S tadium-like structures have been part of societies dating back thousands of years. Iconic landmarks like the Colosseum, Circus Maximus and countless other sports grounds and amphitheatres from across the ancient world constantly serve to remind us that live entertainment has always been a crucial part of human life. The venues of today may look and sound very different, but their purposes remain the same: ensuring the delivery of large-scale live experiences – taking full advantage of the most advanced architecture and technology available. The first generation of modern stadiums could be hectic hotchpotches, built with the sole purpose of cramming in as many spectators as possible. This often resulted in them being cluttered with rudimentary facilities, but lacking greatly in architectural merit. Now all it takes is a quick scroll through a social media feed in order to realise the technical prowess a modern arena can offer. Apps like TikTok and Instagram are saturated with dazzling clips of the Taylor Swifts, Sabrina Carpenters and Charli XCXs of the pop stratosphere, as well as major sporting events like the Olympic Games and the Super Bowl. It is clear from these clips that stadium-sized spectacles, and the AV power that they harness, are more present on the world stage than ever before. A NEW DIRECTION Following phenomenal popularity during his time with boyband One Direction, Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan’s solo career has only continued to skyrocket. His debut solo album came out in 2016, with his second album dropping in 2020. At time of writing, his hit record This Town has over one billion streams on Spotify. With a successful solo career usually comes an even greater global tour. On the road since February, Horan’s The Show: Live on Tour wrapped up its European leg in August 2024. His third outing as a solo artist, the show featured a music hall design, made arena size by 11 screens – 150 sq m of Universal Pixels’ LEDs – fed by four 35K projectors. Formed in 2016 by a group of friends who realised there was space for a start-up that was video-focused and utilised state-of-the-art technology, Universal Pixels’ first show was Robbie Williams on New Year’s Eve 2016/17. “Up until Covid-19, Universal Pixels had supplied world tours for the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Radiohead and Roger Waters,” begins Phil Mercer, commercial director at Universal Pixels. “In 2020/21, our focus shifted to virtual production and ICVFX for the film industry. We found much of the LED tech which had been previously used on touring projects found its way into studios STADIUMS & ARENAS
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