Live Autumn 2026 - Web

Cutting-edge case studies for this ever maturing technology MEDIA SERVERS UNLEASHED! Tim Burton’s weird world hits the stage, featuring supernatural systems BECKONING BEETLEJUICE

LIVEMAG.ONLINE

AUTUMN 2026

Zayn Malik’s first solo arena tour delivers ambitious AV BEHIND THE KONNAKOL TOUR

Stadia, stars and that controversial half-time show AV AT THE WORLD CUP

REBEL Extraordinary spectacles demand extraordinary thinking. Meet the visionaries who are raising the bar VISION

EDITOR’S WELCOME 3

EDITORIAL Editor Verity Butler +44 (0) 1223 492246 veritybutler@bright.uk.com Senior staff writer Chief sub editor Matthew Winney Senior sub editor Patrick Ward Junior sub editor Tabitha John Editorial director Nicola Foley ADVERTISING Sales director Sam Scott-Smith +44 (0) 1223 499457 +44 (0) 7875 711967 samscott-smith@bright.uk.com DESIGN Katie Kasperson Features writer Oliver Webb Design director Andy Jennings Magazine design manager Lucy Jeffery Senior designer Carl Golsby Junior designer and ad production Holly May PUBLISHING Managing director Andy Brogden FOLLOW US @livemagsocial linkedin.com/company/ livemagsocial MEDIA PARTNERS

A ccording to the Oxford Dictionary, the official definition of the word ‘spectacle’ is an impressive public performance, a striking visual sight or an unusual situation that draws notice. Whichever way you’d like to define it, if one thing’s certain, it’s that delivering a spectacle is something the pro AV sector is very good at. This issue of LIVE aims to highlight just that, exploring the people, trends, tools and case studies that demonstrate some quietly spectacular innovation taking place behind the scenes. On page 48, we cover media servers and their invisible yet mighty impact, while our page 18 feature spotlights projection mapping’s industry-shaking impact. Plus, this issue’s round table sees our panel of experts talk tackling demanding projects despite facing highly constrained time, space and budgets. And finally, we simply had to cover what could be considered the biggest spectacle of 2026: the FIFA World Cup. Whether or not you agreed with the infamous hydration breaks and highly debated half-time show, the tournament undoubtedly illustrated the sheer extent of AV’s impact on global sports entertainment. Elsewhere, this issue’s touring coverage gives you the inside scoop on Zayn’s first solo stadium tour, before shedding light on Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny, and the illumination of his recent run of shows. As pictured above, our theatre pieces explore Beetlejuice ’s recent move to haunt the West End, as well as sitting down with sound design icon Gareth Owen, the man behind some of theatre’s best-loved shows. Last, but by no means least, our cover story heads to London’s immersive Lightroom space to learn all about its David Bowie: You’re Not Alone display. This 360° experience sees the return of Ziggy Stardust – among many of his other legendary personas – following the ten-year anniversary of his passing. This resurrection comes in the form of a magnetic mosaic of images, projection and spatial sound to tell the story of his extraordinary life. Forget the Oxford Dictionary, if anyone needs to define the word ‘spectacle’, just ask them to look up David Bowie.

Say ‘Beetlejuice’ three times, then head to page 22

and enter the Neitherworld

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ZAYN MEETS STADIA We dive behind the technical scenes of Zayn’s first solo stadium tour COVER STORY: LIFE ON WALLS Ten years on from his death, David Bowie returns to life at London’s Lightroom ENTERING THE NEITHERWORLD Tim Burton meets the stage, as Beetlejuice is summoned to the West End HISTORY RESTORED Head to Kansas City to see a WWI museum exhibition unlike any other NEW LOOK FOR RONNIE SCOTT’S A legendary jazz venue gets a shiny technical revamp LIGHTING A STAR Uncovering the tools used to light Puerto Rican global superstar Bad Bunny INTERVIEW: GARETH OWEN We chat to the sound designer behind some of theatre’s most iconic shows PRO AV PULSE Our audio-visual industry section with news, trends and major moments NEWS & UPDATES Featuring a Covid-19 memorial, science centre and the world’s tallest hotel! COMING UP: INFOCOMM INDIA We turn our attention to one of the world’s fastest- growing economies

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CONTENTS

This issue’s cover was designed by Holly May at Bright Publishing. Image by Justin Sutcliffe

