Festivals and tours behind the scenes: how previz, logistics, rigging and live operation work together – from the changeover stage to the entire tour.
To the audience, a show looks effortless. Behind the scenes there are months of planning, tightly scheduled logistics and a team that delivers peak performance at every setup and teardown. Festival and tour productions are the pinnacle of event technology – and this is exactly where we are at home. Whether it’s mobile festival technology for running changeover stages or a complete tour production – we plan both from the ground up.
Both formats thrive on the same promise – the show has to be spot on, every night, at every location. But the logic behind them differs fundamentally:
In short: festivals mean speed and flexibility, touring means repeatability and precision.
A good production takes shape at the computer, long before the first setup day. This includes a detailed technical and rigging plan, a visualisation of the light show (previz), power and load calculations, and logistics that bring equipment, crew and time slots together cleanly. The more precisely this plan is in place, the more relaxed the setup on site will be.
At a festival, every minute counts. Between two acts there are often only 20 to 30 minutes for the complete changeover. That only works with prepared sub-hang systems, clear roles within the team and technology designed for quick changes. We also show how a tightly scheduled setup and teardown works in our article Backstage insights.
On tour, the biggest challenge is consistency. The lighting scenes, the sound tuning and the stage setup have to be adaptable to every venue without the show losing its character. Standardised cases, a well-practised team and clean documentation ensure that the setup in Hamburg is just as spot on as in Munich.
Flown trusses, tonnes of load above the heads of the audience and crew, structural conditions that change from hall to hall – on festival and tour stages, safety is not a sideshow but a prerequisite. This is where our stage and rigging expertise comes into play, including proper load planning and implementation that meets safety requirements. You can read more about working on stage in Giving art a stage.
Some acts arrive with a finished lighting design and technical rider, others leave the design entirely to us. We deliver both: we realise supplied designs true to the original or, on request, develop our own lighting concept including previz and programming – and with professional setup and teardown, we make sure the plan turns into a show.
From a single festival stage to a complete tour production, we support bands and organisers the whole way: concept, logistics, setup, live operation and teardown. If effects are part of the show, we plan stage pyrotechnics in from the very beginning. Our references give you an impression of our work.
“A tour is won when the last show looks just as good as the first.”
Are you planning a festival or a tour? Talk to us – we’ll get your production safely onto the road and onto the stage.
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