The Gateway To The Greatest Show - Insight Into The Ground Support Of Eurovision Song Contest 2025
Watch on demand: Discover the engineering behind the enormous ground-support structure at Eurovision 2025.
In this PLASA Show 2026 seminar, Norbert Tripp of Area Four Industries reveals how the ground-support structure for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 was designed, engineered and installed at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.
With the venue's existing roof unable to accommodate all of the production's rigging requirements, the project demanded an extensive steel truss structure capable of supporting significant loads within strict space and time constraints.
Drawing on detailed engineering calculations, structural models and installation footage, the session follows the project from its earliest concepts through to the finished stage, highlighting the technical challenges, design changes and collaborative problem-solving involved.
Key topics explored:
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The scale of the project: Understanding the dimensions, weight and load requirements of Eurovision's ground-support structure.
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Design and planning: How evolving stage layouts, rigging requirements and production designs shaped the engineering process.
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Structural calculations: Managing load distribution, truss deflection and the demands of supporting heavy production equipment.
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Bespoke engineering: Developing specialist lifting mechanisms, tower components and structural solutions.
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Installation challenges: Assembling and lifting large steel structures within the venue's limited space and clearance.
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Collaboration and delivery: How manufacturers, engineers and installation teams worked together to realise the final design.
Watch the full seminar for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the engineering, planning and technical expertise required to deliver one of live entertainment's most ambitious productions.
