AV in the 2025 festival season

Constantly evolving, this year Coachella’s open-air Do Lab stage employed Meyer Sound equipment

We’re back with our annual music festival round-up – showcasing the cutting-edge AV present at some of this summer’s biggest and brightest music events

Words David Davies and Verity Butler

At the start of 2025, the signs for this year’s festival schedule weren’t looking entirely auspicious. Amidst a cost-of-living crisis that put a serious question mark over the viability of some of the smaller events, operators were also faced with rising costs across the board. The need to book headline acts further and further in advance – as highlighted in a piece for The Guardian from January – was also creating fresh existential angst for promoters and organisers.

But, as often tends to be the case, once festival season arrived the overall feeling was rather different. True, not all events were sold, while low sales – or, in a few cases, extreme weather – led to some cancellations.

Regardless, the overwhelming sense was that music-lovers were treated to a slew of events that have underlined the unrivalled power and immersion of the festival experience; in the UK alone, this included a classic Glastonbury (political controversies aside) featuring Olivia Rodrigo and Charli XCX, while during one weekend alone BST Hyde Park hosted two sold-out Sabrina Carpenter shows and Villa Park in Birmingham held a spectacular one-dayer – Back to the Beginning – that saw Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath bow out in style – supported by an incredible array of acts they’d influenced. (And we haven’t even mentioned the opening night of that historic Oasis reunion yet…)

The need for a temporary escape from the dreadful news cycle could be one reason why the festival season felt especially meaningful to people this year. But it’s also important to note that the festival experience continues to evolve, not least in its use of cutting-edge and often immersive AV. From deploying the latest full-frame cinema cameras to next-gen lighting and LED panels, there’s been much to catch the eye of the tech-savvy festival-goer.

Glastonbury

It’s only fitting that we kick off this year’s round up with a trip to Worthy Farm, the site of arguably one of the world’s most famous music festivals, Glastonbury.

The whopping 900-acre site is proliferated with stages, some of which stand dazzlingly tall, while others remain thrillingly hidden, each year bringing with them a host of innovative AV.

Following its successful and viral debut last year, the Dragonfly landed back in the Arcadia field for another round of pulsating dance sets. Towering above the crowds, the 13m-wide sculpture is built around a repurposed military helicopter, transformed into a living, breathing audio-visual creature brought to life with projection, LED and lighting in perfect harmony.

This year marked the first full deployment of Hive on the Dragonfly. The project – a collaboration between Arcadia, Cucumber Productions, Video Illusions and content creators Astral Projekt – pushed the boundaries of projection mapping and LED playback.

The Dragonfly, built from a decommissioned Sea King helicopter, provided a wildly unique projection surface. With its irregular curves, jutting features and compact frame, traditional video mapping techniques were challenged from the get-go. Add to that glowing LED eyes and a dynamically lit face, and the need to have precise synchronisation between the projection, lighting and real-time visuals became decidedly non-negotiable.

Replacing a bulkier, rack-mounted system, Hive introduced a lightweight, energy-efficient and cost-effective solution: six Beeblade Nexus units housed in three rugged Nucleus enclosures. These were installed across projection towers on either side of the Dragonfly, as well as inside its head.

Commenting on the system upgrade, Hive’s CTO Dave Green explained that, “With Hive, we were able to replace an energy-hungry server stack with more compact players that delivered the same – if not more – capability, using far less power and at around a fifth of the cost.”

This lean approach aligned perfectly with Arcadia’s strong commitment to sustainability. The Dragonfly runs entirely on renewable energy, provided by Grid Faeries – which makes Hive’s low-power platform an ideal match for a large-scale, eco-conscious festival installation.

Each Nexus board handled dual 4K NDI inputs with alpha channels, allowing for complex layering and transparent visual effects. This was a crucial element for blending real-time feeds – crafted in Unity and Touch Designer by Astral Projekt – with a ten-minute, time-coded, pre-rendered show sequence: the Arcadia Dragonfly Show.

Glastonbury’s Dragonfly installation, using Hive. Image: Matt Eachus

Glastonbury’s Dragonfly installation, using Hive. Image: Chris Cooper

The team used a mix of advanced techniques to bring the design to life. This included the Obj Map tool, precisely mapping content onto the hexagonal LED eyes using UV-mapped geometry files created in Blender, which helped achieve spherical accuracy.