SPECTACLE FOCUS

PROJECTION MAPPING UPDATE Projection plays a central role in experiences. We explore recent innovations SOUND DESIGN ENTERS NEW ERA Audio, and all the bells and whistles that come with it, is a rapidly evolving field IT’S (NOT) COMING HOME... The World Cup may be over, but we’re not finished admiring the AV it presented MARVELLOUS MEDIA SERVERS Meet an increasingly well hidden, but powerful tool BRIGHT LIGHTS, TIGHT BUDGETS Join our panel, who sit down to discuss catering for an experience-hungry sector

6 CONCERTS & TOURING

Words Katie Kasperson

CONCERTS & TOURING 7

We catch up with the team behind Zayn’s Konnakol Tour, who kept it simple for the English singer’s first solo arena stint

8 CONCERTS & TOURING

Konnakol . “The thing with Zayn is: he’s quite stationary,” explains Routledge. “He likes his band tight to him. We looked at how to sit Zayn somewhere that the band encompasses him, while still immersing him and allowing him to get on and off stage easily – and the main way to do that is through video.” Ross ran with this idea, developing a video look that aligned with Routledge’s lighting design and colour palette. He added a live camera into the mix to provide visual content that they could then animate, rather than a raw feed. “We could take various scenes and build, organise and play with them, such as layerings, grids or columns – all sorts of interesting stuff to create a universe for Zayn to exist in, as opposed to just putting his face on a screen.” Ross hoped to give the visuals a ‘musicality and a rhythm to work with’, to immerse fans even further. “That got us to a nice point, where we could have conversations with Zayn’s management and begin a creative dialogue. ‘This is where we’re at. What do you think? How does it resonate? Is this the right or the wrong idea?’” he paraphrases. “From there, you start to figure out what’s working for everyone. Some ideas leave the process, some develop, some new ones join. “Once we’re fairly happy with the world we’re building,” Ross continues, “in terms of still frames, then we move on to motion. Because the timing was quite tight, we slammed straight into all songs. We’d send over Frame.io links to be commented on and reviewed, and that is a rolling process – you do it as it comes. That collaboration rolled forward and continued on-site.”

hen Zayn Malik left One Direction for his own musical pursuits, it was a sad day for Directioners – but a new beginning for the English artist. A decade into his solo career, Zayn announced his first arena headline tour (and second solo tour), the Konnakol Tour , named after his fifth studio album. With nine dates in the UK, Mexico and South America, the tour comes immediately after his 2026 Las Vegas residency – but brings Zayn closer to his audience than ever. “The brief was about simplicity,” begins Finn Ross, video creative director at Fray Studio. “It wasn’t about a vastly abstract concept; it was more about placing Zayn front and centre for the fans.” Fray Studio, the London-based design house that handled the tour’s video, animation and projection components, began work on Konnakol roughly eight weeks before it kicked off at London’s O2 Arena. Ross built a reduced, atmospheric world – and leaned on R&B influences to do so. “We looked at some alternative R&B shows, like Drake and Dave, as reference points. The idea I became interested in was: how do we achieve intimacy at scale? We have the real Zayn and then a big Zayn that everyone can see and connect with. How do we make that meaningful?” THE ART OF WORLDBUILDING Lighting designer Tim Routledge – who’s worked with Zayn on both his previous tour and his Vegas residency – spearheaded the initial development, creating a simple, two-toned look for

Zayn sits quite close to his band, while the lighting spotlights him (right)

CONCERTS & TOURING 9

We have the real Zayn and then a big Zayn that everyone can see and connect with. How do we make that meaningful?

AARON PARSONS PHOTOGRAPHY

10 CONCERTS & TOURING

Routledge designed a circular stage for Zayn and his band to populate. “It wasn’t in the round, but his fans were nestled into him. He came up on a lift, and we had roller drops surrounding him with projection, and a huge wraparound screen behind him.” This was made of ROE Visual Vanish V8 panels and fed signals via a Disguise GX 3 media server. ARRI supplied the camera system. SOUND TAKES CENTRE STAGE Zayn’s musical talent speaks for itself – and on Konnakol , this was to remain the main attraction. “His voice is extraordinary,” exclaims Routledge. The audio, therefore, had to do it justice. Clair Global provided the sound system, blending a DiGiCo Quantum 5 with two Universal Audio Apollo x16Ds, two Fourier Audio transform.engines, as well as products by Rupert Neve Designs for the front-of-house set-up. For loudspeakers, they selected d&b audiotechnik’s KSL Series for its scalability, full-bandwidth directivity control and on-stage rejection. “DiGiCo consoles are my go-to,” begins Lee McMahon, FOH engineer on

tour’s audio at home. “Having the ability to prep shows is fantastic,” he admits. The sound system blended into the background, letting the visuals lead while giving fans what they came for – Zayn’s voice. “The music must work in tandem with all other elements,” notes McMahon. Zayn doesn’t use in-ear monitors, “so a lot of thought goes into keeping the stage sound as clean as possible.” Thanks to the stage’s circular design, fans could get up close and personal – but this meant that they’d be right

