Stay up to date with the latest happenings in the live events and technical production industry. From product launches and training sessions to behind-the-scenes stories and project highlights, our news section is where you’ll find it all.
Get the scoop on what’s new at DWR, follow our journey with industry partners, and discover the people and moments that make our community so unique. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, information, or innovation — this is the place to be.
Theater Basel Grosse Bühne upgrades with Robert Juliat LED followspots
Theater Basel, Switzerland’s largest three-genre theatre with its own opera, ballet and theatre ensembles, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the new Stadttheater building in 2025, and invested in four new LED followspots from French lighting manufacturer, Robert Juliat, for its Grosse Bühne (Big Stage). Two Arthur LT long throw LED
RDShape
PRECISION SYSTEM DESIGN AND SIMULATION RDShape is an advanced simulation software, purpose-built for acoustic modeling and system optimization of RCF and TT+ Audio speaker and subwoofer systems. Designed to streamline the design, setup, and tuning process, RDShape is a versatile tool for touring professionals, venue designers, and sound engineers. Whether
iBOLTS Make Big Impact for 2025 ATP Finals
Tennis fans and the citizens of Turin, Italy, were treated to a twice-nightly visual extravaganza created for the 8-day 2025 ATP Finals, the high-profile season-ending event of the ATP Tour hosted at the Inalpi Arena. A fan village area was built in the square adjacent to the arena, created by
Robe at ISE 2026 – A Preview
Robe lighting will go LARGE at the 2026 Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) expo in Barcelona next week, launching three innovative new products – T10 PC and T10 Fresnel – and a retina-blowing new creative tool that is set to push the boundaries of lighting design into a new dimension! All
Clear-Com Empowers Reykjavik City Theatre with New Upgrades
ALAMEDA, USA – The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com® solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-Com’s Arcadia® Central Station, delivering expanded capacity and flexibility to one of Iceland’s most prestigious performance venues. Since opening in 1989, RCT has been a cultural hub for Iceland’s theatre
RYGID Reinvents House of Worship Lighting Integration at Pearl Baptist Church With Visual Productions’ CueCore3
Pearl Baptist Church in Iron Station, North Carolina, was recently looking to update its lighting and control systems with tools that would refine the atmosphere and support the flow of each service. That transformation began with RYGID, a North Carolina-based audio, video and lighting integration firm. Founded by ACT Entertainment’s President Ryan
L-Acoustics Appoints Olivier Maynard as Executive Director of Strategic Market Development
Expanded division accelerates vertical market growth through creative engagement, business development, and market intelligence MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE – February 2026 – L-Acoustics, the global leader in premium professional audio, has appointed Olivier Maynard as Executive Director of Strategic Market Development and significantly expanded the recently established division’s capabilities to accelerate
L-Acoustics Launches Global Education Partner Program to Bridge Academic and Professional Audio
Initiative brings professional certification and real-world expertise to leading academic institutions worldwide MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE – February 2026 – L-Acoustics, the global leader in premium professional audio, has launched the L-Acoustics Education Partner Program, a comprehensive initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic audio education and professional practice. The program
ADJ Brings Performance Ready Lighting and Control to ISE 2026
ADJ will exhibit at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026, welcoming lighting professionals from across the EMEA region to explore its latest Performance Ready products in person. Exhibiting from stand #6Q300, ADJ will present a focused selection of new lighting and control solutions, alongside audio technology from sister company AVANTE Audio,
Movistar Arena benefits from audio upgrades with Argentina’s largest ever DiGiCo install
In 2025, Movistar Arena, Buenos Airies, carried out a major upgrade of technical equipment inside the venue, incorporating two brand-new DiGiCo Quantum consoles, the Quantum 5 and Quantum 338, supplied by MAHLER Group. To support this investment the sound team also purchased additional DMI cards for greater network
Hippotizer MX Series Drives 52TB of ‘Magical’ Junior Eurovision Video
Tbilisi, Georgia — The annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest arrived at Tbilisi’s Gymnastic Hall in Olympic City, presenting an international stage for young talent with rich, narrative-led visuals powered by Green Hippo’s new Hippotizer MEUSE MX Series Media Servers. Under the event’s motto, “United by Music,” the production set out to
Astera at ISE 2026
Innovative wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera is set to harness the buzz and energy of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 in Barcelona with the teaser of an exciting new product. Something hugely cool and new … will be revealed at ISE, and visitors can discover the latest innovation at the
DWR becomes Official Panasonic Projector & Display (MEVIX) Partner in South Africa
DWR Distribution is thrilled to announce its appointment as distributor for Panasonic MEVIX (Media, Entertainment, Visual Transformation) in South Africa. The DWR technical support team has undergone extensive training and is now an official Panasonic service and maintenance centre. The partnership was confirmed at a recent Panasonic launch event
Robe Fixture Maintenance Training, Johannesburg
You are invited to attend Robe Fixture Maintenance Training presented by Tyler Pugin. This training session will cover best practices for cleaning, maintaining, and troubleshooting Robe lighting fixtures. Join us on 10 February from 9 am to 5pm at DWR Distribution, Johannesburg. Topics covered: Fixture Maintenance and Basic Practices Advanced
AV Unlimited and 4LED First in South Africa to Take Delivery of Absen NT1.9 V2
(Above): Guillaume Ducray from AVU with DWR’s Robert Izzett, Duncan Riley and Dylan Jones. AV Unlimited and 4LED have become the first rental and hiring company in South Africa to take ownership of an Absen NT1.9 V2, purchased from DWR Distribution. Owned by Guillaume and Arnaud Ducray, AV Unlimited
Absen NT2.6 V2 has landed — and more is on the way!
