslung below its elevated sections upstage. They were rigged around the central semi-circular trusses in the roof, right at the heart of the rig, and were on all four sides of the main stage at floor level.

GigaPointes were used extensively throughout all performances, especially for gobo and beam looks, with the SpectraBeam effect utilised a couple of times to create unique high-impact effects, most notably for San Marino, which comprised rainbow focused looks.

They also featured prominently in the flourishing ‘stage-ready’ sequence that cut in just after the postcard video sequence – in the upcoming country’s flag colours – for each contestant’s intro, accompanied by an orchestral stinger.

Morgan Evans commented, “They were excellent workhorses – we all loved them! Nice and bright, they worked hard, reliably and extremely well throughout the event in these multiple different positions. A highly versatile multi-use product.”

Tim echoed these comments, adding, “GigaPointes provided us with an aesthetic backbone,” revealing that he was so pleased with their performance that he’s specified them for Take That’s summer 2026 “Circus” stadium tour.

The 98 Robe WTF!s were the main strobe unit on the lighting design, deployed on the roof trusses running the length of the room either side, and on the large central ‘crown’ semi-circular trusses – the innermost ring – above the stage, alternated with GigaPointes and other fixtures.

Tim already had some experience of using a much smaller quantity of WTF!s on popular UK rapper Dave’s most recent tour, so he knew their potential and was very happy to have them on ESC.

“I love their directionality, and we fully used all the sets of LED chips and the zoning for various effects,” he explained, adding that they appreciated being able to pan and tilt the fixtures, which, together with the zoom, proved extremely handy at times for reducing glare into the cameras.

Conversely, they utilised zoom and LED zoning to create cool colour temperature effects, and the ones along the audience trusses helped with washing the arena.

“Lots of options for TV with these,” noted Tim, who has also spec’d these for another upcoming tour.

Eurovision is one of the most-watched/highest-rated live music broadcast shows in the world, and as always with any camera-based show, key lighting is paramount!

Robe’s iFORTE with its high CRI and excellent quality of light has been a white light go-to for Tim since the product was launched, and here they were rigged strategically in all the main key lighting positions for the main stage and Green Room.

iFORTES were positioned all around the arena on the periphery trusses and the two outer ring trusses above the stage – their power was ideal for the long throws from these positions.

Twelve of the 64 x iFORTES were paired with different remote follow systems, including three Robe RoboSpots.

These iFORTES were used for all the main stage key lighting and were critical to every shot, “They are one of the best – I absolutely would not be without iFORTES on a show like this,” he confirmed.

Eurovision is all about making a diverse range of stars from many cultures shimmer with luminance and magic as they deliver their songs, and he used Robe’s SVB1 fixture on the 2025 ESC event in Basel, Switzerland, and really loved them.

So much so that they were included on the main rig for this year – and in the meantime, Neg Earth had also made a substantial investment in SVB1 luminaires that was delivered by Robe UK.

The fixtures were spread out around three of the four large circular roof trusses and helped emphasise the structure. They created the base looks for a host of versatile twinkling kinetic effects, which could be bold or subtle depending on the artist.

The Green Room design stood out this year for its retro, cosy, classic Viennese-style coffee house concept, and the 25 x HolyPATTS were beyond the perfect movie prop for framing this, providing a highly stylised spherical ‘tungsten’ glow, visible in every wide and medium-wide shot.

The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra was positioned in the Green Room for the grand finale, and they were also dressed with HolyPATTS behind their risers.

Tim and the team applied the highly accurate tungsten emulation with style and panache to bring a highly theatrical feel to the space.

One of the major technical and creative challenges this year was the decision by ORF to shoot the shows – which also included two televised semi-finals to narrow down the field to the 25 finalists – on large chip film cameras, an ESC event first.

For Tim and the lighting department, this meant that more depth, definition and detail was visible, so they had considerably more latitude to play with lighting adjustments and fine-tuning affecting how elements like strobes and pyro would look on camera – harder, softer, etc. “It enabled us to add more texture and finesse to every performance,” he stated, and this really showed on the final broadcast.

Linked to this, the LiveEdit camera software used to cut the broadcast mix could also pre-select different colour LUTs that would run on all cameras for the different artists, so more stylised lighting looks and treatments could be developed and optimised.

Tim described this process as “very satisfying, as it effectively gave us more chance to paint with light,” which also made perfect key lighting – and the role of those iFORTES – even more critical!

Eurovision 2026 was presented by Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski, plus Green Room host Emily Busvine and the winner was Bulgaria, whose DARA gave a stonking performance of her catchy Balkans banger “Bangaranga”, heading off Israel’s Noam Bettan, who came second with “Michelle” and Romania’s third-placed Alexandra Căpitănescu with her song, “Choke Me”.

Photo by ORF Cloud.

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When it comes to creating unforgettable immersive experiences, The Lost Estate is at the forefront of transporting audiences into lost worlds of magical music and immersive dining. Past productions include Paradise Under the Stars, which took audiences to 1950s Cuba; 58th Street, immersing guests in 1930s New York; and The Great Christmas Feast, inviting audiences into the home of Charles Dickens on Christmas Eve, 1843.

