June 20, 2022 - As outdoor festival and concert season begins, we see firsthand that a captivating visual experience is just as important as the music being played. In honor of the season, here is a look back on some unique digital displays that have been used to immerse the audience in a visual experience of music.
Glass Animals “Dreamland Tour” at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 2021
Image courtesy of Drew Perez
Glass Animals engaged audience members with their enormous video wall designed by Scenic Solutions. Serving as a replica of a classic 2000s computer monitor, the brightly lit screen mimicked the Windows UI design of the time and teased fans with popup windows counting down to the beginning of the performance. The digital backdrop provided vibrant clips and abstract visuals in sync with the music.
Coachella Main Stage 2019
Image courtesy of prg.com
This striking mainstage display consisted of a 590 LED tile video wall, bright enough to be seen from across festival grounds. Designed and installed by PRG, the conditions of the environment played a large role in the setup. The large display included build-in wind bracing to face the 30mph desert winds and carbon-fiber fabrication to allow for a safer, lighter structure. PRG had a truck behind the stage where D3 media servers were stored safely for preprogramming the screens for shows to ensure a seamless, enchanting visual experience for audience members.
Electric Forest Tripolee Stage 2018
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Image courtesy of matrixvisual.com
This vibrant stage display was a joint effort between the design efforts of Vita Motus and LED screens provided and installed by Matrix Visuals. This visual display included 240 7mm LED panels and 50 4.8mm panels to complete the gigantic main LED wall and columns suspended above the stage. This display was clear and visible in both harsh sunlight and after the sun had set. In addition to this, the team included an LED setup for the DJ booth that coincided with the visuals of the rest of the stage, completing the digital backdrop.
Ultra Music Festival Stage Miami 2017
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Image courtesy of livedesignonline.com
This immersive stage was designed by Steven Lieberman of SJ Lighting, who spent a week and a half visualizing this multi-tiered installation. The design allowed for screens to be suspended above the heads of the audience, creating a unique, tunnel-like visual experience for the Carl Cox Megastructure. The design included motion-controlled LED screens lined with lighting to be another visual supplement to the music.