Music is life, but during a concert you have to make it spectacular. And there is no better way to do that other than by taking stage design seriously to create a breathtaking experience for the audience and the performers as well.
While concerts are held everywhere, only a few are able to break records and make their mark in history. Aside from the much-awaited performances of artists, one of the things that are highly anticipated in a concert is the stage’s design which is highly relevant in making or breaking the concert’s success.
Kudos to the production team that usually goes all out in creating a stage that will represent the artist and the theme of the concert. To recognize spectacular designs seen on stage, this article presents a list of the biggest, grandest and most expensive stage designs that went down in history!
5 of the Best Stage Designs in History
1. David Bowie’s Glass Spider 1987
The late David Bowie is a legend in pop culture and music. His 1987 Spider Glass tour is nothing short of deserving to be hailed as legendary. The tour was tied to his album, Never Let Me Down, and was his explosive return to rock after plunging into the pop music scene. It was said that it was so spectacular that despite its success, he dared not repeat it.
Why it was remarkable:
The Spider Glass tour was set in a massive stage of giant spider with humongous illuminated tube legs. At the start of the show, Bowie would emerge from the spider’s head as his theatrical entrance. The set design measures 18 meters tall and 19 meters wide. This 360 tons contraption needed 43 trucks to be transported.
The Telegraph stated: “The New York Times ruled the tour to be “one of the most elaborate rock shows ever mounted”, and it has since gone on to inspire the 90-minute-long, big-budget arena shows put on by artists ranging from Lady Gaga to U2.”
2. Pink Floyd Division Bell Tour (1994)
Pink Floyd’s 1994 world tour entitled Division Bell was the most massive stage ever built at the time.
Architect Marc Brickman who is the name behind the stages of Madonna, U2 and Lady Gaga, constructed this 700 ton steel structure.
Why it was remarkable:
The 180 ft stage features a steel bowl inspired by the Hollywood Bowl and measures 130 ft. It required about 53 trucks to transport the stage. Due to its size, it took three days to load-in and completely setup the stage. They had to prepare three identical stages and rigs to set up from one venue to another.
At the time it was also the most technologically advanced stage, featuring a round screen, dancing lights and lasers, and the quadraphonic sound. Overall, the show’s overhead costed US$ 25 million.
3. Rolling Stones’ the Bigger Bang Tour 2005-2007
The 2005 “A Bigger Bang” world tour of rock legend, The Rolling Stones was indeed a bang! It was dubbed as one of the highest grossing tour of all time earning $558 million of sales.
Why it was remarkable:
The stage was deemed the largest portable set ever made as it has the size of two basketball courts. Mark Fisher was the one in charge of stage design. It was modelled on the Globe Theater in London which has tiered seating right on the stage. This setup created a live backdrop with the seated audience taking part of the spectacle.
The balconies change their colour and texture, thanks to an array of LED lights to lit the set. Between the two balconies was a high resolution LED screen that shows videos and graphics for the event. Overall, it costed $1.6 million to put up the stage on each show.
4. Lady Gaga Born This Way Tour (2012-2013)
In 2012, the world saw Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way Ball’ where it featured a gothic castle and a whole lot of spectacles. She herself designed the stage and was realized by Mark Fisher.
Why it was remarkable:
It was a gigantic structure of five stories high and weighs 30 tons. It featured 400 sq.ft of LED lights and despite its grand size, it only took 6 hours to assemble the stage. That’s a great architectural and technological feat!
The gothic castle costed around $2 million to create and it costed $1 million to put them together each time.
The tour reached a whooping $181 million earning. In history, the Born this Way Ball ranked the fifth highest grossing tour by a female solo artist.
5. U2’s “The Claw” 360° Tour 2009-2011
In a span of two years over 7 Million people in 4 continents had witnessed the spectacular concert of U2’s 360° world tour. To date it is said to be the highest grossing tour in history.
According to the Daily Mail, it also bagged world records: “It was not only the biggest ever staged by a rock band, not only the most technologically innovative and the most expensive; it also featured the largest stage and the loudest sound system ever assembled for a rock ’n’ roll tour.”
Why it was remarkable:
The grand stage called “The Claw” measures 213 ft. wide, 161 ft. deep and 89ft tall. It featured a 14,000 sq.ft LED screen that can display videos from NASA Space Station and even a message from Desmond Tutu. The stage supports 250 tons of audio and visual equipment (e.g 250 loudspeakers and lights). To transport this massive production, they had to spend $750,000 a day and employ 120 trucks.
The Claw certainly dwarfed every stadium it sets foot onto. What’s surprising about this record-breaking stage is that it was conceived at Bono’s breakfast table–quite simple.
What concerts have you attended to date? Share us your best concert experience here.
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