DWR Distribution is pleased to announce that the new-generation Absen NT2.6 V2 Indoor LED panels have arrived in South Africa at DWR Distribution, with additional stock on the way. Delivering higher-resolution NT2.6 V2 visuals, a lightweight design, and robust IMD 2-in-1 technology, NT2.6 V2 is purpose-built to handle the tough demands of
DiGiCo Quantum 326 consoles provide sonic consistency for The Kooks on tour
The Kooks started out in Brighton in 2004. After achieving near-instantaneous acclaim, over the next 20 years they built a reputation for excellence with huge album sales and now, millions of streams every month. Their latest European tour begins in February 2026 and runs straight into the festival season.
ATG Audiovisueel Accelerates with Astera
ATG Audiovisueel is a busy event technical and rental company based in Vuren near Gorinchem in the Netherlands, supplying full production packages, encompassing sound, lighting, video, and staging, to a diverse range of professional performing arts and corporate / business projects in and around the Netherlands and across Europe. In
Touring GTX 10P
TWO-WAY LINE ARRAY MODULE 70° × 15° COVERAGE TT+ Audio’s GTX 10P is a 2-way line array module with 70° × 15° narrow coverage for medium to large-scale, high-demanding touring and install applications, indoors and outdoors. Equipped with three best-in-class transducers, it offers excellent reproduction quality and optimized directivity. Up
ADJ Fixtures Power Festive Fury for August Burns Red’s ‘Christmas Burns Red’ Home Town Celebration
Thirty-six ADJ Jolt Bar FX multifunction linear LED fixtures and eight ADJ 40 HEX Panel IP LED-powered wash panels played an integral role in the lighting rig for the 2025 edition of Christmas Burns Red — the hometown holiday shows hosted by metalcore heavyweights August Burns Red. Designed, programmed
Neil Austin chooses Robert Juliat SpotMe for Paddington the Musical world premiere
© Johan Persson In December, Michael Bond’s much-loved children’s character gently padded into the silvered environs of London’s Savoy Theatre as Paddington the Musical erupted into a glorious, fast-paced confection of a production that enchants audiences of all ages. A co-production between Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL, and Eliza Lumley Productions
Robe brings Colour and Magic to Panto Season
Robe moving and LED lights – including the newly launched T3 Profile, appearing for the first time on a UK theatre show – proved a perfect choice for award-winning lighting designer Andy Webb during the UK’s 2025-26 pantomime season. Photo: Barry Rivett Andy, an expert at illuminating this very
Albany Entertainment Centre Chooses Anolis
Albany Entertainment Centre (AEC) is a contemporary performing arts and events venue famous for its stunningly cool architectural design, located on the waterfront in Albany, about 420 km south‑east of Perth in Western Australia, which has upgraded the auditorium lighting of its main theatre space – Princess Royal Theatre –
Introducing KLANG:1 & KLANG:1pro
Your perfect mix. Always within reach. Packing professional immersive in-ear monitor mixing into an ultra-compact format at unprecedented price points. Truly pocket-sized, the most portable KLANG processors ever created deliver a single immersive mix from 64 input channels, offering the most accessible entry into immersive monitoring for the pro
L-Acoustics System & Workflow Training, JHB
Join Richard Smith for an L-Acoustics System and Workflow Training Course on 3 February 2026 from 9am to 5pm at DWR Distribution in Johannesburg. Upon successful completion and certification, delegates will be eligible to attend future L-Acoustics training sessions. It is essential to have attended the L-Acoustics System &
Robe Hits the Highway with Billy Strings
Bluegrass musician Billy Strings’ 2025 tour, built around his hugely successful 2024 album, Highway Prayers, mixed headlining arena and amphitheater dates with festival slots and international shows. Lighting was designed by Colorado-based Saxton Waller, who chose 37 x Robe iFORTES and 26 x MegaPointes to be at the heart of
Fourier Audio Creates HYPERPORT Audio Protocol for transform Hardware
A breakthrough in low-latency audio connectivity for the transform.engine and new transform.go ANAHEIM, California – January 2026 – NAMM Stand #17901 (DiGiCo) – Fourier Audio announces HYPERPORT, a new low-latency, point-to-point audio protocol designed for seamless integration between its transform.engine or transform.go and DiGiCo’s Quantum and SD-Range consoles. With the