The Warp Grid tool enabled real-time warping and projection mapping across the helicopter’s fuselage and tail, while Pixel Map Page, a new feature, was used to control Art-Net LED fixtures and light up the Dragonfly’s face.

Timecode Support also provided rock-solid playback of the Dragonfly’s full ten-minute programmed sequence, keeping the LED and projection visuals perfectly in sync.

The Obj Map tool seamlessly mapped content across more than 200 individual LED panels in total, that made up the Dragonfly’s curved eyes. It’s a level of precision that’s typically reserved for big-budget media systems, but Hive’s intuitive, user-friendly platform brought that power within reach.

From the outset, Hive collaborated closely both with Arcadia’s technical production team and long-time partners Cucumber Productions and Video Illusions. The whole system ran pre-programmed content and live visuals smoothly all weekend – all while drawing minimal power from 100% renewable sources.

Reflecting on the project, Cyrus Bozorgmehr, Arcadia’s head of creative communications, shared, “It was great to have a rock-solid media server set-up at FOH, running dual 4K NDI feeds with alpha channels and delivering content smoothly and consistently every night. The lightweight equipment meant it could be installed quickly with a minimal footprint, avoiding the usual load-out and truck logistics you’d expect with traditional server stacks.

“The Hive system ran content seamlessly to our eight double-stacked projectors, keeping everything precisely mapped and aligned within a busy 360° environment. It also powered our custom transparent LED video screen, which was made of over 200 tessellating hexagon panels and formed the head of the Dragonfly, encapsulating the DJ booth. Dave Green and sales director Nigel Sadler from Hive were both great to work with, and it was a pleasure to have them on board.”

OFFLIMITS

Described as the UAE’s first open-format music festival – in other words, featuring multiple genres of music – Offlimits took place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in April, at Etihad Park.

Technical production across the four purpose-built stages – which featured performances from international artists, including Ed Sheeran, One Republic and Kaiser Chiefs – was managed by regional event technology company SLS Production, which was responsible for delivering audio, video and lighting.

One of the most striking features was found on the Meteor stage, where a 910 sq m LED wall was constructed using Infiled GX4.6 outdoor panels.

SLS specified the Infiled panels because of their high brightness, fine pixel pitch (4.63mm) and robust performance capabilities in outdoor conditions. The panels were configured into a custom, curved layout using specially engineered mounting panels, yielding a bold panoramic display that wrapped around the stage.

Shafeeq Bin Shereef, SLS’s senior video engineer for the event, commented: “The tilted LED design required an elevated installation process using boom lifts, which was both time-consuming and logistically complex. Additionally, the signal and patching of the extensive LED system took longer than expected.”

Despite this, long hours from the SLS team ensured that the installation was still completed on time.

Abu Dhabi’s Offlimits festival is genre-defying

They also had crucial remote support from Infiled during set-up, including help to quickly resolve a technical issue with configuration files. “The collaboration with the Infiled team was excellent,” said Bin Shereef. “They responded swiftly, provided remote and technical assistance and helped us to resolve the issue without having affected the show timeline. Their panels performed reliably and their technical backing added great value to the success of the Meteor stage.”

Explaining the suitability of the Infiled panels for this kind of live event, Samer Otaibi, VP of sales Middle East at Infiled, told LIVE: “First and foremost, their high brightness and contrast ratios ensure excellent visibility even in challenging lighting conditions. The panels also feature robust construction and weather-resistant capabilities, making them ideal for outdoor use.

From a creative standpoint, the seamless modular design allows for flexible configurations – curved, straight or custom shapes – providing design freedom for event organisers. Their lightweight frames and quick-lock systems also support quick set-up and teardown, which is crucial in the fast-paced environment of live events. Combined with Infiled’s renowned colour accuracy and refresh rate performance, these panels ensure a flawless visual experience both on-site and in camera.”

There was also enthusiasm from the SLS team for the versatility of the GX4.6 panels, which supported seamless real-time playback and fast switching between media sources. “We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the organisers and the audience. The Meteor stage LED set-up was particularly praised for its visual impact, clarity and immersive design, solidifying its role as one of the most visually impressive elements of the whole festival. Despite engineering challenges, it stood out as a visual centrepiece of the festival, setting a new benchmark for stage design in the region,” said Bin Shereef.

Meanwhile, increasing demand for ‘immersive and visually engaging live experiences’ is making musical festivals and concerts a ‘rapidly expanding segment’ for Infiled. “We’ve been seeing significant growth in this sector globally, and as such, we’re actively investing in R&D to develop products specifically tailored for live entertainment. This includes innovations in lightweight touring systems, enhanced durability for outdoor environments and higher refresh rates for broadcast-quality video.