Their brand‑new experience now transports audiences to 1890s Paris, inside the legendary night‑club Le Chat Noir, a lost world of glittering cabaret performance, bohemian pleasures, vintage cuisine and live music. To bring CHAT NOIR! to life, writer and director Will Kunhardt approached lighting designer Mike Gunning to shape the visual language of the show. Having worked with The Lost Estate for many years, White Light (WL) was once again proud to supply the lighting rig for this extraordinary production.

From the earliest conversations, lighting was treated not as spectacle, but as a vital storytelling tool. “When Will Kunhardt approached me with the premise of the show, it felt like something that could be clearly and visually expressed,” says Mike. “There was a real opportunity to collaborate and create something unique.”

The creative vision was twofold: to root the audience firmly in the time and place of 19th‑century Paris, while also embracing the variety and energy of cabaret performance unfolding throughout the space. “I wanted the light to feel soft, almost like looking at an old photograph,” he explains, ensuring the environment felt authentic, intimate and lived‑in.

The post White Light creates the glow of 1890s Paris for CHAT NOIR! appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

On Luz’s lighting rig were some core Robe products, including WTF! IP rated LED strobe-wash-blinder fixtures, Tarrantula wash beams and four RoboSpot systems running with 18 BMFL FollowSpots, all supplied by Christie Lites, co-ordinated via their UK office.

Luz Studio was brought on board to produce a completely fresh live performance environment for the band, which involved delivering a full visual package, including a stage set and some very striking video content. Embracing all the visual elements collectively ensured great optical harmony and balance, a creative treatment noticed and very much appreciated by fans.

A starting point for the stage aesthetic was a massive 110 ft wide by 40 ft high upstage LED screen, with a triangular-shaped double-layered set of risers in front, flanked by two diagonal staircases and two ground-level raked diagonal trusses per side.

The band made their entrance via the venue’s large stage lift, and the show started with them ascending to stage level and initially being framed by an automated ‘hero’ triangular-shaped truss that flew out during the first number, completing the last segment of a Union Jack-shaped truss facing the audience. This was a nod to their British roots, hailing from Sheffield in the late 1970s.

As the design started to evolve, creative director Matt Larivee knew early on that they wanted to use WTF!s and RoboSpots.

He had seen the WTF!s during a visit to the Robe factory in the Czech Republic at the end of 2025. “They looked fantastic, so I thought they would be ideal for this residency, especially to cut through the massive video wall. I really needed fixtures with plenty of power and options.”

The four floor-level angled trusses traversed the stage set at around eight ft heigh, two each side, and the 18 WTF!s were deployed on these trusses.

The set was a combination of Def Leppard classic anthems, moments and greatest hits from their nearly five decades of popularity and success, together with edgy new material, so Matt needed plenty of latitude and dynamics in the lighting to cover all eras of the music.

He loves the WTF!’s zoom feature, as well as the pan and strobing options, but it was actually the warm white LED zone of the fixture that was a dealmaker for him.

This was because he knew he could get that classic retro blinder look that would help define a range of classic ‘big rock’ looks – which, together with the associated video content, were juxtaposed so elegantly.

The 24 Tarrantula wash beams were split into two batches of 12. One set was positioned on the downstage truss, used for general band and mid-stage wash, and picked for its intensity and relatively directional beam, so he could contain the field-of-light without it spilling onto the diagonal-shaped set piece upstage of the band.

The other 12 were on the floor, either side of stage, washing across the band from a lower level, again using the contained beam path to avoid messy encroachment onto the side walls.

A total of 18 x BMFL FollowSpots were utilised, running on four RoboSpot systems, each following the four mobile band members with three BMFLs from the front, plus either one of two from the back. The operators were all positioned offstage. Matt would have ideally liked to use FORTES on the system, but he was happy to go with BMFLs. They are reliable and a known fixture that have graced many of his previous designs.

Apart from the enormous flexibility that RoboSpot brings to any performance area, Matt specifically likes this remote follow system because of its straightforward application and abundance of good operators.

The fluidity and consistency unlocked by being able to imagine lighting and video worlds together with the 3D set parameters simultaneously for a high-profile show like this was visibly present, and, as with any Vegas residency, production values were high and there were many expectations.

“We – us, the band, management – all wanted the show to have an arc, so songs and timings were carefully selected where we could build those moments, and create big, bold, memorable looks that were not overcomplicated, so they really spoke out to the audience,” noted Matt.

These reinforced the songs and narrative while providing an additional tempo, framework and drama for the show with lighting and video combined. Notables included a giant leopard, which looked about to pounce off the screen and onto the stage at any moment, but these kept rolling through the nearly two hours of rock-tastic energy.

Many of the video environments also included virtual lighting, diligently calculated to riff and contrast with the real lighting onstage, evoking an eye-catching synergy of optical trickery that also helped move everything along.