Robert Juliat to exhibit at ISE 2026, Barcelona Hall 6 Stand C300
(Above): Robert Juliat’s Bizet is set to show its true colours at ISE 2026 Robert Juliat is excited to exhibit at ISE in Barcelona (3-6 February 2026), on Stand C300 in Hall 6. The stand is located in a prime position beside the Live Events Stage area, which is hosting
Shattered Glass welcomes a new L-Acoustics sound system
Shattered Glass AV & Staging is based in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg, and is run by Mick and Adriano Landi. They have grown their business through hard work, strong relationships, and a real respect for their craft. Most of their new clients come from word of mouth, thanks to their
TheOne Club Warsaw Defines New Dimension of Nightlife with L-Acoustics
Sound Experience and Audio Plus create seamless acoustic experience for Warsaw’s luxurious new multifunctional venue WARSAW, Poland – TheOne Club opened its doors in October 2025 in the heart of Warsaw’s premier clubbing district on Mazowiecka Street, unifying high-end hospitality with a club-caliber audio environment. Under one roof, this ambitious
BirdDog + mimoLive Promo Now Available!
BirdDog and mimoLive have partnered to deliver a new promotion designed to add immediate value to BirdDog camera bundles. For a limited time, customers who purchase selected BirdDog bundles will receive 6 months of mimoLive Studio for Mac at no additional cost. Qualifying BirdDog Bundles: MAKI Live 3-Camera Bundle. X1
Claypaky Open Night!
DWR Distribution invites you to meet Claypaky’s Alessandro Melegaro and Michele Brocchieri for the Claypaky Open Night on 20 January from 3pm to 9pm at our offices in Johannesburg. Get hands-on with the latest Claypaky fixtures: Ultimo Hybrid, Ultimo Sharpy, Mini Xtylos HPE, Volero Cube, and Arolla Aqua LT. Expect unbelievable technology and a time
Fantastic Response to the L-Acoustics House of Worship Tour in South Africa
After visiting worship spaces around the world, it was a great pleasure for DWR Distribution to host the L-Acoustics House of Worship Tour in South Africa, with events held in Johannesburg and Cape Town in November 2025. The tour received an outstanding response from the local church and audio community,
From basement to beacon
Once home to laser tag and line dancing, a forgotten basement in Secunda has been reborn as a fully-fledged performance venue. Thank you Simon Luckhurst from Pro AVL for the write up! Few people would look at a long-disused basement in the coalfields of South Africa’s Mpumalanga and immediately envisage
DirectOut appoints DWR Distribution as South African Partner
(Above): DWR’s Duncan Riley, Kyle Robson and Kyle Freemantle. “We received a phone call from Ian Staddon at DiGiCo, introducing us to Lorenzo Sassi and the team at DirectOut,” he says. “A lot of DiGiCo distributors across the globe also represent DirectOut, as it’s the audio backbone to signal flow, so I’m very excited about our new appointment! The company manufactures incredibly powerful solutions for
Inside ROXX’s Journey: Catching Up in South Africa
You only truly understand the sweat, grit, and tears that go into starting a new company if you’ve done it yourself. When German lighting pioneer Thorsten Sattler, Managing Director at ROXX Light, visited South Africa earlier this year for client demonstrations and an Open Day—his second visit following the first
Robe Launches New Products at LDI
Robe lighting added to the energy and excitement of the 2025 LDI expo in Las Vegas last week by launching five exciting new products in its versatile T-Series, the T10 Profile – available with rapid-change objective system for PC and Fresnel options, together with the T3 PC and T3 Fresnel
TT+ Audio showcases next-generation solutions at ISE 2026
Reggio Emilia, Italy – TT+ Audio returns to ISE 2026 with a focused showcase of high-performance solutions for installation and live sound, featuring next-generation cardioid systems and advanced control technologies designed to simplify integration while raising audio quality standards. “At ISE 2026, we are introducing TT+ Audio solutions that give
DiGiCo Quantum 338s Escape to Europe with OneRepublic
Formed in 2002, OneRepublic have enjoyed huge international success, with over 18 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their current tour, Escape to Europe, continues until the end of the year before escaping into the rest of the world in 2026. Accompanying the band are Justin Ripley at the front of