Konnakol , who worked with Clair Global and system engineer Anthony Kappel on the audio design. “The flexibility is one of the top selling points for me; I love that it’s a blank canvas, and I can make the show sound how I want it to.” The set-up also afforded redundancy ‘using multiple DiGiCo DMI cards’ on a Dante network. “Not that we ever hope to use the backup – but given the stakes, we had to have an option in the event of hardware failure.” McMahon purchased his own Fourier transform.engine, so he could plan the

Though the Konnakol Tour had its own distinct aesthetic, with a green and amber motif, all the tech served to enhance the music above anything

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12 CONCERTS & TOURING

The brief was about simplicity.

This wasn’t a vastly abstract concept, more about placing Zayn front and centre for the fans

Rather than just using a raw feed, Ross wanted to create a universe for Zayn’s projection to exist within (left)

“I wouldn’t say it was a radical deviation from how to put on a pop show, but it felt exciting and different,” he comments. “The fans and their responses to the show when they saw it… it had a resonance.” Ross believes there’s a wider trend at play in the live music world, where cameras are becoming ‘a more integral part of how we see the artists’ shows and how we see them within their shows. It’s about creating an environment and an atmosphere’ – and Routledge agrees. “It’s about creating different worlds – asymmetrical or symmetrical worlds, line looks that encompass him in a scene. The goal was to create one great look per song with some flourishes, rather than an over-the-top light show. He’s not going to fly; there aren’t any big props; there aren’t dancers. It’s about the music and him.” What more can fans really ask for?

and then behind the screen we put a whole grid of ROXX colour blinders.” During Zayn’s Vegas stretch, Routledge doubled down on pink; on Konnakol , he opted for green and amber. “We wanted to give Zayn a look rather than chasing colours,” he shares. “We tried to keep within certain worlds without disappearing too far. When you can give yourself a bit of discipline, you do better.” Due to some unforeseen events, the Konnakol dates shifted – and Routledge could no longer be on-site. He brought on Michael Straun, who served as his associate LD while he lit up Eurovision . The whole system – lighting, audio and video – was signed off before the tour began, remaining identical for the South American leg, which picks up in October. While Konnakol wasn’t designed to be groundbreaking, Ross found it refreshing.

underneath the main PA. To avoid gaps, Kappel developed the ‘showerhead PA’, “an upstage pair of KSL loudspeakers flown very high, above the video wall,” says McMahon. “No matter where the audience stood, they were covered with front fill or showerhead, even if they were well out of the main PA’s range.” LIVE AND IN COLOUR The Konnakol Tour didn’t just present acoustic challenges; Routledge had to get creative with light placement too. “We put a ring of lights around the stage edge, but on these clever lifts so they could rise and fall,” he details. “They could peek up above the stage and then go a bit higher, so we could create different architectures. We had two concentric rings of Martin Lighting’s MAC Ultra Performance and Roxxlight blinders,

14 ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES

DON’T YOU WONDER SOMETIMES ’BOUT SOUND AND VISION?

London’s Lightroom offers a spatial oddity layered across a labyrinth of visual content with its latest spectacle Words Verity Butler

I will never forget how I found out David Bowie had passed away. I woke up and switched on my bedside radio, which happened to be midway through playing Starman . As I listened (still half-asleep!), I felt that pleasant, inspired feeling I always get when I hear that song. As it reached its conclusion, I distinctly remember thinking for likely the hundredth time: “What a great song.” But then the solemn voice of the presenter drifted over the top of the tune’s final bars: “Rest in peace, David Bowie.” That was the last time I listened to a Bowie song counting my lucky stars to be sharing the same planet as him. Bowie’s celestial life and career had a profound impact on the world – a world that hasn’t been quite so iridescent since he left it. But how do you sum up and celebrate such an impactful life? It seems like a crime that, in the age of endless cinematic biopics, nothing has cut through that honours this legend of many eras and personalities. It seems we may be waiting a little while longer (think four individual, feature-length Beatles films as units of measurement) for Hollywood to jump onto the Bowie bandwagon. But, unsurprisingly, the live entertainment sector is already on it. Lightroom, in