The Luz Studio team worked closely with Def Leppard’s longtime lighting director, Cole MacDonald, who flew out to Montreal and pre-vizzed with them, as well as being on-site at the Colosseum and running lighting for the shows.

Luz Studio’s Pierre-Luc Bedard led the lighting programming with Philippe Marquis and Cole MacDonald.

The new-look stage presentation was a huge hit with everyone, especially the fans.

Def Leppard is a band with almost a cult following and many fans from different generations catching multiple concerts during a touring or performance cycle. Impressions from numerous comments suggest that for them, this – the band’s third Vegas residency – was a next-level, “best ever” live show phenomenon!

Photo credit: Luz Studio.

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Robe was a go-to choice for John and Hailey, picked for the consistency and quality of the products that are helping achieve the desired creative results.

John’s journey with Hans Zimmer started five years ago, and he relishes the opportunity and creative scope of working with such a masterful artist on his live shows. For this tour, Zimmer wanted to shift the musical direction away from being orchestral-based which is often associated with his iconic film scores, and back to his roots in the German electronic punk and synth underground scene.

“It needed to be distinctively a Hans show but different,” explained John, who reveals that it was a complex brief. While there are still plenty of performers onstage, to reflect the creative and cultural shift that Hans desired, they wanted it to look more industrial-looking, clubby and raw for those harder musical moments of the set, whilst still having the capacity to open out to the big epic looks for the sounds that have defined Zimmer’s career.

John emphasises that everything they do on lighting is in support of the music and in enhancing that unique Hans Zimmer live experience. “It is a highly collaborative process with Hans himself, art director Derek McLane, screen video producer Tom Bairstow, MD Steven Doar and FOH engineer Colin Pink.”

The impressive stage set is over 20ft tall, 40ft deep and 56ft wide and includes a huge, fully functional, modular synth which dominates the central space. An African choir, brass section plus other musicians, vocalists and performers come on and off the upper set levels for much of the show, with Hans and his core band anchored down below.

The whole picture is backed by a large upstage LED screen, and another screen forms a header above the front of the stage.

To cover the full depth and dimensions of the stage set and capture all the dynamics and mood of the environment, John and Hailey needed their lighting rig to be carefully placed, and to have super bright fixtures that could stand out from the screen surfaces.

They opted for advanced, front, back and side trusses, with four large automated ‘pod’ trusses vertically aligned across the central stage area.

The 50 iFORTE LTXs are rigged on three trusses – rear, front and advanced – giving horizontal coverage across these three eyeline perspective points.

John explained that while on the previous tour they had leaned into MegaPointes, but this time they wanted to transition to something more modern with a similar feel and excellent colour rendering that was a ‘canon’ style fixture. “We wanted a light that was evocative of what we were doing before but with a really big, beautiful beam and a good zoom,” stated John.

Hailey added that the iFORTE LTXs are workhorses. “We needed a versatile, punchy and theatrical light,” she said, noting that they wanted everything to be acting and moving on a singular plane for the first half of the show, with the iFORTE LTXs helping to create this slick sheet-of-light look.

They are also used extensively for specials and big moments throughout the concert, and while 50 is a relatively expedient count for a show of this stature, used intelligently and with purpose, they provide more than enough drama and eye-candy.

The 14 standard iFORTES are rigged at the sides in the stage left and right roof side trusses and on the downstage area and were again picked for their ‘heavy lifting’ capabilities.

These were the only viable side light positions, and again the spec was for a fixture with a “highly usable and full” zoom range, according to John. In fact, on all the iFORTES and the ESPRITE LTLs they capitalise on the zoom to shape and define the stage.

These side lights were essential in building the softer and more theatrical looks for specific moments in the music, “Hans’ music is very emotive and expressive; whatever the style he is playing, there is this massive dynamic range that needs accenting appropriately,” commented John.

Hailey thinks that the band and all the various artists move well and fluidly through the show, so this dance style lighting side lighting helps incorporate this into the action as well as providing some elegant sculptural high side looks.

There are 13 iFORTE LTX FS (Follow Spot) fixtures on the rig.

Eight are on the front truss, two on the downstage edges of the two upstage side trusses and two on the upstage section of the two outer over-stage pods … plus one upstage centre high up on the ‘Mothergrid’– each running on a separate RoboSpot BaseStation, with the operators positioned – usually – in the stage right wings.

European and UK lighting contractor Neg Earth Lights (NEL) has built special rapid-deployment dollies for the BaseStations.

When in ‘follow’ mode, the operators are running the iris and dimmer channels with all other parameters controlled via the lighting console, including a global master dimmer, and Hailey is still calling the whole show.

John and Hailey both agree that the flexibility and ease of use of the RoboSpot system are a great asset to the tour. They love being able to choose between a number of different follow spots, and that the lights can be reintegrated into the main rig whenever their follow spotting duties are done.

They appreciate the excellent LTX CRI and quality of light for this specialised purpose.

iESPRITE LTL is a new Robe fixture launched in the last year, and 76 of these are rigged on the four over stage pod trusses. Arranged in two rows of 9 per pod, and they are used for many and multiple functions with the automated pods effectively forming the backbone of the lighting rig.

