With large events and festivals being cancelled across the globe right now due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, a lot of music lovers and festival-goers have been left bitterly disappointed and restless. However, we rarely think about the many people who actually build the festivals and how much time, effort, and resources actually go into crafting the final product that often inspires complete awe and stimulates the senses.
Image source: Electronic Daisy Carnival
So many of us imagine festival sites simply standing dormant and fully constructed throughout the year just waiting for the next batch of attendees when in actual fact, festivals usually happen in open country spaces where the building and deconstruction of multiple stages and a temporary city is an almost incomprehensible feat of engineering. In fact, the engineers behind most annual music festivals commence their planning for the next year as soon as the current festival is over. What’s more, they actually begin putting logistics and engineering preparations in place as early as 5 months before the festival gates open and some stages alone take one month to build.
Each act usually has its own technical-rider which is a list of technical and engineering requirements for their show such as lights, pyrotechnics, lasers, and stage layout all of which have to be designed and constructed and planned for well in advance. The engineers are the true architects of a music festival right down to the sound quality of the music, how amazing the stage looks, and even how easy it is to find the bar.
“The visual element of what’s going on creates a very tangible, emotional connection to the music. When things happen when they’re supposed to happen—the video, the light, those big drops, and moments in the music—it means everything to the audiences. That’s what gives you chills down your spine. That’s what makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.”
-Steve Lieberman, Set Engineer for Ultra Music Festival
Below is a fascinating video explaining the construction and engineering that goes into the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) festival which takes place in Las Vegas and Orlando, USA. EDC has been hailed as having the “most advanced production” of any festival in the world.
At Prime Engineering, we love to see the ways in which the arts, festivals, and major productions are constantly evolving and improving on such a huge scale, all thanks to engineering. We are always inspired by the work of the fellow engineers we are surrounded by on a daily basis. To learn more about our engineering services or if you have any questions about how we might be able to help you or your business, get in touch with us today!