towering more than 11 metres high with projection on all four walls and the floor.” CH-CH-CH-CH-CHAPTERS When entering the venue, we asked the steward: “What time does the next show start?” That’s when we quickly discovered the clever format of the experience. It works in an endlessly looping presentation, meaning visitors can come in, pick up the show from any given moment and watch until they realise they’re back at the start again. This gives them the opportunity to take it in all over again, if they so wish. “The film in the Bowie archives is from a variety of eras and media, with quality ranging from beautiful 35mm film footage to grainy eighties videotape,” says co-director and design director Tom Wexler. “Finding a way to present this on the canvas of Lightroom was a big challenge and required an inventive approach both to editing and composition.” “The 27,000-pixel-wide canvas at Lightroom also meant that we had to be very efficient with render times and storage space to allow us to remain responsive as the project developed.” The film itself is structured in thematic chapters, offering unique insights into Bowie’s perspective on the subjects

London, kicked off the David Bowie: You’re Not Alone experience in April, and it is set to run until this October. Located just ten minutes’ walk from King’s Cross St Pancras railway station, the Lightroom is an immersive venue that blends sound, motion and light to create a new kind of storytelling. “A Lightroom show is always a deeply collaborative process when dealing with a world-leading creative,” begins David Sabel, executive producer at Lightroom. “Whether that was David Hockney creating brand-new work for the projection format, Tom Hanks using the space to tell the story of the Apollo programme or, in this case, working with the David Bowie estate, in every event, you’re creating a piece of work that is totally authentic.” The sole voice heard during David Bowie: You’re Not Alone is that of the artist himself, and the experience is both a multimedia spectacle and an intimate, revealing self-portrait. The 360° experience, which is produced by Lightroom and designed by 59, A Journey Studio, is written and directed by 59’s Mark Grimmer and Tom Wexler. “The other thing that sets us apart is the deployment of technology within our space – and the space itself,” adds Sabel. “The scale of the room is huge,

ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES 15

16 ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES

most important to him: theatricality, spirituality, songwriting and the transformative power of creativity. There are surreal moments, such as the transatlantic TV interview with Russell Harty in 1975, in which Bowie artfully takes control of the narrative and the interviewer is reduced to asking him questions about his hair. Elsewhere, the reconstructed set of the inimitable Diamond Dogs tour materialises before our eyes, igniting a Bowie performance unlike any other captured on film. FLOATING IN A CONCRETE CAN Sound is integral to the show – and to every other project that comes to the Lightroom. That’s why choosing tech that gives a whole new meaning to sound design was crucial when the space was being constructed. You’re Not Alone makes full use of Lightroom’s unique sound capabilities and specialised HOLOPLOT spatial audio system. Each track used in the show has been newly configured by Gareth Fry, a multiple Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer. “The HOLOPLOT system is quite a unique thing for Lightroom,” continues Wexler. “It’s also used for Sphere in Las Vegas – albeit their system uses far more units than we do!” The Lightroom has two stacks that are mounted on either end of the room at the front and back walls, and within those stacks there are around 800 individual speakers on each side. Wexler emphasises the main sound challenges of the space and how they overcame them. “It’s a four-storey concrete box with parallel walls, and obviously a lot of projector noise – so it’s a challenging space acoustically, to say the least,” he says. The Lightroom’s HOLOPLOT set-up is a ‘beam-forming’ spatial audio system, in which groups of speakers create

You go from feeling like you’re in the front row of the crowd at a concert, to right next to Bowie in the studio, to inside his head

build environments that incorporate footage, photographs, interviews and ephemera from the David Bowie archive.

beams of sound that ‘bounce off the walls in deliberate ways, using the space to its advantage’. The final effect truly elevates the show from a jazzed-up film screening to a full-blown, multi-sensory experience. “It really is like nothing else,” Wexler enthuses. “You go from feeling like you’re in the front row of the crowd at a concert, to right next to Bowie in the studio, to inside his head – all at the blink of an eye and totally seamlessly.” LIFE ON WALLS Bringing together a wealth of visual material from a wide range of sources, the show combines rare performance footage, photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes and audio recordings. “There’s coverage from 28 Panasonic laser projectors, so the visuals are intense and vibrant,” adds Sabel. Said visuals were designed and directed by 59, A Journey Studio. A team of editors and animators used a variety of tools that included Adobe Premiere and After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Unreal and Autodesk Maya to

