Eurovision Song Contest voted again for grandMA2 posted: 02/06/2016
Over 60 DMX universes were handled with ease
grandMA2 control was once again considered the only choice for lighting and video control at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) staged in the Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden. Four weeks of intense technical, production and artist rehearsals and two televised semi-finals featuring 42 participants preceded the final itself featuring 26 performances, which was broadcast to an estimated TV audience of 180 million worldwide by host broadcaster STV, explained lighting designer Fredrik Jonsson.
Jonsson, a freelance LD with a vast fund of experience in lighting the highest profile live TV shows, worked with a team of four lighting programmers utilising 8 x grandMA2 light consoles. The grandMA2 network was running over 15 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) and 28 x MA 8Port Nodes and was controlling around 1, 600 lighting, LED and effects fixtures, consuming approximately 26,000 control channels over 60 DMX universes.
Mikki Kunttu was running the playback video - he also created the content - using three grandMA2 full-size, triggering a substantial media server farm. There was a massive amount - nearly 900 square metres - of LED elements integrated into the set as well as some projection. Follow spot caller Q-Lan Wallertz also ran another grandMA2 light to control all the attributes apart from pan/tilt for six over-stage follow spots, together with some house lighting elements.
Using an MA control network enabled Jonsson's four programmer/operators - Calle Brattberg, Danne Persson, Fredrik Stormby and Timo Kauristo - to work simultaneously but independently in their own sessions on different aspects of the show. This was the only way to deal with the level of programming detail and fine-tuning needed to perfect the cues for each of the 42 numbers given the scheduling and time pressure through the rehearsal and build up period ahead of the semi-finals and final.
The four lighting operators used Cubase projects running on laptops to generate timecode that was routed into their respective grandMA2 light consoles allowing them to work on the different songs as needed, speeding everything up considerably. During the visualisation part of the process, Timo Kauristo had established a master cue list for each of the different songs which were already timecoded. This cue list was then loaded into all the grandMA2 so all operators were working on the same cue list, but in separate sessions.
This simplified the process of understanding the lighting scripts produced by Jonsson for the songs. The cue sheets for the 42 songs were then divided up amongst the operators who started programming all songs during a previz period lasting four weeks before they were in situ in the Globe Arena with all the production installed.
The songs could be updated and tweaked as required, then switched back into the master show timecode session and the revised work viewed using MA3D. Complex and intense programming was needed to get each of the 42 songs looking dynamic, different and individual. Jonsson and Kunttu enjoyed a great synergy as they harmonised the lighting and visual aesthetics for one of the most successful and highly acclaimed Eurovision productions to date, again under the technical direction of Ola Melzig and his team.
Jonsson worked closely with assistant lighting designer Emma Landare and joining them, the lighting operators and Kunttu at FOH were video programmers Neil Trenell, Fraser Walker and Pekka Martti and follow spot caller Q-Lan Wallertz.
Lighting equipment for the event was supplied via Danish rental company, Lightcom. They delivered amongst others 120 x Clay Paky Mythos, 58 x Clay Paky Scenius, 308 x Clay Paky Sharpy, 166 x Clay Paky Sharpy Wash, 5 x Clay Paky Stormy, 40 x Philips Vari*Lite VL3500 Wash and 8 x Robert Juliat Lancelot.
The winner was Ukraine's Jamala and her song 1944 , with Australia second and Russia third.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Eurovision Song Contest voted again for grandMA2 posted: 02/06/2016 