“Additionally, we’re deepening our collaborations with production partners and rental companies, providing training, local support and turnkey solutions to ensure all of our Infiled panels integrate seamlessly into touring and festival workflows. This sector will continue to be a strategic priority moving forward.”

Montreux Jazz Festival Miami

With sets from legendary acts, including Chaka Khan, Jon Batiste and Janelle Monáe, the three-day Montreux Jazz Festival Miami – the second annual extension of the iconic Swiss music festival – was hugely well received when it took place at the end of February this year. ACT Productions returned as the local production company, with technical support from Illuminate Production Services (IPS) and impressive lighting design structured around equipment from Elation Lighting.

Michael Betancourt, general manager for IPS East, created a flexible and dynamic lighting rig that included well over 100 fixtures from Elation. Proteus Rayzor 760 moving heads positioned on the downstage delivered a rich stage wash, while also specified were Proteus Lucius profile moving heads, for key lighting, and full-colour SŌl I Blinder effects for audience illumination. Along with Pulse Panel FX dynamic strobe lights mounted on the mid-stage and upstage trusses, these provided dynamic stage washes and visual effects.

On stage, Rayzor 760s were also used for side lighting, while other choices included Rayzor Blade L linear lights on the downstage edge, KL Panel softlights on C stands and Proteus Hybrid Max moving heads on truss totems. Around the venue, Six+ Par L fixtures served as uplights to enhance the atmosphere. Also featured were VS2 2.9mm LED panels from sister company ADJ.

Following on from its role at last year’s inaugural event, IPS provided lighting, LED video and broadcast cameras for IMAG and recording. The IPS team also oversaw the multiple-day set-up, starting with rigging, secure goal posts over doorways (Global Truss) and hanging fixtures in advance of Coper Productions bringing in the stage.

Big names at Montreux Jazz Festival Miami were supported by teams from ACT Productions and IPS

Speaking to LIVE, Betancourt explained the prominent role Elation Lighting has come to play in the production of Montreux Jazz Festival Miami. “The festival director, Sig Greenebaum, and one of the festival owners had reached out to ACT Productions in Miami for production management support. ACT partnered with IPS, which is a full Elation Lighting house. IPS became the preferred vendor for lights and video production using Elation’s lighting.”

He added, “This year we incorporated the Elation SŌl I Blinders and Pulse Panel FX as they were able to truly add an audience coverage of bright light for artists like Jon Batiste, who often likes to walk among the crowd.” More generally – of the festival’s lighting needs – it “calls for bright, vibrant and seductive colours. Elation’s lighting equipment allows us to reach that broad spectrum range quickly and easily through additive RGB-based and subtractive CMY colour mixing systems without flaws.”

LIVE was also keen to find out whether the current economic uncertainty surrounding the live industry was impacting the access that designers have to new and innovative equipment. Betancourt’s response struck an upbeat note: “By putting newer gear in front of lighting designers who may or may not have seen or used these fixtures before, it helps broaden their scope as a designer, but also provides us with feedback opportunities while helping to create a broader market demand for these fixtures.

I believe there’s still a willingness to invest in new gear despite the economic challenges. Our industry encompasses a wide variety of segments and, with creative vision demands expanding, we, as production companies, must stay engaged and involved by continuing to provide the right equipment for the job.”

Coachella

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been bringing the party to the California desert for over 20 years. For two weekends in April, the biggest music acts and upcoming artists perform not only to more than 250,000 fans on-site, but also to millions more watching the festival’s YouTube streams around the world.

Creating a high-end cinematic look and feel for the big screens and the livestream audiences was a key goal of festival organisers Goldenvoice. Their vision was to reflect the unique energy of Coachella and set it apart from coverage of other live events.

When Vis-A-Vis Video delivered Billie Eilish’s 2022 headline set, Hank Neuberger, founder and president of Springboard Productions and Coachella’s executive producer for video, knew that company director Stu Merser and the rest of the team’s insight and experience would be invaluable to achieving the visual excellence the festival wanted. In the years since, Stu has taken the role of Coachella’s Main Stage and Outdoor Theatre Stage video supervisor, seeking to integrate the artists’ creative and set design ambitions with the festival’s high-end live production workflow, as well as all the collaborators.

