PLASA Show has unveiled its 2026 seminar programme, bringing production case studies, technical training and discussions on some of the issues transforming entertainment technology to Olympia London from 6 to 8 September.
Sponsored for the first time by Dante, the programme will address topics including sustainability, the training of new professionals, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the growing convergence of audio, video, lighting and control over networked infrastructures.
Across the three days, professionals responsible for live productions, theatres, installations and entertainment technologies will share practical experience, alongside technical and creative sessions covering lighting, audio, AV, staging structures and management.
When does it make sense to share the same network?
Dante will take part in two sessions focused on the evolution of networking within live productions.
The Economics of Convergence – When Shared Networks Make Sense in Live Sound and When They Don’t will examine an increasingly common issue in large-scale systems: when integrating audio, video, lighting and control over a single network infrastructure delivers real advantages, and when it introduces unnecessary costs or complexity.
The second session, 2 Million People, One Network – Dante at Festival Scale, will address the tools and workflows used to design and manage networks for both touring productions and major outdoor concerts.
From drones to Eurovision
The case studies will explore how productions combining television entertainment, immersive experiences, theatre and large-scale live events have been delivered.
John ‘JP’ Partridge, from Celestial, will explain the technical and creative development behind some of the UK’s largest drone shows, including projects linked to the Titanic and the company’s participation in Britain’s Got Talent 2026.
Norbert Tripp, Global Technical Director at Area Four Industries, will examine the design, engineering and installation of the ground-support structure used for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, from the earliest planning stages through to its implementation at the venue.
Another session will show how the television format The Traitors was transformed into a live immersive experience. The project combines lighting, sound and control within a scalable architecture in which performers themselves can trigger technical elements, allowing several areas to be managed simultaneously from a single control position.
Theatre, lighting and new live formats
The programme will include a session with lighting designer Aideen Malone, focusing on the creative process and challenges behind the current production of Into The Woods.
Vari-Lite pioneers Jim Bornhorst and Tom Littrell will look back at 40 years of the Series 200 and the evolution that generation of fixtures introduced to automated lighting.
The 50th anniversary of the National Theatre will also provide an opportunity to review five decades of stage technology: from early motorised systems and Lightboard consoles to video projection, LED lighting and today’s Eos control systems.
The Royal Ballet and Opera team will explain how it carried out a complete refurbishment of the Royal Opera House auditorium lighting without closing the venue for a single night.
How Eurovision 2026 was heard
Audio will also have a dedicated session with Douze Points: How The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest Set Triumphant New Standards For Audio.
The session will bring together audio professionals from Eurovision 2026 in Vienna to explain how the production simultaneously addressed the requirements of the live audience, performers, broadcasters and online viewers, while introducing new workflows and technologies into one of the most complex live productions on the international calendar.
Avatars and new forms of live performance
Avatar Advancements – The New Frontier Of Live Performance will address another trend beginning to reshape live-event design.
The session will examine the work of Unit1Studio, Brompton Technology, ROE Visual, Woodroffe Bassett Design and sound designer Richard Brooker in the development of performances based on avatars and digital environments, combining video, lighting and audio to create new forms of live experience.
Sustainability: from discussion to technical decisions
PLASA Show will dedicate three specific discussions to sustainability.
Digital Product Passports – A Headache Or Opportunity For Our Industry will examine how new product information requirements could affect manufacturers and technology companies.
Big Picture – Global Impact On Our Industry will broaden the discussion to consider how climate, the global economy, politics and supply chains could affect the industry over the next 25 years.
Meanwhile, Sustainability Reality Check – Where Does Our Industry Really Stand? will examine which sustainability measures are delivering genuine results, which remain largely statements of intent, and the extent to which the sector is meeting its public commitments.
AI, cybersecurity and new skills
Artificial intelligence and preparing the next generation of professionals will feature across several sessions.
The programme will examine training, skills development, career paths and the challenges the sector faces in attracting and retaining talent.
It will also explore AI applications beyond image generation and marketing claims, including its potential use in creative processes, business operations and product development within the entertainment technology industry.
Cybersecurity will also play a significant role. A dedicated session will address the European Union Cyber Resilience Act, its implications for manufacturers and the measures companies should begin adopting in relation to regulatory compliance and secure connected-product design.
The wider programme will include contributions from exhibitors such as ETC, d&b, Artistic Licence, PROLYTE, Robe, Polar Audio and Visualisation. Participating organisations include AVIXA, Backup Tech, The Power of Events, Bectu, ALPD, ASDP, WIL, HSE and HELA, among others.
Technology that can also be heard and tested
Outside the seminar rooms, PLASA Show will feature demonstration areas dedicated to audio, AV and projection, with participation from AbsenLive, Barco, KV2 Audio, RCF and TT+ Audio.
ChamSys will also run bookable training sessions on 6 and 7 September, focusing on MagicQ programming, MediaMaster 26, advanced show-file management and sessions with guest lighting designers.
Access to the demonstration rooms will be open, while training sessions will require advance registration.
Explore the sessions and plan your visit
All seminars will be included with PLASA Show 2026 admission and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. The official PLASA Show app will allow visitors to browse the programme and save selected sessions to help plan their visit.