“Rather than trying to faithfully recreate any particular physical environment, we used a mix of 3D geometry and lighting with a

collage-like approach to composition that creates an impressionistic and constantly shifting canvas,” says Wexler. The result is truly dazzling. Instead of magnifying the myth through the lens of his many characters (Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke), You’re Not Alone successfully places its focus on the man behind the masks – the provocateur, the polymath, the shapeshifting icon – in his enduring, human form. Wexler responds with enthusiasm when asked about the future of this popular live entertainment format – but he also offers a personal challenge to the sector: “People are hungry for personal, physical experiences that connect them not only to the subject matter, but also to other people sharing that same moment in a shared space. “The challenge now is to develop the language in this new medium to a point where productions can move beyond spectacle and begin to tell stories that stay with people beyond the instant itself.” He draws us to another Hollywood comparison: “In many ways, there are parallels with the early days of cinema, which began as a sideshow attraction and evolved into a rich art form of its own. Immersive entertainment is well placed to follow suit, with a demonstrable audience appetite and the beginnings of a global availability of venues capable of distributing work.” At time of writing, David Bowie: You’re Not Alone is set to run at London’s Lightroom until January 2027.

A combination of 3D projection, clever lighting choices and collage help emulate Bowie’s abundant creativity

18 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

As projection mapping becomes more common, the future of large-scale visual storytelling has never looked brighter. We dig a little deeper into the hardware and software powering this visionary movement Words Oliver Webb

D uring an evening stroll along the riverbank in downtown Chicago a few years ago, I sat down on some steps to take in the view of the Merchandise Mart – a stunning Art Deco landmark that has always fascinated me. As I sat admiring the view, purple lights suddenly illuminated the building. What followed was one of the most impressive displays of digital images I’d ever seen. I was familiar with projection mapping, but I hadn’t seen it on this scale before. I would later discover that the displays change every few months and had been going for several years. Remarkably, Art

CREATIVITY REIMAGINED While the term ‘projection mapping’ might be relatively new, the technique isn’t. One of the earliest public uses was in 1969 as part of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, California. The ride featured optical illusions known as the ‘Grim Grinning Ghosts’, which appeared to sing a theme tune. To achieve this, videos of the actors singing were projected onto the busts, making them appear as if they were animated. According to Joe Graziano, director of sales and entertainment EMEA at Christie, the projection mapping industry is very active. “Over the last year or so, in

on the Mart is still the largest permanent digital art platform in the world. Powering the display are 34 Christie Boxer 4K30 projectors, which are utilised to project the artworks onto around 10,000 sq m of projection surface. For anyone who has ever been in the same spot looking at it, it’s difficult to fathom exactly where these are placed. Since then, projection mapping seems to be popping up everywhere – with stadiums, galleries, live events and even houses of worship all embracing the technology. But why exactly is this digital phenomenon so popular, and what can we expect for its future?

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES 19

BEHIND THE PROJECTOR Software is an important aspect of projection mapping. Disguise’s Mapping Matter allows users to visualise their projections and configure the optimum set-up. The technical design application offers numerous benefits, such as simulations for real-world validations, multi-user live editing and foreseeing technical issues. Crucially, the software’s ability to adjust and adapt workflows is integral to effectively producing the projection mapping technique.

Picadeiro Open Sounds used Christie RGB laser projectors (far left) and Art on the Mart used Boxer 4K30s (left)

The boom, however, isn’t confined to one single industry. Organisations are finding new ways to use projection mapping to transform environments into immersive experiences. PROJECTION IN PRACTICE The growing demand for projection mapping is reflected in the diversity of installations. The technology is playing a key role in how landmarks are being used for architectural storytelling. Not only do they provide enormous canvases (for example, Merchandise Mart), but the buildings themselves are becoming part of the narrative. Digital projection company Barco has provided the technology for a plethora of such notable projects, including at the Hoover Dam, Sydney Opera House, Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall, Cellular Jail in India and Notre-Dame de Paris. Barco and Pufferfish are among many companies reimagining projection mapping technology, and together they recently unveiled the PufferTouch 4. The PufferTouch 4 is designed for museums and corporate spaces, and is powered solely by the Barco I600 projector, which offers brighter visuals, a lighter build and quieter operation. Pufferfish’s displays encourage visitors to explore and interact from every angle, helping venues to move past traditional projection and create memorable, story- driven experiences. In doing so, Pufferfish is encouraging the projection market to think beyond the rectangle and embrace projection as a platform for immersive visual storytelling. PufferTouch 4’s interactive spherical display platform allows for simple interaction on the globe’s surface, while the multi-touch storytelling offers 360° videos, data visualisations and tailor- made experiences. Pufferfish tech has also been used in educational sectors as well as organisations such as NASA.

alignment, warping, blending and recalibration tools. This reduces set-up time, simplifies maintenance and helps ensure long-term image accuracy.” Many industries are using projection mapping, and Graziano suggests that theme parks are among the strongest adopters. The sports industry is also using projection mapping to elevate fan experiences through immersive pre- game shows, in-game entertainment, venue transformations and dynamic sponsorship activations. “Additionally, museums and cultural institutions are embracing projection mapping to tell stories and bring exhibits to life,” he adds.

