Vanemuine, the oldest and most visited theatre in Estonia, based in Tartu, has invested in new Robe moving lights as part of the Green Turn initiative, which is driving the sector’s transition towards LED stage lighting.
Under the technical direction of Andres Sarv, head of lighting at Vanemuine, all three auditoriums —the main building, the small building and the Harbour Theatre (black box)— have incorporated Robe lighting technology through a planned investment over the years, with the latest phase focused on the adoption of LED luminaires.
This has resulted in the addition of 14 T1 Profiles, 14 T2 Profiles, 11 T11 Profiles, 8 LEDBeam 350s, 8 LedPOINTES, six iParFect 150 FQW RGBW units and four T32 Cyc Slims to Vanemuine’s lighting inventory.
All these fixtures, along with other equipment, are now available to the theatre’s lighting department for in-house productions, touring shows, as well as visiting lighting designers working on national and international productions.
Many of the new fixtures were used in the acclaimed 2025 production of La bohème, with lighting design by Swedish designer Palle Palmé. Although primarily installed in the main building —dedicated to the most complex productions— they can be redistributed between the three venues as needed and even used for touring productions.
Two RoboSpot systems have also been added to the main building —supplied, like the rest of the LED fixtures, by Tallinn-based distributor E&T Valgus— although these are not directly part of the Green Turn investment. However, they can be used with many Robe fixtures, providing greater flexibility and improved follow-spot angles.
Vanemuine has been using Robe equipment for at least 14 years, and the new additions have also enabled the replacement of older fixtures such as MMX Spots and 600E Spots, which were still operational but have now been upgraded across all venues with more powerful, efficient and modern solutions.
In some cases, earlier fixtures such as LEDWash 1200 units remain in active use, particularly for backlighting and effects. Andres highlights this reliability and longevity as a key asset and one of the reasons they continue to rely on the brand.
The small building already had T1 fixtures in its rig, while in the Harbour Theatre, older DLX Spots —in use since 2013— have been partially replaced by new units, joining the existing LEDWash 600 fixtures and other conventional lighting equipment.
The new LedPOINTES, more versatile than purely theatrical fixtures, will mainly remain in the main building, where they are ideal for musicals and, according to Andres, offer excellent value for money. He also highlights the optics of the LEDBeam 350 as excellent for theatre use and values the additional power provided by the T2 units.
For Andres, Robe’s T-Series is well suited to any performance space:
The breadth of the T-Series range is fantastic, there is a fixture to cover multiple needs, and Robe provides a very consistent solution in terms of light quality and colour management.
He also emphasises the potential of the T32 Cyc Slim fixtures to deliver smooth, even and rich coverage for cycloramas and set pieces, allowing the replacement of 12 heavier conventional luminaires.
Andres recalls that in 2001, Palle Palmé was the first guest lighting designer to use newly installed moving lights in the main building, and in 2025 he marked another milestone by working with the new T2 Profiles in the same venue.
The Vanemuine lighting team consists of 10 professionals working across the three venues. While the theatre primarily presents stage productions and orchestral concerts, the production pace is highly dynamic.
For this reason, lighting systems must be flexible and versatile, and Robe products currently deliver creative value and reliability, supported by the important local service of E&T Valgus.
Founded in 1870, the Estonian National Theatre Vanemuine is internationally recognised for its diverse programme, including theatre, opera, ballet, large-scale musicals and orchestral concerts. In 2026, Vanemuine and Eesti Kontsert will present Richard Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring of the Nibelung at the Saaremaa Opera Festival, starting with Das Rheingold. The full cycle will be completed in the following years under the direction of Dutch director and set designer Michiel Dijkema.
