Front Of House Festival Magic With ChamSys At Glastonbury 2024

In the world of performing arts festivals, nothing beats Glasto.  And for those of us who live and breathe lighting, nothing is better than the firsthand FOH experience of watching talented lighting designers and operators perform their magic.

Come along with us as we revisit the excitement of witnessing their incredible work and gorgeous setups as they created thrillingperformances seemingly everywhere at Worthy Farm.  And whether they were MagicQ or QuickQ consoles, PC Wings or GeNetix nodes, ChamSys did seem to be everywhere at this year’s edition.

A huge thank you to all our amazing colleagues for making this festival truly spectacular. It was an unforgettable experience to see your lighting designs and programming skills in action at so many stages.   

We’re excited to share with you a small part of the Glasto magic we experienced firsthand with our round-up of the stages we visited.

The Pyramid Stage had never looked as vibrant in the sun as it did during Michael Kiwanuka’s performance that was brilliantly brought to life with stunning visuals controlled by our MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Pyramid Stage
GLS Lighting
LD Ed Warren • Op Amy Barnett
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

GLS supplied the floor package with an MQ500M, which Ed Warren and Amy Barnett put to electrifying use, creating a show that served as the ideal complement to Michael Kiwanuka’s psychedelic soul sounds.

West Holts
DPL Production Lighting LImited
LD Ed Warren • Op Kristina Jazykova
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

From his collaboration with Will Thomas on the Car Henge art installation to his design for Sugababes at the iconic West Holts stage, Ed Warren was Glastonbury’s busiest man, running six different sites. 

Kristina Jazykova masterfully operated a MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console, delivering an unforgettable visual experience for the huge crowd that gathered to watch Sugababes.

Pyramid Stage
LD Patrick Sollitt • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

Practice makes perfect and Patrick Sollitt has been lighting legendary UK songwriter Paul Heaton for nearly a decade.  Paddy ran Heaton’s Glastonbury show to perfection on a MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Pyramid Stage
LD Anthony Hazelden • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console
Console from Neg Earth Lights

Burna Boy amused his Glastonbury fans with an invitation to join him in taking off their shirts. His longtime LD Anthony Hazelden kept his on and smoothly delivered a stunning light show from his MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

The Levels
SR Production Services • LD James Newmarch
MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console • GeNetix GN10 Nodes

James Newmarch punched light through the haze and controlled 114 universes with a MQ500M+ Stadium Console, along with 88 universes of 3D pixel mapping running from video content loaded directly into the console.  Home to some of the festival’s highest-energy shows, The Levels stage also marked the location of a GeNetix debut in a Glastonbury rig.

Wishing Well
David Howard Lighting Design • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console

David Howard brought his MQ250M and his magic to bless this new stage with dreamy transcendent looks.

The Glebe
BSM Stage Tec • QuickQ 20

Brian from BSM brought a ChamSys QuickQ 20 and got into the act with his lucky ducky as he prepared for the next run at Glastonbury’s quirkiest outdoor theatre.

Stonebridge Bar
LD James Dickinson • MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console

At the ever-popular Glasto bar, James Dickinson kept the energy level high for Annie Mac’s set.

Glasto Latino
Mass Affect Lighting • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

Glasto Latino drew a crowd from the moment the festival opened.  Operating a rig provided by Enlightened, Mass Affect Lighting brought their MQ250M Stadium Console to keep pace with the Latin dance moves and serve up red hot lighting looks.

Field of Avalon
WaveCo Productions
MagicQ PC Wing Compact • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

Eclectic folk and roots music reigned for days and nights at the Avalon stage. 
Our MagicQ PC Wing Compact was used for Kate Nash, while an MQ500M powered the The Cat Empire show. 

Shangri-La – Peace
PF Events • LD Harry Merrison
MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

Harry Merrison brought a golden warmth and immersive panoramas to the Peace Stage on an MQ250M + Extra Wing Compact.

Lonely Hearts
SR Production Services • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console

LD Kai Mcilquham adroitly worked his MQ250M to move with the dance beats of DJ Wilkinson.

Left Field
South West Group Events
MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console • MagicQ Extra Wing

No surprises as SWG Events kept things running smoothly at Left Field Stage with a ChamSys MagicQ MQ70 Compact + Extra Wing.

Unfairground – Flying Bus Stage
GLX Productions
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console • MagicQ MQ500M Wing

Glenn from GLX brought busloads of powerful looks to the Unfairground’s funnest stage with his MQ500M + Wing.

The Hive
Luke Adams Lighting
MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

The Hive Stage buzzed flawlessly with Luke Adams Lighting at the controls.

Circus Big Top
Fineline Lighting • LD James Loudon
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console • MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console • GeNetix GN5

Operators Rory and Tom were accompanied by the most brightly illuminated duck at Glastonbury and deftly ran their MQ500M alongsidean MQ70 to woo the crowd with a design by James Loudon and a rig that included GeNetix GN5 nodes.