LIGHTING Q&A: MERVYN NOCK, EVENT TECHNICAL MANAGER, WEMBLEY STADIUM

Was there a particular brief in terms of what you wanted for the new audio system?

The brief was very simple - ensure the person sitting on row one of level one had the same audio experience as the person sitting on row 48 of level five.

It had to be a system that any production team would be happy to use and that they could easily patch their touring system into. Essentially, we wanted to offer our clients a state-of-the-art system that they would never consider not using.

What was the brief for the lighting system at Wembley Stadium?

To develop a new, modern lighting system that put Wembley at the forefront of stadia across the world. It also had to be sustainable.

The field of play lighting was replaced with the latest technology. The LED system means we have lights with a long fixture life, which operate with reduced power consumption. The audience lighting and RGBW ‘back of bowl’ effect lighting has also been replaced with LED fixtures.

Does the system have a big impact on the atmosphere for matches, concerts and events?

The nature of LED lighting being instant on, instant off has made a big impact on evening sporting events and concerts. The lighting can now be used as part of the show, flashing and chasing in time with the music via remote production interface.

Did Musco Lighting deliver what you wanted from the lighting system?

Yes, Musco Lighting delivered exactly what we needed from the lighting system and we continue to engage with them for any future lighting upgrades.

What made Wembley choose Musco Lighting?

Musco Lighting has good experience of stadia lighting with numerous installs around the UK. They also had good recommendations from other venues, so they seemed to be the obvious choice.