ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS – This year’s Kingdance Festival and Dance4Liberation had a great deal in common. Both celebrated important national holidays, the King’s birthday, and the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in the closing days of World War II. Both featured an electrifying lineup of EDM stars and other performers. And both took place on the same stage with the same lighting rig at the Wijthmenerplas lakeside park

There was, however, one critical element that separated the two festivals: time! Kingdance ended exactly one week before Dance4Liberation began. A lot can happen outdoors in the 168 hours (or 604,800 seconds) that make up a seven-day week, especially when you’re dealing with a climate as capricious as that of the Netherlands.

But the rig shared by these two festivals performed smoothy, even though it remained in place for the entire week, thanks to some careful planning, expert installation, and wise IP65 fixtures choices by John & Jane.

Commissioned by Story Event Engineering to create and manage the lighting rig for the dual events, John & Jane exhibited their usual dedication to achieving excellence, and tailoring solutions for every application.

Contributing to the success of this dual festival rig in weathering the elements, while also delivering bold, dynamic looks for a wide array of performers were some 250 CHAUVET Professional IP65 rated fixtures.

Featured in this collection were the Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash, Color STRIKE M motorized strobe/wash, COLORado Q40 Panel, STRIKE P38, and Ovation E-260WW IP warm white ellipsoidal. Drawing on the bright output, color rendering capabilities, and other performance features of their fixtures, John & Jane were able to unleash a stunning bounty of looks that connected to the crowd, drew them closer to the performers on stage, and pumped up their energy level.

The lighting in their design worked hand-in-glove with a massive, curved video wall that spanned virtually the entire stage. Lighting positioned on and around the wall surface accented the video images, making them even more powerful. Adding to the visual excitement was a series of breathtaking aerial special effects.

“Kingdance was an absolute blast, featuring three incredible areas to dance the night away with friends: the Main Area, Hard Area, and a thrilling addition, the Techno stage. The event delivered an unforgettable experience, offering a diverse range of music genres and an energetic atmosphere,” John & Jane reported, adding that “Dance4Liberation was equally impressive, featuring the Mainstage, Hardstage, and the exciting addition of a Techno stage.”

Both festivals drew enthusiastic crowds exceeding 30,000. Quite a few of them attended both Kingdance and Dance4Liberation. Those people likely did a variety of things during the seven-day interval between the two festivals. As for the lighting rig itself, it spent the week quiet and undisturbed –exactly the kind of outcome the team at John & Jane worked so hard to achieve.