Outdoor & Arena Events

Working with an extensive portfolio of clients and production partners across Australia, Austage Events have the experience, equipment and technical expertise to deliver seamless audio visual support for larger-scale events in arena and outdoor settings.

From live concerts and public gatherings to corporate celebrations and major fashion events, we’ve successfully supported a wide range of large-format outdoor and arena productions including Richmond Football Club’s Grand Final live site at Punt Rd Oval, the Caulfield Cup’s live entertainment stage, Robbie Williams’ pop up show at Fed Square and the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy for the visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at Margaret Court Arena.

With a full range of premium audio visual equipment, we can provide a tailored solution to suit the scale and style of your event including:

PA systems
LED screens
Audio, video and lighting control

We also work closely with trusted outdoor staging partners to ensure the right structure is in place and offer expert show crew and technical support to manage every production element. With a focus on detailed planning and smooth delivery, Austage Events is committed to delivering high-impact, reliable AV solutions that bring your event to life.

View the image gallery below to see what’s possible and also make sure to check out the following case studies for a detailed look into some key outdoor and arena events we’ve worked on.

Equitana 2024

Austage Events was engaged by Potplant Productions to deliver a complete audio visual solution for the 2024 edition of Equitana – a four-day equine event and expo held at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Spanning multiple pavilions, demonstration zones, and theatrettes, the event brought together equestrian sport, education, and lifestyle in one of the largest gatherings of its kind in Australia.

Austage’s scope of work included full audio and video production for the Grand Pavilion arena, where a custom built four-way LED cube display served as the centrepiece.

Made up of four 4.5×2.5m LED screens, the ‘jumbotron’ style cube ensured clear, high-impact visuals from every angle for spectators. Our team also managed audio and video playback for the Grand Pavilion arena’s schedule of key competition and entertainment events.

Additional AV support was provided for seven expo and demo areas, with Austage supplying audio and video control, roving camera operators, projection screens, LCD displays and wireless mics to facilitate smooth presentations and enhance the live experience for audience members.

A big thank you to Pot Plant Productions for having us onboard for this incredible event and to our friends at Above and Beyond Production Services for their lighting and rigging expertise to help bring the full Equitana experience to life.

Date

November 2024

Location

Melbourne Showgrounds

Team

Melbourne

CLIENT

Potplant Productions

Melbourne Fashion Week 2024 presented by City of Melbourne

Date

21-27 October, 2024

Location

Various

Team

Melbourne

CLIENT

City of Melbourne

It’s not very often you can say you’ve worked on the same event for 19 years!

Ever since the inception of Austage Events Melbourne way back in 2005, we’ve had the pleasure of working on Melbourne Fashion Week. Fashion events are such a core part of what we do at Austage and we couldn’t be more proud of this long-standing partnership with the City of Melbourne.

In 2024, the event saw us working across a host of iconic Melbourne venues and event sites including the Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Museum, Queen Vic Market and Little Bourke Street to oversee technical direction and production management across seven jam-packed days.

Here are some of the highlights from the 30th edition of M/FW.

Volvo Electric Runway – Queen Vic Market

One of our favourite things about working on M/FW is the opportunity to turn the unexpected into something spectacular. From carparks to cactus gardens, there have been some fun briefs over the years and our role as technical production experts is to ensure all the audio visual elements tie together seamlessly for a memorable audience experience.

The Volvo Electric Runway saw the sheds of Queen Vic Market transformed into the ultimate runway experience to showcase cutting-edge designs from established and next-gen designers. Given the significant length of the event space, we chose a distributed audio system run lengthways across either side of the runway to give all audience members clear sound regardless of where they were seated.

The IMAG vision solution consisted of 4.5×2.5m LED screens bookending the space with additional TV screens dotted at regular intervals along the runway so attendees had a clear view of the models from multiple angles.

In a unique addition to the show, 30 Volvo EX30s were parked along the runway and utilising a bespoke vision mix we were able to broadcast the action right onto the centre displays so event-goers could enjoy a front row experience from the comfort of the car.

Audio, video, production design and management: Austage Events
Lighting: Resolution X
Runway Producer: Moth Design

Little Bourke Street Runway

Returning to the program for the first time since 2017, the Little Bourke Street Runway presented by Emporium Melbourne was a fitting throwback to celebrate 30 years of M/FW.

Setting up an event in an open, public space presents a unique set of logistical challenges (especially with a tight schedule) but with the right planning and an expert crew, anything is possible!

