Rockpalast Crossroads 2025

01. The Challenge

Since 2003, WDR Rockpalast has hosted its festival series twice a year at Harmonie Bonn. In 2025, both seasons took place: from March 19th to 22nd under the name “Crossroads” with eight acts and from October 8th to 11th for the first time under the new name “Rockpalast Festival” with seven acts. Both editions were based on the same WDR lighting design – and for both, we handled the same expansion of the in-house and lighting infrastructure.

For both productions, the goal was to expand Harmonie's existing event and in-house lighting infrastructure for a demanding TV production. The particular challenge was to seamlessly and safely integrate additional lighting technology into an existing in-house system without disrupting ongoing event operations, the safety of artists and audience, or technical processes.

A central technical requirement was the integration of the additional lighting technology via Art-Net into the existing in-house lighting system. At the same time, a reliable and standard-compliant power supply had to be established for both the expanded lighting technology and a WDR broadcast van . Since the existing infrastructure was not sufficiently dimensioned for this, it was necessary to bring additional power capacities into Harmonie.

Particular attention was paid to the installation of long Powerlock and 63A CEE cables across public and heavily trafficked areas. These had to be routed in such a way that no tripping hazards were created, and public safety was ensured at all times and all electrical safety regulations were adhered to.

02. Our Solution

We specifically expanded the existing lighting setup with additional LED moving lights with shutters, to meet the requirements of the Rockpalast TV production. The installed fixtures were fully integrated into the existing control system and connected via Art-Net seamlessly integrated into the house lighting system.

In addition to the lighting expansion, we provided the complete additional power supply for the production. This included the power supply and distribution for the WDR broadcast van, as well as the provision of additional circuits for the expanded lighting package. The necessary Powerlock and 63A CEE feeder cables were professionally, safely, and pedestrian-friendly installed and secured accordingly.

Our services included the rental of the additional fixtures, Installation and integration of the extended lighting package, as well as Setup and dismantling, logistics and technical implementation from a single source by photon.

03. The Result

Thanks to structured planning, secure electrical implementation, and precise integration into the existing building and lighting infrastructure, both seasons at Harmonie Bonn were successfully executed with technical reliability and to a high standard. The additional lighting technology seamlessly integrated into the existing setup and met the high demands of a professional TV production.

Both the artists and the audience benefited from a safe, stable, and high-quality technical implementation. The production ran smoothly, safety requirements were fully met, and the result was a broadcast-ready, atmospheric execution that preserved the character of the location while meeting the high technical standards of WDR.