PLASA Focus 2026: Expanded, energised, still unmistakably Leeds

PLASA Focus 2026 returned to the Royal Armouries in Leeds on 12–13 May, bringing the live entertainment technology community together for two busy days of product discovery, hands-on learning, networking, and meaningful industry conversation.

This year’s expanded edition welcomed 2,909 attendees, including 2,311 visitors and 598 exhibitor personnel, with overall visitor numbers up 2 percent and exhibitor attendance up 3 percent on 2025. Across both days, the show recorded 3,658 visits, with many people returning for both days.

The show continued to attract a strong cross-section of decision-makers, technical professionals, creatives, students, freelancers, and business leaders. Directors, owners and chairpersons accounted for 16.8 percent of attendees, while 37.3 percent held final purchasing responsibility. Students represented an increased 13 percent of the audience, underlining the event’s growing role in supporting the next generation of industry talent.

A broad spread of sectors were represented, including live events, theatre and performing arts, concert and touring, festivals, corporate events, commercial AV, venues, education, broadcast, installations and more.

Visitor interests were also balanced across core technology areas, with audio, lighting, AV/video, rigging, stage engineering and power all strongly represented.

“PLASA Focus Leeds has always been about creating a space where people can connect properly, have useful conversations, and get hands-on with the technology shaping our industry,” said Sophie Atkinson, Head of Events at PLASA.

“This year’s expanded footprint allowed us to welcome more exhibitors and features, while keeping the friendly, focused atmosphere that makes Leeds so special. The quality of attendance, the engagement across the show floor, and the response from students and early-career professionals all show just how important this event continues to be.”

A focused show floor with more to discover

For 2026, PLASA Focus expanded further into the Royal Armouries, welcoming 211 exhibitors across lighting, audio, AV, rigging, staging, power, control, production services and more.

The show floor remained true to the Focus format, combining practical access to new technologies with a relaxed, easy-to-navigate environment. This year hosted a strong line-up of UK debuts and new releases across lighting, audio, rigging, control and connectivity.

Visitors could see products including Roxx’s UK debut Icon series, Ayrton’s MagicBlade Neo, Claypaky’s Arolla Aqua fixtures, Chauvet’s COLORado PXL Curve 1, HH Audio’s TNi-WX speakers, Neutrik’s True1 Data Connector Series, d&b audiotechnik’s U-Series speakers, ChamSys’ MediaMaster 26, RCF’s EVOX J9 and J11, Robe’s GigaPointe and EM Acoustics’ CS Series cardioid subwoofers.

Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and service providers were able to meet visitors directly, compare products across disciplines, and discuss real-world applications with the people behind the technology.

“Every year PLASA Focus Leeds exceeds expectations with the quality of visitors, and this year was no exception. As always, the heart of PLASA is the people, catching up with old friends and making new connections.” said Bernie Marsh, Business Development Manager, Prolight Concepts Group.

“PLASA Focus Leeds 2026 was a fantastic show for Penn Elcom. It was great to reconnect with so many familiar faces from across the industry while also meeting plenty of new customers,” said Paulina Parda, Sales Support, Penn Elcom.

“PLASA Focus Leeds was once again a fantastic event for us this year. It remains an important meeting point for the industry, bringing together manufacturers, partners, customers and friends in a very relaxed and positive atmosphere,” said Eva Gerlach, CEO, Indu-Electric.

“With UK operations having been handled from Harrogate since KV2 Audio’s inception – PLASA Focus on ‘Home Turf’ is always valuable and an important part of our calendar,” said Tom Weldon, UK Sales Manager, KV2 Audio.

Industry support across the show

PLASA Focus 2026 was once again proudly supported by headline sponsor Ambersphere Solutions, alongside café sponsor IPS, courtyard sponsor LANG UK, video sponsor AV Matrix, and lanyard sponsor Leisuretec.

Official sponsors for 2026 included Adamson Systems Engineering, BeamZ, Disney Cruise Line, HH Audio, IPS, Link UK Solutions, PixelLogic Solutions, and RCF.

Their support helped shape a dynamic visitor experience across the venue, from the IPS-sponsored café and LANG UK’s courtyard presence to brand visibility, technology showcases and networking spaces throughout the show.

New features bring fresh energy

Among the new additions for 2026 was Speed Networking, which made its Leeds debut following the success of its London edition.

Delivered in collaboration with The Power of Events, Production Futures, and Access Industry, the feature offered students, freelancers and early-career professionals a structured way to meet people working across lighting, audio, AV, rigging, staging and live production.

Taking place in the IPS-sponsored café, where IPS marked its 20th anniversary, the sessions reflected the wider spirit of PLASA Focus in Leeds: approachable, practical, and centred around meaningful industry connection.

LANG UK also brought its Road to PLASA experience to the outdoor courtyard, with a custom-built demo truck offering visitors the chance to explore advanced video switching and compositing workflows in a mobile studio environment.

Meanwhile, EM Acoustics hosted a dedicated audio demo room, giving visitors a focused listening environment for its latest systems, including the CS15 subwoofer and Reference Series loudspeakers. KV2 Audio also returned with its popular audio demonstrations, while ChamSys delivered hands-on lighting control training across the show.

Learning, training and industry insight

Sponsored by LSi, the PLASA Focus seminar programme offered a wide-ranging mix of technical content, career advice, business insight and future-facing discussion.

Sessions explored key themes including technical skills development, AI, cyber security, sustainability, freelancing, employment law, funding, career pathways and industry best practice.

Together with hands-on demos and training, the programme gave visitors the opportunity to learn directly from industry experts while engaging with the wider conversations shaping entertainment technology.

Supporting new talent

The 2026 audience included a strong student and early-career presence, with students making up 13% of total attendees. Alongside the seminar programme and Speed Networking, the show provided a welcoming entry point for those looking to build confidence, ask questions, explore career routes and connect with employers, suppliers and industry professionals.

“PLASA Focus Leeds gave me a great opportunity to network with some of the biggest companies in the industry to explore employment options that are open to me post University. Everyone was happy to listen to my questions and give me great guidance and opportunities to help with my career progression,” said Callum Foy.

“It was such a brilliant show! I saw so much new equipment and learnt so much as a student. The variation in equipment was huge. I will definitely be attending next year!” said William Biker.

“A perfect place to network and speak with willing industry professionals… and walk away from the event being confident in my next steps regarding my professional future.” said Rummanah Promi.

Strong app engagement

The official PLASA Focus app continued to support the visitor experience, particularly across the expanded venue.

For 2026, the app recorded 2,023 unique logins, representing around 70% of total attendees. It also generated 513,364 impressions and 5,019 bookmarks, helping visitors browse exhibitors, save sessions, plan schedules, and navigate the show more efficiently.

Looking ahead

PLASA Focus returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds on 11th – 12th May 2027, continuing its role as one of the UK’s most focused, friendly and practical meeting points for the live entertainment technology sector.

To register interest for next year’s edition, visit:
www.plasaleeds.com