EMEA, we have seen several mapping opportunities as corporations, cities or live events look to make a splash,” he says. One of the biggest recent shifts has been the move from temporary, event-based installations to permanent and semi-permanent experiences, as in the case of Art on the Mart. “Projection mapping is now a key component of many museums, theme parks, visitor attractions and entertainment venues,” says Graziano. “We’ve also seen big advances in automation and workflow efficiency. Tasks that required extensive manual calibration can now be automated through camera-based

20 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

LET THERE BE LIGHT Light festivals are also on trend across European cities, with projections at the heart of many of them. One of oldest light festivals in the world is Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France. The façades of some of the city’s most stunning buildings are brought to life under the lights of projectors every December. Another French city to embrace the technology is Lille for its Video Mapping Festival. Panasonic’s PT-RQ45 made its live debut there, powering a mapping spectacle that transformed Opéra de Lille into the centrepiece of a city-wide trail of immersive digital creations. Last summer, Christie’s RGB pure laser projectors illuminated Portugal’s Picadeiro Open Sounds in Fundão and Yard Festival in Setúbal and Palmela. For the events, ADLC Audiovisuais deployed Christie M 4K25 RGB and M 4K15 RGB projectors. Each location came with its own challenges. “These festivals show how projection can deepen the audience’s connection with music and art,” says José Cordeiro, director of ADLC Audiovisuais. “What makes Christie RGB pure laser projectors stand out is how consistently they amaze people. The colour, the brightness, the uniformity – it all comes

together to create moments that people don’t forget. Whether it’s a music festival or a mapping show, the experience feels bigger, more alive and more immersive than anything else we’ve worked with.” These projects continue to highlight how projection mapping is moving beyond one-off spectacles into a wide range of permanent attractions. IS IT JUST PROJECTION? RGB pure laser projection has been one of the most significant advancements in the space. Graziano notes that they are able to deliver exceptional colour performance, long operational life and consistent brightness, while reducing maintenance requirements compared with traditional lamp-based systems. “Automated alignment along with calibration technologies have also transformed the industry,” he adds. “Solutions that automate warping, blending and image correction can help to reduce installation complexity and maintain image quality over time, particularly when it comes to multi- projector deployments.” According to Graziano, Christie has several sizeable mapping projects under development in the EMEA region, which are set to culminate over the next

PufferSphere from Pufferfish (above) and an image of the vivid projection display Art on the Mart (top)

12 to 18 months across high-end retail destinations, sports stadiums and water- based locations. A number of factors are continuing to evolve projection mapping, including experiential marketing and the rise of live events. AI is also increasing the capabilities that come with it, allowing real-time adjustments and personalisation. Visual storytelling is now at the forefront of many industries and, as a result, projection mapping is poised for significant growth over the next few years. When I stumbled across Art on the Mart, it felt almost futuristic. But now installations are appearing everywhere, from museums to sporting arenas. With advancements in AI and other technologies, they’re likely here to stay.

Projection mapping is moving beyond one-off spectacles into a wide range

of permanent attractions

22 THEATRE & STAGE

UL I G

THEATRE & STAGE 23

Tim Burton’s cult classic Beetlejuice has found new life on stage. But recreating its surreal world takes much more than clever costumes and scary set designs Words Verity Butler Images Johan Persson