As with the iFORTE LTXs, they underpin this design and are the base of all the more environmental and structural looks of the show. Through judicious use of colour and gobos, the iESPRITE LTLS help take the audience into a cinematic world during movie score moments in the set.

Originally, when John and Hailey started this design, the LTLs were filling a role that was envisioned as MegaPointes, but when the iESPRITES became available, they knew it was a good decision. “We absolutely love their intensity and adaptability, and they have this MegaPointe-like beam that morphs brilliantly into more theatrical, zoomed-out gobo looks … without losing any brightness. A really impressive fixture!”

Hailey adds that the iESPRITE LTLs have “a super-usable zoom range – and we are really pushing them hard and utilising a lot of tricks.”

Both agree that the homogeneity of the colour palettes across all the Robe ranges is a huge advantage generally to matching fixtures.

Like many, John and Hailey still like MegaPointes, and 25 of the 29 on this show are on an automated truss just behind the top of the back riser.

This MegaPointe truss has low and high positions. It moves from its lower ‘home’ position to a really high trim where the light beams can peep over the downstage screen or edge of the stage adding big-lensed excitement and edginess ‘crowning’ the overall look. The same MegaPointes extensively light the choir when they are onstage.

The remaining four MegaPointe fixtures are utilised to light the spectacular aerial performer who flies above the audience in a mirrored suit created by ‘Be The Discoball’ during a rendition of the famous “Interstellar” soundtrack created by Zimmer for the 2014 movie.

Finally completing the Robe elements of the rig are 43 Tetra2 moving LED battens which are an essential part of the floor package, lining the edges of each stage level, adding to the postmodern techno look, and perfect for producing some spectacular sheet-of-light looks. They are also helpful for expanding the notion of space in larger venues.

The challenges of lighting an evening with Hans Zimmer are keeping it looking constantly fresh, interesting, and surprising – the same goals that have made evolving this show so enjoyable for John and Hailey.

It is a long show with an intermission, and video content does not run for each number, so pacing the lighting and visual effects is the magic formula, parallel with Zimmer as he builds out the space musically with a flow of mini sinfoniettas collaged from symphony-length pieces.

“The energy levels ebb and flow,” elucidated John, “We tend to leave plenty up our sleeve for the second half.” The screen is also used sparingly, almost like a scenic animation … so the whole arc of the show is well-paced and carefully curated, leading up to a big rock finale.

Apart from that, for John and Hailey – one of two daughters who have both followed John’s industry career path – this is their second major father-daughter large touring venture, which is very cool.

John concludes, “This tour is a big extended family on the road with many people I love both personally and professionally. The music is incredible, it touches people very deeply and profoundly, and it’s a real honour to be part of the team delivering this vision in a live setting.”

John and Hailey worked with Chris Herman as co-designer and lighting programmer. Zach Boebel is lighting director on-the-road and also calling the spot cues together with Hailey.

The lighting crew chief is Jonathan Shelley Smith, and across the touring techs across the two EU legs of the tour are Sam Blakemore, Sam Morley, Stephanie Felstead, Bram Depaepe, Rachel Axton, Jonathan Sellers, Lyle McNally, Paul Howling, Cian Green, Davide Palumbi, Beatrice Banionyte and James Gould. They are working closely with the automation team comprising Euan Odd, Kimi Bennet and Giovanni Mota.

The tour director is Michael Weiss, production director is Jim Baggott, and Mark Botting is the head tour manager.

Photo credit: Suzanne Teresa @suzanneterezaphoto.

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The late-night style event comes complete with panel discussions, games, special – and surprise – performances, and collabs, as well as awards that recognize Bravospheric talents and achievements throughout the year. The November 2025 event was presented by Embassy Row Productions in conjunction with NBCUniversal at PH Live in – where else? – Las Vegas!

This was lit and production designed by John Viesta – president and principal designer of design studio Infinite Designs Inc. – who has been working his own creative magic on WWHL since 2010. To keep all that energy pumping, he included a serious amount of Robe moving lights among other fixtures on his lighting rig, in the form of 48 iFORTES, 134 iFORTE LTXs, 3 iFORTE LTX Follow Spots and 22 Tetra1s.

The design and lighting needed to capture the excitement and thrill of pacey live televisual moments, combined with the drama and spectacle of large-scale theater, as BravoCon 2025 featured 29 panels streamed on Peacock – available the day after the live presentations in Las Vegas – while separately, Andy Cohen recorded 5 episodes of BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen.

It was a truly full-tilt environment where all involved in the production needed to be constantly on their toes.

A version of the set had been used before, appearing in the 2023 BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen event. The design concept for the Vegas show captured the spirit of Andy Cohen’s late-night show WWHL by combining a NYC mid-century modern aesthetic and the styling of Las Vegas of the same time period, including a striking and elegant 80-foot-wide proscenium arch encrusted with incandescent lamps. John also used a number of lighting treatments to transform the set, including built-in fixtures that added a contemporary edge.