“This requires lots of detailed conversations between the artist, festival production and cine cam creatives, particularly as we see production values becoming increasingly more advanced, with elaborate sets and video technology in place,” explained Neuberger. “No matter how complex, no one is better than Stu at translating the needs and wishes from all parties and configuring these into stunning performance footage. His insight is invaluable.”

Alongside video supervision, Vis-A-Vis Video is responsible for delivering live video capture across Coachella’s two main stages. This includes designing and executing multicamera set-ups that are able to blend cinematic style with the precision of live broadcast.

Fujifilm’s range of cinematic lenses are a fundamental element of Vis-A-Vis’s creative vision.

Lightweight Fujinon Duvo HZK 24-300mm lenses are deployed on railcams, with PTZ units and remote-controlled autopods alongside telephoto 25-1000mm at traditional FOH positions across the festival’s main stages, to create rich, immersive visuals tailored to the artists’ creative direction. 

“We’re able to achieve the filmic look we need, and the telephoto focal length means we can capture wide, sweeping shots to showcase intricate stage design or punch tightly framed into the details, to bring the fans face-to-face with the performer,” explains Merser.

Coachella: Do Lab

The Do Lab stage also made a bold return to Coachella 2025, once again blending music, art and jaw-dropping visuals – this time with a powerful sonic upgrade. At the heart of it all was Meyer Sound’s Panther large format linear line array and the 2100-LFC low-frequency control element, delivering pristine audio across the expanded dance floor.

This year also marked the Coachella debut of Meyer Sound’s Ultra-X80 point-source loudspeaker. Built for versatility and open-air performances, it proved a perfect match for Do Lab’s dynamic environment.

Now located between the Sahara and Quasar stages, the iconic Macrodose canopy returned with more space and bigger crowds than ever. The line-up? A genre-bending mix that included Tycho, Max Styler, Conducta, plus a DJ set by Trixie Mattel.

“Every year, we push to make the Do Lab experience even more immersive, and Meyer Sound helps us realise that vision,” said Jesse Flemming, co-founder of Do Lab. “With the new system refinements, the sound was on point for every set, from front to back – and the crowd could feel it.”

To match the expanded footprint, LA-based integrator Launch scaled up the sound system with ten Panther-L loudspeakers per side, four Panther-W front fills and 18 2100-LFC subwoofers in an end-fire array to keep bass deep without bleeding into other stages. Ultra-X40 and Ultra-X80 speakers were placed around the perimeter, while the DJ booth was reinforced with two more Ultra-X80s, as well as four 900-LFC subwoofers to support.

Do Lab was hailed as the stage with the best sound at Coachella this year

“The new location gave us more flexibility to do what we really wanted: extend low-end coverage and maximise clarity across a broader area,” explained Josh Dorn-Fehrmann, senior technical support at Meyer Sound. “Panthers and 2100-LFC are a perfect pairing for this kind of music and environment. Used together, they basically sound like one giant loudspeaker. Because the horn is so well behaved, especially off-axis, we’re able to paint the space with sound really precisely, even across a super-wide coverage area like this one. We call it audio quilting: stitching one speaker’s coverage into the next, sewn together for seamless horizontal coverage.”

That precision translated into a more inclusive audience experience. “The system’s even front-to-back relationship meant people didn’t have to squeeze forward so much to feel immersed,” Dorn-Fehrmann added. “We couldn’t fly the subs, but the end-fire configuration let us push low end deep into the crowd.”

For Ian Ingram, Do Lab’s longtime audio crew chief and systems engineer, the results were unmistakable. “The Panther sound is just so present – it doesn’t feel like it’s falling off at FOH,” he said. “The 2100-LFCs are fast, controlled and deep as well. I had people telling me this was the best-sounding stage at Coachella, hands down.”

He also noticed the system gave performers a boost. “I was amazed at how loud some of the DJs were pushing their mixes,” said Ingram. “It just shows how confident they felt with the set-up. They weren’t fighting bleed from other stages – they were fully in the zone.”

There’s still more to come. “That’s a priority we’re continuing to refine,” said Dorn-Fehrmann. “This year was about refinement – making sure every corner of the audience could experience the same great sound levels. Next year, we hope to build on that with spatial tools that add another dimension.”

“At Do Lab, we’re constantly evolving the stage – visually, structurally and sonically,” added Flemming. “Working with Meyer Sound lets us push our creative boundaries while still delivering consistent, high-quality sound every single time.”

This feature was first published in the Jul/Aug 2025 issue of LIVE.