From bold colour palettes to precision atmospherics, the country superstar’s record-breaking tour featured Ayrton’s powerful fixtures, MDG’s hazers, and grandMA3 control systems to create an unforgettable experience.

Luke Combs’ latest stadium tour across Australia and New Zealand set a new milestone for country music, marking the first full stadium run for a country artist in the region. With eight sold-out shows spanning Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, the production was nothing short of spectacular. At the heart of the tour’s breathtaking visual experience was a meticulously curated lighting and atmospheric package featuring Ayrton’s cutting-edge fixtures, MDG’s premium hazers, and MA Lighting’s grandMA3 control consoles.

Lighting designer Kevin Northrup, who has worked with Combs since his headline arena debut in 2017, was instrumental in shaping the tour’s aesthetic. The design carried forward the visual identity established by production designer Ollie Metcalfe during Combs’ 2023 North American stadium tour. “We knew that looked good, would work and fit the timeline we had,” said Northrup. “Luke likes to do really big colour looks: He’s a fan of red and white, and the stronger and more saturated the colour, the better. He plays everything from ballads to solo acoustic to heavy-hitting honky tonk, and I try to build moments and match the energy of what he’s doing while never overstepping.”

For the Australian leg, Northrup opted for Ayrton Domino LT, Perseo Profiles, and Rivale Profiles to illuminate the vast stadium spaces. Having previously used Ayrton’s Khamsin, Zonda 9 FX, Perseo Beam, and Domino LT fixtures on Combs’ North American stadium tour, he was particularly excited to debut the Rivale Profiles after seeing them at LDI. “I used the Rivales as audience eye candy and loved them,” he noted. “We had six on each of six ladders plus 20-odd on the downstage truss. Their colour mixing was an improvement over the fixtures I’d used before, and their optics were great: while not technically beam fixtures, I liked how tight they got when I used them in narrow focus. They were way brighter than the fixtures we had previously, so they gave us extra firepower.”

Above the set, two arcs of 34 units of Perseo Profiles provided multi-functional lighting solutions. “They are really versatile, and I needed that here,” Northrup explained. “I used them as band downlights, audience lights, and for stage washes. I also pulled out twelve and dedicated them to rear follow spot action. Kind of a hallmark for Luke is having light from above that’s like an arrow pointing to where he is onstage.” Additionally, sixteen Domino LT fixtures were split between floor and overhead positions, with six acting as front-of-house spots and two serving as specials at the end of the thrust-shaped stage.

The New Zealand leg of the tour featured a slightly modified rig, with Domino LT spots and Rivale Profiles mounted on ladders. Across all venues, MDG’s atmospheric effects played a crucial role in shaping the stage environment. Two MDG theONE foggers/hazers were deployed in Auckland, while six Atmosphere HO haze machines handled the Australian stadiums. “MDG theONE is my go-to hazer, but they were hard to get in quantity,” said Northrup. “theONE is built well for touring and has a variable output in fog mode. I like to have a constant flowing haze and build in fog bursts with theONEs.”

The tour’s lighting control system was built around grandMA3 consoles, which was supplied by SES in the US. Northrup brought a full-size system and two processing units, supplemented by additional consoles once on-site. “grandMA3 has made good workflow improvements,” he commented, citing Multitouch Gestures, Selection Grids, and Recipes as standout features. “It’s so much easier to move around and get things looking the way you want.”

Spot-light Systems supplied the lighting for the New Zealand shows, while PRG provided the rig for Australia. Northrup praised the seamless coordination facilitated by ACT Entertainment, stating, “ACT gave us good distributor contacts before we left on tour. Things couldn’t have gone better. I was immensely happy with the Ayrton fixtures, MDG atmospherics, and grandMA3 consoles.”

With each stop on the tour delivering a visually stunning experience tailored to match Combs’ high-energy performances, Ayrton’s powerful fixtures, MDG’s precise atmospherics, and grandMA3’s advanced control systems proved to be the perfect combination for stadium-scale storytelling.