With PH Live generally being a much larger venue than the previous Paris Theater in Las Vegas, everything was upscaled. During planning, John realized that he would need much higher-powered profile fixtures than had previously been available to handle the 150-200 ft throws at PH Live.

That is where he got talking to Marty Postma, sales director at Robe North America. The two had attended college together and were already in touch, so they started talking and John began looking at Robe.

He needed a luminaire that looked great on camera and was bright enough to cover the throw and ideally a moving light that could also frame small and precise shapes and areas.

“I tested pretty much every moving light in that league that was available,” explained John, “and the iFORTE LTX was the only one that had the real firepower that I needed.”

It was the first time that John had used Robe’s powerful iFORTE fixtures, and a testament to the confidence he had in the products that he was prepared to do so on such a prominent and high-profile live televised show environment.

“Using these modern big-lensed fixtures really assisted with the general aesthetics; the abundance of fixtures enabled us to fill the airspace meaningfully,” he observed.

As it happened, PH Live had also just taken delivery of nearly 75 iFORTES and 9 iFORTE LTXs equipped with LightMaster rigs to be part of their house rig, so John had access to these, in addition to all the other Robe elements that were supplied to the event by lighting and rigging vendors Main Light.

The iFORTE LTXs were all rigged in the FOH area and used for key lighting. They were needed to cover the whole stage, which was at times completely filled with people. The iFORTES were positioned on a downstage bar just above the show portal.

The follow spots comprised 3 iFORTE LTXs running on 3 RoboSpot BaseStations, and it was also the first time that John had used iFORTES for this task, for which he was super impressed:

“The brightness is fantastic. They have decent CRI for camera … they look great on people and have great repeatability – so they return to exactly where we placed them – and color consistency was also very important over these distances. I’ll definitely be using them again!”

Various gobo iFORTE looks were additionally used to wash and texture the venue, creating some cool ambience.

John created a frame of fixtures outside of the show portal, alternating Tetra1s with tiny LED wash fixtures. He notes this effect made a gorgeous “Pearl Necklace, framing the stage.”

The main challenge in delivering BravoCon is the very short rehearsal window, which requires the whole creative team to be fluid, dynamic, and adaptable during production and filming, as ideas can and do change … and they need to be accommodated quickly and efficiently.

The pressure of the live broadcast is also something John loves, as well as it being a big pressure. “This is my favorite project to work on,” he enthuses, adding that Andy is a kind and generous individual with whom to work and who loves to push the boundaries of what is technically possible. “Good leadership comes from the top.”

John’s background is in theater, and Broadway in particular is where he carved out his professional niche. He has used Robe BMFLs in that world as follow spots and T2s on Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, so he knew the brand already, but this was his first big televisual extravaganza using Robe in such a mission-critical way.

“iFORTES are fabulous fixtures and I look forward to using them more frequently,” he notes, adding that when he met Robe CEO Josef Valchar – who is at the heart of the product development – he thought he was very inspirational, and also likes the fact that the company is independent and that the products are manufactured locally in Czechia.

Working alongside John on BravoCon 2025 was an incredibly talented team, including his Infinite Designs colleagues, Tyler M. Perry, who looked after the scenic design and Ben Travis, who was the technical supervisor. The lighting director was Greg Goff; Josh Selander was lighting director/programmer, John Salzmann was the gaffer, with Tom Thayler as associate gaffer, and the best boy was Eric Kaspersin.

Scenery was by PRG and Daedalus, with additional scenic elements from Kihl Studios.

Photo credit: Charlie Sykes.

The post Robe gets fired up for BravoCon Live event appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

This year’s production features a full lighting refresh that includes Elation’s PARAGON M LED profile moving head, supplied by 4Wall Entertainment. The fixtures play a central role in shaping the show’s visual language from subtle emotion to high-impact concert-style moments.

Visual storytelling

The modern-day passion play delivers an immersive retelling of the life and death of Jesus. Working alongside Creator & Founder John Bolin and Director Andrew Harmon, Fournier helped shape the look of a show that leans heavily on visual storytelling.

“Lighting plays a gigantic role in guiding the audience’s experience,” explains Harmon, who has been directing the show for the past 15 years. “Lighting tells the audience where to look and, in many ways, it becomes part of the dialogue. It says ‘this moment is important’ or ‘wow’ or ‘this is a sad moment.”

“Precision”

An Emmy Award nominee for his work on Fox’s The Masked Singer, Fournier brings a wealth of experience across broadcast, film, and live events. His connection to The Thorn dates back to 2010, having first joined as a lighting tech under early collaborator Robby Kurtz of 4Wall. Departing in 2012 to pursue his own career before returning to this year’s production, Fournier collaborated closely with Harmon and Bolin on the production.

Each year, The Thorn adopts a guiding principle to focus on, with ‘precision’ chosen for 2026. “Even before the tour started, we focused on precision with the crew,” Fournier explains. “When we brought in the PARAGON fixtures, they immediately meshed with that concept.”