With only four hours to turn the stretch of Little Bourke St between Flinders and Elizabeth Streets into a runway, our team got to work like a well-oiled machine setting up a distributed PA and TV screens along the 50m runway.

Thankfully technology has evolved significantly since 2017, so this year’s production included more battery fixtures and a lot less cable management. In fact our friends at Res X only used five cables across the entire lighting rig!

Audio Visual Production & Technical Direction: Austage Events
Lighting: Resolution X
Creative Director & Runway Producer: Event Gallery

Closing Showcase

To celebrate 30 incredible years, Melbourne Fashion Week 2024 came to a close with a Grand Finale in the place where it all began – the Melbourne Town Hall.

Guests assembled in the round with an iconic lineup of designers who have helped shape Melbourne plus a special performance from G Flip.

The existing AV infrastructure at the Town Hall was complemented by additional rear projection and TV screens placed at key points around the event space + additional lighting and an epic disco ball from Res X to add an extra touch of drama to the already grand hall.

Audio, video, production design and management: Austage Events
Lighting: Resolution X
Runway Producer: Moth Design
Melbourne Town Hall in-house AV equipment supplied by Scene Change Melbourne

A big thank you to all our trusted production partners for helping to make the 2024 edition of Melbourne Fashion Week a roaring success. Bring on M/FW number 20 for Austage in 2025!

Robbie Williams Live at Fed Square

Date

2 January, 2025

Location

Federation Square

Team

Melbourne

It’s not every day you have the opportunity to manage the technical production for a world-class entertainer. As the in-house audio visual partner at Fed Square, we’ve come to know the iconic venue very well and were thrilled to be trusted to deliver the audio visual requirements when Robbie Williams came to town for a surprise pop up show.

With 12,000 fans flocking to Fed Square and the overflow site at Birrarung Marr to celebrate the release of Robbie’s biopic film Better Man (shot right here in Melbourne), it was certainly an afternoon to remember and an event we’re very honoured to say we could be a part of.

The Brief:

For a world-class entertainer like Robbie Williams, pristine audio quality is imperative. With his appearance comprising of a 40 minute set + Q&A session, Robbie’s team were adamant that everyone in the audience (even those right up the back!) could hear with total clarity.

Our key objective was to make sure the Fed Square appearance matched the impact of any other Robbie Williams concert (no pressure 😁). This required a high-level specification of equipment befitting of an international superstar, while also working within the limits of Fed Square’s existing infrastructure and building surrounds.

The Challenge:

As a heritage listed site, there were a few obstacles to keep us on our toes in pre-production.

The Square itself is an uphill tunnel surrounded by glass buildings which creates a rather challenging acoustical environment in front of the stage, while the right FOH audience area slopes in an upwards direction on one half and down on the other half towards Flinders Street.

With the event only announced to the public 24 hours prior, the anticipated crowd was also an unknown but given Robbie’s star-quality, we planned accordingly and designed the audio system for a full capacity crowd.

How We Made it Happen:

With a large site footprint to cover – including all available viewing areas of the Square and a delay screen at Birrarung Marr – a large format PA (that would be our usual choice for an audience of this size) was not going to work due to the limiting acoustic and physical environmental factors. In liaison with Robbie Williams’ production team and our FOH operator James (Oysters) Kilpatrick, we made the decision to go with a more distributed PA system approach.

An L-Acoustics A15 system was used for the nearfield of the main stage (covering about 45m in all directions) with L/R main hangs, L./R outfill and A10 front fills. These were complemented with 9 double 18″ subs in a sub array configuration for maximum pattern control of the bottom end. The house Fohhn system with its beam steering capabilities delivered the next 40m of coverage, keeping the acoustic reflections off the surrounding buildings while the final 20m at the very end of the Square was complemented with two staggered mini towers of L-Acoustics A10s. The system was fully time aligned with L-Acoustics’ P1/M1.

Getting signal to delay stacks up to 100m away, through more than 10,000 people neatly and safely was no easy feat but as usual our resident AVoIP expert Mike was up to the task.

Using Netgear AVline switches, we created an ad-hoc AVB network utilising Fed Square’s existing fibre infrastructure. This solution allowed us to deliver discreet signals to the delay stacks via fibre connections under the Square as well as Dante to the house delay. With almost no cable runs used above ground it was a tidy solution for effective site coverage and OH&S friendly.

But it didn’t stop with audio! Our expert crew also managed the live camera package and lighting for the Main Square stage + our video feeds ensured visitors in all corners of the site and overflow area at Birrarung Marr could soak up the electric atmosphere for this once in a lifetime experience.