riting about Beetlejuice in the middle of a heatwave in July feels slightly odd. However, the timing does go to show how the spooky sensation’s popularity knows no real bounds. First unleashed in 1988 through Tim Burton’s gothic imagination, the story of the ‘bio-exorcist’ became an instant classic – thanks to Burton’s much-loved cocktail of horror, comedy and surreal visual storytelling. Unsurprisingly, this winning combination has offered ample opportunity for live entertainment over the years. Big Fish , Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have all seen stage adaptations – and no, I’m not referring to the infamous ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ viral disaster in Glasgow back in 2024. Similarly, Beetlejuice made its way to Broadway in 2019 – and now it has crossed the pond to haunt the West End’s Prince Edward Theatre until April 2027. The show offers a masterclass in modern theatrical illusion – with every transformation and location change relying entirely on an intricate web of scenic design, lighting, projection, automation and video technology. Audiences are swept from the world of the living to the Neitherworld – and back again – all while an extraordinary system of AV is working tirelessly to make the performance appear effortless. A core aspect of this is a huge, moving LED wall supplied by Universal Pixels. Far from acting as a simple digital backdrop, the screen integrates with the physical scenery, synchronising with projection, lighting and automation in order to create a constantly evolving set. SCREEN OR SCENE? Unlike a lot of today’s productions, where you often find LED screens remaining fixed during the performance, Beetlejuice sought something far more ambitious. “The Leyard CLO-M4L 3.9mm LED was chosen primarily because of its lightweight construction

24 THEATRE & STAGE

screen could be flown and transitioned. This also reduced strain on the flying system and made handling and installation more straightforward. “Another key advantage was the quality of the panel itself. The CLO-M4L delivered a very flat and seamless surface with no visible joins, which is particularly valuable for theatre, where the screen actually often sits as part of the wider scenic picture.”

and suitability for a moving screen application,” introduces Ethan Forde, Universal Pixels’ VP of US operations. “The production required a large format LED wall that could physically lift and move during the performance, so weight became a critical factor from the outset.” Weight may sound primarily like an engineering concern, but in theatre every kilogram can have an impact on creative licence. A heavier screen demands larger motors and more cautious automation, whereas a lighter screen allows directors and designers to think bigger. “At approximately 25% lighter than other LED systems previously quoted and used on similar productions, the CLO-M4L made a difference to how quickly and efficiently the screen could transition during scene changes. Even small gains in changeover speed were important as the show operates with very tight cueing and fast-paced transitions.” Those fractions of a second matter massively – audiences may never notice when a transition is perfectly timed,

which is the production team’s goal. However, it would be instantly noticeable when one isn’t executed correctly. “The reduced weight also opened up creative and practical flexibility,” adds Forde. “The screen was mounted on a flying bar using carbon-fibre frames, and was able to move smoothly and reliably within the show’s automation system. It also made installation and handling much more efficient for the crew.” The choice of screen was significant, as it marks the first production to use Universal Pixels’ new Leyard CLO-M4L inventory, meaning one of the West End’s biggest musicals ultimately became the proving ground for a new LED platform. Introducing brand-new technology to a high-profile show always carries an element of risk, but Forde believes the benefits quickly justified the decision. “In this case, the advantages very clearly outweighed the challenges. At around 25% lighter than other LED systems previously quoted, it had a direct impact on how efficiently the

This allowed the content to feel more immersive, especially in the

scenes where video performs directly in line with the physical set and lighting. “As with any new product introduction,” Forde says, “there was an initial focus on ensuring full confidence in real- world performance within a live theatre environment, but once integrated, the system delivered reliability throughout

rehearsals and performances.” One of the main reasons that

this adaptation of Beetlejuice feels so visually distinctive is because the digital elements never seem to dominate the stage. As Forde emphasises, the video system was built around supporting a creative vision rather than dictating it. “The video system was developed closely around the creative direction of projection designer Peter Nigrini,

This adaptation of Beetlejuice feels so visually distinctive because the digital elements never seem to dominate the stage

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MEET THE TEAM Peter Nigrini Projection designer Lacey Erb Associate projection designer Zoey Crow Associate projection designer Mogzi UK associate video designer and programmer Alessandro Uragallo Animator Alex Ramsden Lead video engineer Chris Jackson Video engineer Sam Gough Video engineer Jakub Krumpolc Video engineer

Beetlejuice was able to offer such immersive and visually interesting sets through the use of an LED wall and projection to extend the scenery

with a particularly strong emphasis on ensuring that the visual language of the show translated reliably into a live performance setting. “Collaboration between projection design, animation and engineering teams was key,” he continues. “Content was created to extend the physical set rather than sit behind it, meaning the video had to integrate precisely with scenery, lighting and performer timing.” Rather than functioning as giant television screens, the LED wall and projection instead became extensions of walls, doors, windows and impossible supernatural spaces, so achieving that required careful technical discipline. “A lot of the work focused on making sure that ambition was possible within the constraints of live playback systems, cueing accuracy and automation timing. The result is an integrated system where projection, LED content and physical scenery all operate as a single visual environment rather than separate layers.” RIGHT ON CUE Making hundreds of cues happen within a split-second requires more than captivating content, it also needs a sophisticated control system capable of orchestrating every visual element.