Fournier, who serves as production manager, lighting designer, and lighting director on the tour, embraced that philosophy while refining a design he inherited from previous Thorn collaborators. Given creative freedom, he introduced new programming elements, sharpened the visual look, and added his own ‘tips and tricks.’

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he shares. “We kept the core of what makes The Thorn special but upgraded the rig to deliver sharper, more precise lighting throughout the show.”

A versatile rig for a dynamic show

Recommended by 4Wall’s VP of Business Development, Robby Kurtz, PARAGON has proved to be a versatile and reliable solution on the tour. “I’ve been thoroughly impressed,” says Fournier. “The framing shutters are incredibly accurate, the colors are rich, and the increased lumen level across the stage really shows. The precision on those fixtures has been great.” He adds that they haven’t had to touch the spares or even reset a fixture.

The lighting system includes 36 PARAGON M fixtures deployed across the rig. Ten are positioned on the front-of-house truss for key lighting, while the remainder are distributed across side-stage torms and overhead trusses. The majority—32 units—are integrated with a real-time performer tracking system. To cover the variation in the story, Fournier says he leans into the fixture’s full feature set.

“We’re using virtually everything the fixture offers for high-energy, concert-style looks to very quiet, emotional moments,” he explains. “One of the biggest comments we get when people first see the show is that they didn’t expect how varied and impactful it would be, and it’s what makes the experience so powerful. One minute it’s deeply theatrical, set-piece driven and dramatic, and the next it feels like a full-on rock ‘n’ roll show. It’s a full experience.”

Creating emotional impact

The ability to support storytelling through light is central to the production and PARAGON effects capabilities, from color floods to break-up textures to mid-air beams, all play a key role in maintaining visual interest throughout. Among the many visually striking scenes, one moment stands out for the designer and, undoubtedly, for many who see the show.

“It’s the starry night scene when Jesus is born,” Fournier says. “Dot gobos from the PARAGONs cut through the haze, and it feels like you’re really inside that moment. Using gobos and the animation wheel while tracking creates these beautiful, evolving shadows and textures as the focus moves around to the different zones. The beam spread across the room, and the clarity of the fixture really carries the emotion and underscores the importance of that moment.”

While The Thorn assumes that many audience members are familiar with its story, the production aims to create a deeper connection. “We assume that most people know the story of Jesus, but they might not have experienced it or felt it,” Harmon says. “We hope people leave the show with a different understanding of the story of Jesus and that they feel it more emotionally.”

Powered by partnership

4Wall provided the AV package for the tour, including the new lighting kit. Fournier credits the company for helping shape the system, and for its excellent on-the-road support. “4Wall has been incredible to work with,” he said. “The gear looks brand new out of the box, and Robby Kurtz and Gabe Thruston are great to work with. It’s a great team and makes a big difference when you have that level of partnership on a tour like this.”

Photo by Cora Wagoner.

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Steven leaned into using 68 Robe iFORTE and 60 Robe Spiider moving lights as the primary lighting and effects fixtures for the show, supplied, together with other lights, sound, video and rigging, by Dublin-based rental company, Just Lite, project-managed by John McGuinness and Paul Smith.

Steven first met the band – Robbie Cunningham, Oisín McCaffrey, and Ross McNerney – when they were opening for Hozier, also one of his clients, on a US tour. They liked what he was doing and asked him to produce some lighting magic for them, culminating with these four high-profile arena shows.

Amble liked the idea of having a big back wall of lights, so after initial discussions, Steven took this as a starting point and framed this with an eye-catching LED pros arch to complement the wall of Spiiders. In addition to the three members of the band, these Dublin shows featured up to six guest performers onstage. Fundamental to Steven’s aesthetic, in addition to creating a fantastic lightshow, was “keeping them close together.”

Their success trajectory has been rapid – day jobs were quit and recording contracts were only signed in 2024 – so they are still relatively used to performing on much smaller stages. “I didn’t want to have a 60 ft wide stage with a load of dead space and people feeling uncomfortable,” Steven explained, so the LED pros and the back wall of lights functioned as practical set pieces, to which he added risers for guest artists.

The back wall of 10 wide and 6 high Spiiders on ladder trusses made a big dramatic statement and Steven also used it to create subtle twinkling and kinetic effects. Spiiders gave him “many options” and were interspersed with some blinders and strobes.

Spiiders were chosen as he wanted “a big face wash light,” adding that the central chip and Flower Effect were instrumental “in giving the show a unique look and an edge at times.”

The 68 x iFORTES were positioned on the overhead and front trusses and also on side torms with 12 fixtures on the floor for some rear lumen power.

Steven has used the iFORTE numerous times. It is a go-to when working festivals, so he knew it was a “bright, reliable, versatile choice with a good gobo set,” and that it would produce all the effects he was envisioning as well as excellent key light.

Six of the iFORTES rigged on the front truss were paired with a remote follow spot system with two front lights each designated to the three Amble band members together with one iFORTE from the back – on a separate truss just upstage of the pros – so for every person there were 3 iFORTE follow spots. They were complemented by side lighting from another 8 iFORTES to complete the key light picture.