We’re very proud of the whole crew’s efforts to help deliver this incredible, history-making show for Fed Square. It’s a true testament to the capabilities of our nimble team who are always ready to embrace a challenge. What a way to kick off 2025 and definitely one for the pool room!

Robbie Williams Live at Fed Square was made possible thanks to Fed Square, City of Melbourne, Gold 104.3, I Heart Radio Australia and Roadshow

Professional Photography courtesy of Mitch Lowe for Fed Square

Client Testimonial:

“I want to extend a MASSIVE thank you to your entire team for the exceptional professionalism you brought to delivering Robbie Williams.The RW team has been absolutely glowing in their feedback, noting your outstanding efforts, smooth execution, and meticulous attention to detail. Congrats Austage! You’re absolutely brilliant to work with — your expertise, collaborative approach, and dedication to excellence make all the difference in delivering such massive events. I know I can speak for many that it’s a true pleasure partnering with a team as capable as yours.”

Katrina Lui

Senior Manager, Presentation Services | Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation

Chemist Warehouse End of Year Party

After a four year hiatus, the Chemist Warehouse end of year party returned with a bang to Margaret Court Arena in November 2023.

Entrusted by our good friends at Seeker Agency and Solution Entertainment, Austage Events provided the technical direction and production management to deliver this exciting event with a bang.

For one night only, 3000 guests were transported to another world – Planet CW to celebrate and commemorate a brilliant year of achievements for Chemist Warehouse.

With an epic line-up including Tones & I, Delta Goodrem and DJ Horizon our brief was to produce a dynamic live music experience worthy of the impressive performers and large scale concert venue. This was to be a Christmas party like no other!

Drawing upon our trusted network of industry leaders, we put together a team that could deliver each audio visual aspect of the show to the highest standard. The equipment had to be equally up to the task and no compromises were made here, utilising top tier brands such as Digico, D&B, Martin, Clay Paky, and Barco. This combination of experience and quality equipment, under the planning and technical direction of Austage, set up Seeker Agency and Solution Entertainment to deliver a high impact, unforgettable night for Chemist Warehouse.

Events of this scale require a highly experienced approach to get each element of production working towards a common goal and deliver a cohesive result. With Austage looking after the bigger picture, each one of our technical suppliers were able to focus on their role and be empowered to perform at their best.

The arena-worthy lighting and pyrotechnics meshed flawlessly with a backdrop of LED pillars and portrait IMAG screens. Resolume media servers were used for content playback and our Barco E2 video processor routed all of the content to its destination and ensured everything was working together as one.

The video and lighting elements were tightly integrated to bring about impactful moments on stage to lift the energy of the crowd and support the stage presence of the top notch performers.

Event Production: Seeker Agency
Entertainment: Solution Entertainment
Lighting Design: Duane Inocencio
Lighting Supplier: Resolution X
Audio Supplier: Alpha Audio Services
Special Effects: The Hyper Group

Date

November 2023

Location

Margaret Court Arena

Team

Melbourne

CLIENT

Seeker Agency & Solution Entertainment

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Digital Health Festival 2024

The Digital Health Festival is an annual industry event showcasing the best in technology and innovation for the healthcare sector. The 2024 edition attracted over 6500 attendees across two days at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

An expo, conference and trade show all in one, the Digital Health Festival is a unique event experience with all attractions situated within the one floor space to create a buzzing, high energy environment for learning and networking.

The Brief

For the third consecutive year, Austage Events was engaged to provide the technical production for the presentation theatres, which required a creative approach due to the distinctive footprint of the event.

With eight theatres integrated directly into the event space, our brief was to design an audio visual solution to ensure attendees could easily see and hear the presentations with a busy expo going on around them. With over 100 presentations scheduled over the two days, technical flexibility was key to making this a success.

The Solution

To achieve this, we placed the presentation theatres back to back in pairs across the four corners of the venue. Each theatre stage included an LED screen with a 2.6mm pixel pitch for displaying presentation content. For open plan events such as this, LED is the perfect choice as the screens are not affected by ambient light.

For audio delivery, our challenge was coming up with an effective system to combat the stages being in close proximity to each other and also the expo area. In four theatres we used PA systems designed for low level saturation which allowed us to keep the level low so it wouldn’t encroach into the surrounding areas but still ensured all attendees could hear clearly.

The four adjoining stages were designed as “silent theatres” using over 1000 sets of headphones so guests could immerse themselves in the presentations and multiple sessions could be held simultaneously across the venue without interruption or distractions.

