Open-air events: what matters in wind and weather

Town fair, festival, outdoor company party – open-air events have an atmosphere that no hall can match. The flip side is that there are no controlled conditions outdoors. Anyone who works in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) knows how it goes: sun at twelve, showers at three, gusts in the evening. To make sure an event isn’t a washout, you need well-thought-out planning, robust technology and people who have already been through a few different kinds of weather.

What to expect outdoors

Wind, moisture and temperature fluctuations take their toll not only on the audience but also on lighting, sound and stage. Professional event technology has to be weatherproof, safe and flexible here.

• Moisture and rain: Water is the enemy of all electronics. Protected connectors, weatherproof loudspeaker cabinets and covered technical positions are a must – not an optional extra.
• Wind and stability: Strong gusts can endanger stage structures. That’s why trusses, lights and loudspeakers have to be properly secured and ballasted – including a wind load calculation.
• Heat and sun: Direct sunlight overheats LED walls, mixing desks and cables faster than you’d think. Shade, cooling and regular checks keep operations stable.

Safety first – concept and permits

Every open-air event needs a professional safety concept: wind load calculations, evacuation plans, proof of the stage’s structural stability. That’s paperwork that protects lives in an emergency – and without which no serious production gets under way. If you cut costs here, you’re cutting them in the wrong place.

Weatherproof technology and a safe power supply

Outdoors, the rule is: IP-rated equipment, rain covers for loudspeakers, secure cable runs and emergency covers close at hand. When it comes to power, things get serious – rain and electrics don’t mix. Use only tested outdoor connectors and residual current devices (RCDs), and for longer events plan in an emergency power supply or battery-powered technology. The latter has more than proven itself for us outdoors – more on this in the article on battery-powered lighting and sound technology.

When the weather turns: communication and flexibility

A radio network or in-ear communication is worth its weight in gold when the weather suddenly changes – that’s when minutes count, not quarter-hours. The design should also remain adaptable: lighting concepts for dusk, variable volume zones, technology that can be moved and repositioned. We’ve seen often enough that a show only kept running because the team was able to rebuild the setup in ten minutes. Good preparation for this comes from our event technology checklist with ten points that can save any event.

With experience, whatever the weather

Open-air event technology is everyday business for us – from the wind load calculation to the soundcheck in drizzle. At photon, we plan and deliver events that work in wind and weather too: with robust systems, experienced technicians and forward-looking planning. Talk to us if your next event is to take place in the open air – good technology stands up to any weather, and good planning ensures safety.

Related: Power distribution hire – equipment and daily rates at a glance.