The 12 iFORTES on the floor were used for big, bold, sumptuous beamy backlight looks.

Time was tight, there was no pre-production time at the arena – they loaded in and went straight into the first show – however Steven was able to build most of the show on Capture and spent two intense days of pre-vizzing at Just Lite’s studio in Dublin.

Prior to the Arena shows, Steven completed a quick run of shows with the band in the UK in smaller venues like Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, carrying only a small floor package in a trailer with the main workhorse being 6 x Robe Spiiders.

For Steven, it was a fun experience to work with a fast-rising band again who are “great lads and very enthusiastic” to deliver these landmark arena shows and get the chance to present a clean, modern look that focused on Amble and their music being the centre of the action, surrounded by a slick and creative supporting production.

“It’s very much a show about the band’s performance, so we created an architecture around them and lit it appropriately, putting all the emphasis on them but with capacity to go a little crazier as the show evolved,” he concluded.

Photo credit: Steven Douglas.

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In addition to designing the festival rig, the Concept K team ran every lightshow during the festival and did the show direction as well. “We didn’t have any lighting advance for the festival, so there were no expectations from the artists’ side, but our main challenge was to light up the set in a way that would showcase it as effectively as possible,” said Kelian. “At the same time, we had to think to optimize the rig to create a lighting show that works both the audience and the cameras. Our Color STRIKE Ms allowed us to light up the audience with the ability to use strobe effects and enough power to illuminate up the entire venue.”

As for the rig’s 12 COLORado PXL Bar 16 fixtures, they were arranged behind the DJ both. From this central position, the pixel mappable battens with 16 individually controllable moving heads created a wide range of looks thanks to features likes their WRGBW color mixing, wide (5.8 ° to 47.9°) zoom range, and fast 200° tilt capability.

The COLORado battens helped us create a visual transition between the screen and the set while also providing a nice backlight behind the DJs,” said Kelian. “The tilt and zoom capabilities allowed our team to achieve wide beam spreads while keeping the screen visible.”

Drawing on the performance features of these and the other fixtures in their rig, the Concept K team was able to conjure up more than a lightshow, but an entire environment that everyone at Parc Expo Rennes, from the performers on stage to the fans, was happy to live in for two splendid days.

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Under the technical leadership of Andres Sarv, Vanemuine’s head of lighting, all three of its auditoriums – The Grand Building of Theatre, The Small Building of Vanemuine and The Harbour Theatre (black box) – have benefitted from carefully considered investment in Robe lighting technology over the years, with the most recent purchases being in LED luminaires.

This has seen an additional 14 T1 Profiles, 14 T2 Profiles, 11 T11 Profiles, 8 LEDBeam 350s, 8 LedPOINTES, six iParFect 150 FQW RGBWs and four T32 Cyc Slims added to the Vanemuine lighting inventory.

All these plus other fixtures are now at the disposal of Vanemuine’s own lighting department for all the shows and touring productions that they produce, as well as for the incoming and guest LDs who are visiting with numerous national and international shows.

Many of the new Robe fixtures were used on the acclaimed 2025 production of La bohème, lit by Swedish lighting designer Palle Palmé.

While many of the new lights will reside in The Grand Building, servicing the largest and most complex productions, they can be moved around as and where needed between the three auditoriums – and they can also go on the road with Vanemuine’s various touring shows.

In The Grand Building, two RoboSpot systems are also new – supplied as with all the LED fixtures by Robe’s Tallinn-based distributor E&T Valgus – but these are separate from the green turn investment. However, they can be used with many of the Robe fixtures, giving greater flexibility and enabling better follow spot angles to do the job.

Vanemuine has been using Robe fixtures for at least the last 14 years, and the recent arrivals also prompted them to replace some of the older fixtures like MMX Spots and 600E Spots, which were still working … but have now been replaced in all the houses, giving a much more powerful, energy-efficient and contemporary set of creative options.

In some cases, the older Robe moving lights – like LEDWash 1200s – are still in active service and used for powerful back light or other effects. Andres comments that this reliability and longevity are a great asset and one of several features that keep them returning to the brand for moving lights and intelligent LED fixtures.

The Small Building already had T1s in the house rig, but the Harbour Theatre’s older Robe DLX Spots – in residence since 2013 – were replaced with some of the new batch, joining the existing Robe LEDWash 600s in there, together with a host of conventional lights.

The new LedPOINTES, while more of a multipurpose than a purely theatrical fixture, will mainly stay in The Grand Building as they are ideal for musicals, and were “very well priced,” commented Andres.

He commented that the optics of the LEDBeam 350 are “great” for theatre, and naturally, they are delighted to now have the additional power of the T2s in the house.

Andres believes that Robe’s T-Series luminaires are excellent for any performance space: “The breadth of the T-Series ranges is fantastic, there is a fixture to cover multiple needs, and Robe can provide a very consistent solution in terms of light quality and colour management.”

