Arena Event Production: K-POP Australian Mini Tour

AKMU brought their Australian mini tour to two of the country's biggest rooms: Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne and TikTok Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Forefront Productions supplied audio, lighting, atmospherics and power for both nights, along with the crew to run them.

Two cities, two very different venues, and one expectation: the show had to feel the same in both. Here's how we put it together, and the gear that made it happen.

What does Forefront actually supply at a show like this?

Audio, lighting, atmospherics and power, plus the people to run them. That covers the system design before the show, the crew who load it in, and the engineers and techs who run it on the night. For video, we partnered with our friends at Woohah, who supplied a 9m x 5m LED screen. Bringing in a specialist partner and working as one production team is how every department gets the same level of care.

Two arenas in two cities. What does that change?

Consistency becomes the job. Margaret Court Arena is a mid-size arena with a retractable roof. TikTok Entertainment Centre is Sydney's largest indoor arena. Different shapes, different sizes, different acoustics.

The fans in Sydney deserve the same show as the fans in Melbourne, so we treated it as one production that moves, not two separate gigs. Same consoles, same show files, same core rig. What changes is how the system is hung and tuned for each room, so every seat hears and sees the show the way the artist intended.

What was the PA?

44 Adamson CS10 line array boxes, backed by 20 Adamson CS119 subwoofers.

AKMU's music is built on vocals and harmony. Chan-hyuk and Su-hyun's voices sit right at the front of the mix, so clarity mattered more than raw volume. The CS10 holds its detail over long throws, which means the back rows get the same intelligibility as the floor.

The CS119s look after the low end. Twenty of them give the kick and bass real weight without muddying the vocals sitting on top.

What's at front of house and monitors?

A DiGiCo Quantum 338 at front of house and another at monitors. Two DiGiCo SD Racks handled stage I/O, with a W4 56 channel Whirlwind split sharing every input between both desks.

Running the same console at both ends keeps the workflow identical for the engineers. Show files move easily, everyone speaks the same language, and when you're loading into two arenas in quick succession, that familiarity takes the pressure off show day.

How do you handle mics and in-ears for a show like this?

Shure Axient handheld wireless for vocals. A packed arena is a crowded RF environment, full of phones, broadcast and venue systems. Axient is built for exactly that, which is why it's the choice when a dropout isn't an option.

On stage, the band had Nexo PS15 wedges and Sennheiser G4 wireless in-ears. The in-ears were paired with an Aviom personal mixing system, so each musician could dial in their own mix without waiting on the monitor engineer. Comfortable musicians play better shows.

What's in the lighting rig?

A grandMA3 full-size console, the go-to desk for arena touring. With 134 fixtures to program and run, the show needed a console with the power to handle every cue.

Two LSC Nexen R4 nodes and an LSC Nexen R8 node distributed the lighting network around the venue, keeping data clean and reliable from the desk to every fixture in the rig.What's running the lighting?

A grandMA3 full-size console, with two LSC Nexen R4 nodes and an LSC Nexen R8 node handling lighting network distribution around the venue.

What about power?

Two LSC Unitour distribution racks, delivering clean, reliable power across the rig. It's the part of the show nobody sees, and exactly the part you can't afford to get wrong. Good power distribution protects the gear, keeps everything stable and means nobody is chasing faults when the house lights go down.

GEAR LIST

Lighting

• Grand MA3 Full-size Lighting Console

• Pre-Rig Trussing

• 20 x Martin Viper Performances

• 22 x Martin Quantum Profile

• 14 x Martin MH11 Beam

• 24 x Color Strike M

• 24 x ShowPro Pulze Bar

• 14 x Robe Spiiders

• 16 x TourPro ZB7 Moving Wash

• 2 x LSC Nexen R4 Network Nodes

• 1 x LSC Nexen R8 Network Nodes

Audio

• DiGiCo Quantum 338 at FOH

• DiGiCo Quantum 338 at Monitors

• W4 56 Channel Whirlwind Split

• 2 x DiGiCo SD Racks

• 44 x Adamson CS10 Line Array Boxes

• 20 x Adamson CS119 Subwoofers

• Nexo PS15 Wedges/Foldbacks

• Shure Axient Handheld Microphones

• Sennheiser G4 Wireless IEM's paired with AVIOM system

Atmospherics: 2 x MDG Hazers
Power: 2 x LSC Unitour distribution racks
Video: Partnering with Woohah to supply a 9m x 5m LED Screen

So what makes a touring arena show go smoothly?

The same system, the same crew and the same attention to detail, every night. We plan it properly, prep the gear before it leaves the warehouse, and bring people who know it inside out.

We sweat the small stuff so the artist doesn't have to.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can you supply a show across more than one city?

  Yes. For AKMU we moved one system between Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne and TikTok Entertainment Centre in Sydney.

• Do you supply audio, video and lighting together?

  Yes, along with the crew to run them.

• What PA do you use for arena shows?

  For AKMU, an Adamson CS10 line array with CS119 subwoofers.

• Do you work in other major Australian arenas?

  Yes, right across the country. Most recently we were at Rod Laver Arena with Freestyle Kings, on a tour that also took in Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Wiggles' biggest arena tour took us through MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, AIS Arena in Canberra, John Cain Arena in Melbourne and Newcastle Entertainment Centre. And after AKMU, we'll be back at TikTok Entertainment Centre again soon.

Got an Event in the Calendar?

Get in touch. We'll run through all the production phases with you and give you a smooth, hassle-free event.