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In the case of Beetlejuice , that responsibility falls to four Disguise gx 2c media servers, which were also supplied by Universal Pixels. “Disguise plays a central role in managing the overall video workflow,” explains Forde, “particularly in terms of cue sequencing, real-time playback and synchronisation with automation and lighting systems. It allows the creative content to be mapped accurately onto the LED surface and projection elements while maintaining tight timing across complex show cues.” Considering the number of moving parts (and screens!) in Beetlejuice , that coordination became essential for this show in particular. “In a production like Beetlejuice , where video is heavily integrated into transitions and illusions, Disguise effectively acts as the backbone of the video system, making sure all content is delivered consistently and in sync with the wider show control environment.” Though it plays a landmark role, Beetlejuice ’s technical cast isn’t just a one-man LED show. Three Panasonic PT- RQ35K projectors work alongside the LED wall, creating a hybrid visual environment that constantly shifts between projection, LED imagery and physical scenery. Forde stresses that combining three different display tools is never plain sailing. “One of the key challenges was creating visual consistency between the different display technologies, which behave differently in terms of brightness, colour response and contrast. “With the three Panasonic PT-RQ35K projectors working alongside a large LED surface, careful calibration was required to maintain a unified visual look across the stage picture.” Ultimately, the goal was to avoid any sense of separation between systems,

and XD processors were brought in to keep every image looking exactly as intended. Forde divulges why this was the tool of choice. “Brompton’s role was particularly important in maintaining stable colour reproduction, smooth gradients and reliable performances across varying brightness levels throughout the show. “Given the dynamic nature of what we’re putting on stage – which could range from bright, saturated visuals to darker atmospheric scenes with smoke – consistent processing helped maintain image integrity in all conditions.” He also demonstrates how this boosted the overall reliability of the production’s technical elements. “This supported the operational reliability required for a fast-paced production, where the video system needs to perform identically every night without adjustment.” A LESSON IN LED Forde concludes by presenting the project as evidence of how rapidly large format LED is evolving within live performance. “One of the most notable aspects of the installation was how effectively the lightweight LED solution supported both the creative and practical demands of the show. The ability to move a large 10x6m screen smoothly and efficiently within tight changeover windows was

AV UNPLUGGED 4x Disguise gx 2c

Leyard CLO-M4L 3.9mm LED Brompton Tessera SX40, XD 3x Panasonic PT-RQ35K Supplied by Universal Pixels

so that the audience can experience a single, cohesive visual world. As Forde says: “Achieving that required close coordination between video playback, projection mapping and lighting design.” PIXEL PERFECT Burton’s iconic films have always stood out for his stark, yet creative use of colour. You’ll often see extremely bright shades suddenly contrasted with black & white or monochromatic visuals. Accurately translating this recognisable hallmark from stage to screen was essential, to maintain Burton’s stamp on the story. For Beetlejuice , Brompton Tessera SX40

an incredible achievement.” Perhaps most significantly,

Beetlejuice brings to the table an increasingly important milestone for designers across the industry. “In terms of lessons learned,” says Forde, “the production reinforced the value of integrating video systems early on in the creative process, especially when LED is being used as part of the scenic architecture rather than just a backdrop. Not only this, but it also highlighted how important aspects like weight, speed and system reliability are when LED becomes part of the physical movement of a show.”

A live performance of Beetlejuice is a visual feast, with a stunning hybrid environment that shifts between LED imagery, projection and a physical set

28 SPONSORED CONTENT Journeyman We go inside Eric Clapton’s 2026 world tour, which recently wrapped its European leg. While Clapton owned the stage, Modulo Pi’s Modulo Kinetic media server was the tech star K nown all over the world as one of rock music’s most prolific lead guitarists, Eric Clapton returned to European stages earlier this content. They placed Modulo Pi’s Modulo Kinetic media server at its centre.

BLUES POWER Kicking off the European leg of his 2026 world tour, Clapton hit Guildford, England for two nights before jetting over to Amsterdam, the tour’s official starting point. From there, he stopped over in ten major cities, with the itinerary including his first-ever solo performance in Krakow, Poland – as well as highly

year, playing some cities for the first time in two decades – and some for the first time ever. Blending his signature rock-and- blues music style with contemporary visual storytelling, the British musician teamed up with the Canadian company Monochrome Project to design the tour’s

“Clapton’s intention, as a bluesman, was to showcase all the musicians simultaneously, and Modulo Kinetic can display different camera angles”