Beautiful moments captivate us even more intensely when they are fleeting. Philosophers have reminded us of this since ancient times, noting how quickly flowers wither after blooming or how the sun sinks below the horizon after a spectacular sunset.
It is a familiar feeling for fans of Ant Wan, the Swedish hip hop star whose brief career shone brightly before fading suddenly. For two years, Wan conquered the music scene with hits like Malaika and Komplicerat, until he surprised everyone by announcing his retirement in 2025.
Months before stepping away from public life, the 27-year-old artist gave his fans unforgettable memories when he performed at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena. A record number of attendees saw him that magical night at the iconic venue, surpassing even Madonna’s crowd. Shaping that magical atmosphere was the evocative lighting design by Jakob Larsson of Light It Production, who worked alongside artistic director Alexander Wessely.
The two collaborators created a powerful theatrical atmosphere on the large stage through a show divided into three parts: the first marked by a “cold and snow” theme, with cool colors and artificial snow effects; the second characterized by a “fire” theme, dominated by orange and red tones along with pyrotechnic effects; and the third (on a satellite stage) with peacock blue gradients and lasers evoking Sweden’s northern lights.
Each part of the show had its own visual space. The songs in the setlist were adapted to fit each of these environments. Linking all the scenes together and providing a unifying visual signature were 110 COLORado PXL Bar 16 motorized battens from CHAUVET Professional.
Larsson chose the PXL fixtures after comparing several options. “Our design included the Chauvet PXLs in every space”, he explains. “Some were placed on the floor, following the shape of the risers and creating silhouettes from behind. Others were positioned on the catwalk, forming walls of light that made the space feel more intimate. There were also units on the satellite stage, designed like a box, with box-truss structures that could descend all the way to the stage. We never used all the lights at the same time, because we wanted three theatrical scenes”, Larsson continues. “It was a huge show —13 trucks of equipment— but we tried to create smaller spaces so everything would feel more intimate”.
Contributing to that sense of intimacy, while also delivering powerful, intense looks, were the PXL fixtures arranged artistically in square configurations. “One of our main goals was to create punchy light curtains with very narrow beams”, Larsson explains. “Of course, the zoom of the PXLs and their excellent wash features also came in handy. Our programmer, Nikolaj Brink, was able to get a lot out of the fixtures. Another key person for the success of the show was our production manager, Pantea Moafi”.
Larsson, who spent three days at the Tele2 evaluating how the lighting would work in the sports arena, notes that the design and production team had months to prepare the show. Ant Wan was personally involved in the creative process, collaborating with the team on building the various visual spaces.
In the end, everything worked exactly as the team had envisioned.
It was incredible to see how we could surprise the audience again and again with each new level of the show; it’s one of the most impressive productions in Europe, says Larsson, who considers this concert a benchmark for him and his partners.
A more than fitting farewell for a bright star leaving the stage.