The Digital Health Festival continues to get bigger and better every year and we’re so proud of the work our team put in to deliver another successful large-scale event. Bring on 2025!

Date

May 2024

Location

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Team

Melbourne

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Summer at the Square 2024

Across two Saturdays in February, our team delivered the technical production for two major live music events as part of #SummerAtTheSquare, curated and funded by Fed Square.

Featuring a vibrant lineup of local and international acts, these free concerts included Sounds of Aotearoa, featuring a stellar all-kiwi lineup starring Six60, and a night of eclectic Afrofusion headlined by Sampa the Great presented in partnership with YO CiTY.

On an outdoor stage where clarity is paramount, our audio kit features the likes of L’Acoustics, Nexo and Shure for a premium live experience.

Like any great show, it takes a team to make it happen and we couldn’t do it without our awesome partners:

Lighting Supplier: Above & Beyond Productions
Lighting Design: Julian Williams (Sounds of Aotearoa) and Duane Inocencio (Sampa the Great)
Backline: Deluxe Guitars & Backline Hire
Cameras: LiveVision Productions

Photography by Ashlea Caygill and Zennieshia Butts for Fed Square.

Date

February 2024

Location

Federation Square

Team

Fed Square – Melbourne

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The Shiva Gala

Shiva Singham was a fashion identity well known for his sartorial flair and creativity, so it was only fitting that a celebration of his life would encompass these same qualities.

In November 2023, over 400 people from Melbourne’s fashion, racing and hospitality communities came together to commemorate the inaugural Shiva Gala at Zinc, Federation Square.

As the in-house AV supplier, we were honoured to join our partner Zinc as a sponsor of the Gala and worked closely with event producers, The Valentina Group Agency to bring the Shiva Gala committee’s vision to life and ensure a smooth delivery of all audio visual aspects.

With a diverse program of speeches, video tributes and live musical performances from various satellite stages, our dB Technologies house PA easily covered the audio requirements for the entire space.

Across the main stage, we joined our two permanently installed LED screens at Zinc into a single striking 7m x 2m configuration with content controlled by the powerful Barco E2.

In true Shiva style, a section of the event space was dedicated to elegant displays of the fashion icon’s most beloved capes. We highlighted these pieces from his famous collection with Astera Titan tubes and AX5s for pops of colour amongst the florals and also created a ceiling feature with Astera AX1 tubes above the central illuminated bar for an added touch of wow factor.

Date

November 2023

Location

Zinc at Fed Square

Team

Melbourne

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2024 Candlelight Concert Series

We love an outdoor event and it doesn’t get much better than a concert under the stars in iconic Fed Square!

Our Fed Square in-house team did a tremendous job managing the audio, lighting and cameras for the 2024 Candlelight Concerts series across three wonderful nights in February.

With up to 5000 people at each event, the key was to create an audio visual experience where every attendee was able to enjoy an intimate “best seat in the house” feel.

Our L-Acoustics PA didn’t miss a beat providing complete coverage for the in-the-round stage arrangement, while the live to screen camera set-up ensured the entire audience were able to take in the sights and sounds of Bujerah, Reuben Kaye and Jacotene no matter where they were seated or standing in the square.

The understated stage lighting worked perfectly to illuminate the performers and complement the signature sea of candles which of course play the hero part in all Candlelight Concert events.

Photography by James Henry and Mitch Lowe for Fed Square.

Date

February 2024

Location

Federation Square

Team

Fed Square – Melbourne

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Hyundai @ Everything Electric

With a growing range of electric vehicles, Hyundai were keen to make a splash when exhibiting at Everything Electric 2024 – the world’s No.1 home energy and electric vehicle show.

It was a pleasure to collaborate with Andrew Dibble at Top Marques on this project to design and manage all aspects of technical production for Hyundai’s exhibitor stand.

Showcasing Hyundai’s cutting-edge range of electric vehicles for the Australian market, the stand featured 3m x 2m LED screens to highlight key product features through visual content displays. Utilising LED screens with a 2mm pixel pitch ensured a rich, crisp image within the indoor expo environment.

The area was further enhanced with Showpro LED fusion wash q48 lighting fixtures to provide a bright, clean and functional ambiance. The considered placement was designed to show off the cars from all their best angles and entice expo visitors to the stand.

Stand Design: Andrew Dibble – Top Marques
Lighting: Resolution X
Rigging: Pollard Productions

Date

February 2024

Location

Sydney Olympic Park

TEAM

Melbourne, Sydney

CLIENT

Top Marques