He is also very enthused by the potential of the T32 Cyc Slims to provide rich, smooth and even coverage for cycs and set pieces, and the four units will replace 12 heavy lights that were previously used for this task.

Back in 2001, Andres recalls, Palle had been the first visiting LD to use new moving lights that had just been installed in The Grand Building, and in 2025, he was delighted to engage in another Vanemuine first in using the Robe T2 Profiles in the same venue.

Andres works alongside a lighting crew of 10 at Vanemuine across all three venues. While they primarily present theatrical shows and some orchestral concerts, the pace and turnarounds are very much rock ‘n’ roll in style and speed.

The house lighting rigs need to be as dynamic and flexible as possible, and Robe products are currently adding reliable and creative production value, together with the all-important “outstanding” local support from E&T Valgus.

Estonian National Theatre Vanemuine was founded in 1870 and is internationally famous and renowned for its action-packed programme of spectacular and eye-popping productions that embrace drama, opera, ballet, large-scale musicals, and orchestral concerts.

Vanemuine is known for its high-quality productions and has been recognised with numerous awards and accolades throughout its history.

In 2026, Vanemuine and Eesti Kontsert will bring Richard Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen to the Saaremaa Opera Festival, beginning with Part I, Das Rheingold. In the following years, all four operas of the Ring Cycle will be presented, directed by Dutch opera director and set designer Michiel Dijkema. 

Photo credit: Maris Savik.

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Mathias has worked with the band for three years, and for this tour, they wanted a slightly retro aesthetic and a raw, in-your-face lightshow! With no video or other potential distractions, all eyes were on lighting plus some scenic elements – also designed by Mathias – to provide an eye-catching visual backdrop to their gripping performances.

The LD was inspired by the original 1980s high PAR can wall-of-light rigs made immortal by the likes of Queen, AC/DC, Judas Priest and more in the 1980s. To replicate this classic look using the power and dynamics of 2020s tech, he added 78 Robe MegaPointe moving lights, 8 FORTES (BMFL WashBeams in the US) and 30 LEDBeam 350s to the plot!

The tour kicked off with some support dates for Iron Maiden, so Mathias also wanted some sort of distinctive set that could be swiftly deployed and cleared from the stage.

Inspired by the original Spinal Tap movie, he and the band’s guitarist Joe Hottinger came up with four custom mobile stage carts containing Marshall stacks – modelled on the idea of Stonehenge, but full size!

The higher Marshalls are scenic, but the lower ones are a working part of the backline setup. Upstage of this is a scenic curtain complete with rock formations, mountains and a magical curving stairway.

These dollies have 6 LEDBeam 350s on top (ACL style) and 4 MegaPointes in the base. The amps and their lights all travel together and are simply wheeled in/out of the trucks and on/off stage… and they were the starting point for the rest of the lighting design.

Both LEDBeam 350s and MegaPointes were chosen in this context for their compact size and power.

Central to the concept was being able to scale up/down to fit an eclectic array of venues on the first legs of the tour, so the challenge was to ensure it looked equally good in small or large performance spaces and was practical and adaptable to work day-to-day in these different situations.

The overhead rig was defined by six flown, raked lighting pods that complemented the four mobile stage carts, and Mathias chose lighting fixtures that he knew well for the design, which included the Robe products.

“LEDBeam 350s are so small and light with a massive output, and they work brilliantly alongside MegaPointes in beam mode – they are a great match and super-fast!” enthused Mathias.

MegaPointes are an all-time favourite of his and were perfect for this design and for Halestorm’s desired look due to the intensity and gobos effects.

The MegaPointe aesthetic is mirrored in the roof with each of the 6 flown pods populated with a 3×3 grid of MegaPointes, making a total of 54 in the air, joining the 18 in total on the floor.

Mathias also comments on how these two fixture types work extremely well together.

For front lighting and specials on the front truss are 8 FORTES or BMFL WashBeams, chosen for their brightness and solid performance.

On the recent UK and European dates at the end of 2025, these luminaires were FORTES, and the full lighting and audio package was supplied by Liverpool, UK-based Adlib, together with audio.

The floor set was supplied by Go Audio from Hamburg – also Mathias’ hometown – for the European tour, and in the US by Bandit.

Mathias personally hates leaving anything in the truck because it won’t fit in the venue, so a lot of pre-planning and thought went into making the lighting/set flexible enough to deal with everything from the most intimate rooms to massive stages, always filling the space and looking cool.

While no video meant all the pressure was on lighting to make the visual impact, this was a challenge appreciated by Mathias for the opportunity to work with additional SFX – low fog, bubbles, confetti, etc – which he loves, for the additional texturing and dimension it brings to live sets.

He enjoys working with Halestorm because they are always open to ideas and suggestions, they take an active interest in how they look onstage … and he loves the music, so gigs don’t come much better than this!

The tour is being production managed by Joe DiLeo, the lighting director out on the road in Europe and the UK was Alina Schmidbauer, and in the US the lighting director and programmer was Rodger Pugh. 

Photo credit: Alan Evans.

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