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evolved into a display of digital and creative culture, as we get ready for its 12th edition,” he concludes. “We’re thrilled to add a conference this year – it is more than simply an educational event; it’s a lively forum for conversation that connects the domains of business, cutting-edge technology and the arts.” DANISH DECIBELS Europe is brimming with internationally recognised festivals. From Glastonbury to Primavera Sound, Tomorrowland to Sziget, there is certainly no shortage. Denmark’s own major addition to this list is Roskilde Festival. One of the largest festivals in Europe, it was created in 1971 and became the country’s first music-orientated festival created for hippies. Today, it covers more of the mainstream youth from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. Lars Liliengren, head of production at Roskilde Festival, has been with the organisation for 16 years – the first six as a volunteer production manager. His extensive background with the festival gives him a unique insight into its personal evolution, as well as how the production has grown over that period. “I oversee the production of our programme, which includes everything from building stages, working with suppliers for any kind of AV solution – including sound, lighting and staging,” he begins. “We also have a volunteer organisation which brings us in roughly 2000 volunteers.” Since 1972, Roskilde has been a non-profit organisation. By the early eighties, a professional board of directors was necessary due to its growth – but the festival remains non-profit and still relies largely on thousands of volunteers. “We are not a traditional concert promoter; we’re a foundation with a charitable purpose. Throughout the previous 50 festivals, we have raised around $62 million,” says Liliengren. It was during the eighties that Roskilde truly began to branch out in its music genres. In the nineties, electronic music was introduced – and with that came new stages and tents to accommodate it. Since then, artists like Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers have appeared on the main stage.
meaningful conversations about human experience and the passage of time.” The installation was composed of burnt-out cars from the war in Ukraine – the cars acting as a cruel testimony to a horrific tragedy and direct evidence of 21st-century warfare. The cars on display were imported directly from areas affected by the war, accompanied by the stories of Ukrainian citizens who not only lost their cars, but all of their possessions and loved ones in many cases. When it came to identifying the AV trends – which Pošta had picked up from the installations on display at Signal over the years – there were certainly a few unsurprising candidates. “There has been a tendency toward the creation of immersive environments. For a totally immersive experience, these installations frequently incorporate noises, graphics and occasionally even tactile aspects. “Additionally, real-world data streams are being used by artists more to create amazing visual and aural experiences. This trend demonstrates the creative possibilities of leveraging technology to interpret and depict complex facts in ways that are both interesting and understandable to a wider audience, as well as highlighting the beauty concealed in the data all around us.” interesting to hear what the projector of choice was. “At the 11th Signal Festival,” reveals Pošta, “we extensively utilised a range of Christie products to bring our immersive light art experience to life. Primarily, we used Christie projectors across many different key installations, enhancing the visual impact of our featured artists’ works. “For instance, at the Public Library in Prague’s centre, we showed off the mesmerising video mapping titled Luminary Glyphs by Hungarian artist András László Nagy. This captivating presentation relied on Christie projectors to seamlessly transform the architectural canvas into a dynamic display.” As Pošta and his team gear up for the 12th edition of Signal in October this year, he reflects on its transformation in line with AV’s own industry-wide evolution. “It is evident that the Signal Festival – which began as a festival of light – has With projections the dominant equipment used at Signal, it was
Projections took centre stage at Signal, delivering an immersive display of light art with Christie products
“We are looking into doing our 52nd festival this year. For this edition, we have seven stages and a couple of others with interdisciplinary programmes – with arts and activism joining music,” he adds. So, where do you even start with a live production of this scale? “First of all, it’s figuring out what the site is going to be like for the upcoming festival and looking at the capacity for the different stages. We then start to work with suppliers (most of which we have 20-year-old relationships with) and figure out the festival’s needs for that year. From there, it goes into design.” The most recognisable stage of the event is dubbed the Orange Stage. Formerly known as the Canopy Scene, this orange-tented stage was previously used by the legendary Rolling Stones on a European tour. Since its beginning, the Canopy Scene and its characteristic arches have become a well-recognised symbol and logo proudly representing the festival. Getting the staging right is the first step to the preparation of any festival; the next is sound, and it’s not one you want to be taking lightly. “In 2018, we kicked off our strategic partnership with Meyer Sound,” remarks Liliengren. “We had worked with many brands on the side, but we had Meyer Sound systems at some of the stages for many years. We chose them back then because they always sent a tech support to the festival. “We have a fairly small site, where we cram in seven stages. The noise you get from the stages can carry through the
WATCH ME See the incredible light show at the 2023 edition of Signal Festival
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