grandMA3 User Training, Johannesburg
You are invited to attend a three-day grandMA3 User Training Workshop, presented by Jaques Pretorius, from 20 to 22 January 2026, from 9am to 5pm at DWR Distribution’s Johannesburg office. This three-day programme is designed to familiarise participants with the essential functions of the grandMA3 software and lighting consoles,
Rugby fever at Silverstar with new Absen Outdoor LED Screen
If there’s one thing South Africans love, it’s putting on a green shirt and cheering for the Springboks. Silverstar Casino & Entertainment Complex, part of the Tsogo Group, in Krugersdorp, knows this well—and they’ve just made watching the big games even better. “The Square,” Silverstar’s outdoor hub surrounded by
Robe Blinds Friedrichstadt-Palast with Delight
One of Berlin’s most iconic venues, the Friedrichstadt-Palast, AKA Palast Berlin, a revue theatre in the city’s Mitte district, has made a substantial investment in Robe moving lights to help facilitate its newly launched Grand Show production, BLINDED by DELIGHT, created by Oliver Hoppmann, complete with a vibrant new lighting
DWR Closes for the Festive Season
Thank you to our clients and suppliers for a wonderful 2025. We hope that it’s a well-deserved break for everyone, and we trust that you will travel safely and have a chance to rest and enjoy this time. Please see the notification for our office closure, and we look forward
AIG 100 Event Dazzles with Robe
A special Afrikaans is 100 Jaar Groot (Afrikaans celebrates 100 Years) centenary concert was staged at the DHL Stadium in Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa, a magical location with breathtaking views of Table Mountain in the background. Produced by Coleske Artists and featuring over 30 special collaborations by leading
Clear-Com Showcases Critical Communications Solutions in South Africa
“Quite often, the person building a facility doesn’t think about communications,” says John Sparrow of Clear-Com. “But if you put the comms in first, you can use them throughout the build. It’s absolutely crucial—when you’re running a show, you simply can’t do it without comms. You can have graphics,
Showcom Clear-Com at Red Bull Shay’iMoto
When tyres screeched, and engines roared through Durban on 10 August, Red Bull Shay’iMoto lit up the streets — a motorsport spinning showdown born from South Africa’s township culture and fueled by pure adrenaline. (Above): Nick Chapman Behind the scenes, Nickolas Chapman from Showcom had just the right gear
Mastering the Art of Robe
Mastering d.o.o. is a busy Croatian rental and show production company based in Đurdevac in eastern Croatia, founded in 2018 by Đuro (Djuro) Kucelj, who was – and still is – also running a successful construction business and has been an active musician for the last 40 years, playing
YASTREB-Sound provides DiGiCo Quantum consoles for Uzbekistan’s first visit from A-list star, Jennifer Lopez
In August, the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan hosted Jennifer Lopez’s Up All Night: Live in 2025tour. The show was watched by over 31,000 attendees and marked the country’s first performance of an American A-list artist. With a DiGiCo Quantum 326 at front of house and Quantum 338 at the
Arts House Group’s Drama Centre Theatre upgrades to LED with Robert Juliat
(Above): Robert Juliat Dalis 860 cyclorama lights and Oz followspots installed at Singapore’s AHG Drama Centre Theatre as part of its LED upgrade. Photo credit © SRT The Little Company Singapore’s Drama Centre Theatre has invested in new Robert Juliat LED cyclorama lights and followspots as part of an ongoing
Lyric Theatre Belfast Becomes First on Island of Ireland to Deploy L-ISA Immersive Audio for World Premiere of Denouement
(Above): L-Acoustics partners with Forfey to install the first theatrical L-ISA deployment on the island of Ireland L-Acoustics partners with Forfey to realise first theatrical L-ISA deployment on the island of Ireland Belfast, Northern Ireland – November 2025 – The Lyric Theatre Belfast has become the first theatre on
Robert Juliat success at PLASA London with Live Technology
Robert Juliat enjoyed a successful and very busy time at PLASA, London, where it exhibited on the stand of its exclusive UK distributor, Live Technology. The RJ Bizet range of LED profiles and Fresnels were on show in pride of place, alongside the Tristan LED followspot and SpotMe followspot tracking