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Blackout supply drapes and rigging to Henley Festival

Continuing our relationship with the Henley Festival organisers for the 16th year, we once again supplied the high-end arts and music event with a series of drapes and stage rigging throughout the river side site, 5th- 9th July 2017.

For the first time in the event’s history, 2017 saw the main Floating Stage constructed upon a floating pontoon rather than being built on a scaffolding structure fixed down to the bed of the River Thames. The stage was further enhanced with the move from a curved roof to a flat roof, into which our expert team of event riggers, led by project manager Alex Duke, supplied and installed 90m of Prolyte H30 and H40 truss.

Alex explains: “The change in stage roofing this year gave us greater weight-loading capabilities and space for the installation of more production elements, including bespoke lighting and sound equipment brought in for each of the performing headline acts. The flat roof also offered improved sightlines for the live audiences. It gave the team greater flexibility to accommodate the production requirements of acts like the Pet Shop Boys, who are currently mid-way through their SUPER tour and taking their own kit with them to each event. The team worked overnight to ensure the stage rigging was altered to match each headliner’s requirements, including an impressive lighting and laser finale for the synth pop duo.”

Drapes were installed on both sides of the main stage, helping to create temporary wings which offered privacy for multiple performers, whilst ensuring the live audience’s attention stayed on the on-stage action rather than side-of-stage crew movement.

Elsewhere across the prestigious festival site, we provided the two H30 truss goal posts to hang the Henley Festival visually spectacular welcome signs and 15m of our glittering LED starcloth which provided a glamorous backdrop to the acoustic stage in the Riverside hospitality area, along with 80m of grey linen draped floor-length curtains along the open side of the dining structure. Ten grey linen rectangular drape panels were hung from the temporary structures’ roof to divide the internal space between guest dining and a VIP dining hospitality area.

The Pet Shop Boys, All Saints, former Spice Girl Mel C, Chaka Khan and Jess Glynne were among the household names who played to thousands of people across the five days of the festival.

Check out the full photo gallery here.

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