Lighting Up The Riyadh Desert: Soundstorm Festival Stage Sets LED Screen Record

Soundstorm 2024 took place Dec. 12-14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with one of 2024’s biggest lineups, and a main stage that surpassed a record only set earlier this year for the biggest continuous outdoor LED screen.

A 5,000 square meter LED wall, the centrepiece of the aptly titled Big Beast stage, exceeds the 4,159.7 square meters of the curved LED wall, which featured at Adele’s Munich residency in August.

The seamless, albeit not curved LED wall promoter Mdlbeast commissioned in the Riyadh desert was supported by 1,055 square meters of custom perforated metal skin, and 2,300 metres of DMX-controlled LED strips, delivering unparalleled visual effects.

But it didn’t stop there: hovering in front of this engineering masterpiece is a floating stage that seemed to defy gravity at times, during concerts, including performances by headliners Eminem, Muse, Camilla Cabello, and Linkin Park.

The stage was designed by U.S. firm Vita Motus, founded by Heather Shaw. Her team has worked on notable projects such as the Quasar Stage at Coachella 2024, and the Electric Daisy Carnival’s Basspod Stage from 2016-2021, alongside numerous world tours. Their designs have also made an impact on television, with Shaw becoming the first female lead production designer for the MTV VMAs in 2022.

Not All Desert And Sand: MDLBeast Is Showing Off What Saudi Arabia Has To Offer

Conceived by the concept of weightlessness, The Big Beast stage has been designed to appear as though it is floating effortlessly above the desert sands of Riyadh. At 160 metres wide and 34 metres high, the stage combines massive scale with paradoxical lightness, achieved through layered cubes cantilevered within a seamless LED wall – resulting in a hovering effect that defies convention. Every element of the stage has been meticulously designed by Vita Motus to enhance its floating illusion. The perforated metal skin reduces visual weight, making the structure feel lighter and almost translucent at night. Advanced engineering, such as load distribution through internal trusses and invisible anchoring points, allows the massive structure to remain visually detached from its surroundings.

Vita Motus’ cubic architecture draws inspiration from the festival’s gamified theme, blending hyper-realistic landscapes with glitch effects that transition into pixelated 8-bit designs. This interplay between digital realism and retro nostalgia transforms the stage into a dynamic interactive experience that captivates audiences and amplifies the festival’s theme. Pollstar reached out to Shaw, to find out whether artists designed visuals specially for their Soundstorm show. She said, “The LED wall was designed with a defined pixel map but offered a high level of flexibility to accommodate artists’ unique visions. The screen could display one large cohesive image, divide into various sections, or even feature overlays of visuals with intricate effects. It was also capable of supporting large [image magnification], enabling the audience to have a clear view of the artists on the expansive stage. Some artists chose to repurpose existing visuals from their tours, while others created custom frames and visuals tailored specifically for this screen. This adaptability allowed each performance to feel distinct and immersive, ensuring the artists’ creative vision was brought to life on a monumental scale”

‘Hey, We’re Here’: Saudi Arabia’s Women Are Taking The Stage With MDLBEAST

Vita Motus founder Heather Shaw has made history as the first female production designer for Soundstorm, which is in line with the festival’s commitment to female representation and fostering inclusivity. Her achievement sets a bold new standard for creativity and innovation in the region’s cultural scene. “The Big Beast Stage symbolises the innovation and visionary spirit of Saudi Arabia. More than just a performance space, it is a living spectacle, merging visuals, sound, and effects in perfect harmony. Towering above the desert, it challenges traditional stage architecture, cementing its place as a defining symbol of Soundstorm 2024 and a benchmark for the future of live entertainment,” according to a press release from Mdlbeast.

Organized by Mdlbeast, the lineup of Soundstorm 2024 also featured A$ap Rocky, Calvin Harris, Camila Cabello, Busta Rhymes, Afrojack, Boris Brejcha, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Russ, Solomun as well as plethora of local acts like Husa & Zeyada, Abdulmajeed Abdullah, Elissa, and many more.

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