The Ultra Main Stage 2026 once again stands out for its ambitious lighting design, featuring a large-scale technical deployment developed by Patrick Dierson in collaboration with CHAUVET Professional and Technical Arts Group (TAG).
Patrick Dierson returns to lead the lighting design for the main stage at Ultra Music Festival, consolidating a continuous evolution with each edition of the event. For 2026, his proposal is based on a scenic concept built around a central diamond-shaped configuration and a complex composition of geometric patterns, creating a high-impact visual environment for performances. This design supported artists such as BZRP, Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, DJ Snake, Afrojack, and Armin van Buuren, among others, reinforcing the Ultra Main Stage’s role as a global benchmark in live electronic music production.
This year, as in previous editions, Dierson joined forces with Ultra Music Festival’s Richard Millstein, who was responsible for the stage design, alongside Technical Arts Group (TAG), which supplied and installed a powerful system that included 52 Color STRIKE M units (motorized strobe-washes) and 212 COLORado PXL 16 motorized battens from CHAUVET Professional.
Kevin Mignone and his team at TAG returned this year as our lighting, video, and rigging vendor for their third consecutive Ultra. The company’s notable growth is impressive. This year saw significant multi-day delays in the overall site and stage build due to adverse weather conditions. TAG more than made up for that lost time and, in the end, were ahead of schedule and 100-percent operational when I arrived on site. It was a demonstration of their attention to detail and commitment to teamwork in keeping the production on track, said Dierson.
The Color STRIKE M units fulfilled two key functions. Some fixtures were used to create two linear runs extending toward stage left and right from the central “diamond” configuration. Others were arranged around the iconic Ultra “U” structure located at the top center of the stage.
Described by Dierson as “the LED workhorse of the rig”, the 212 COLORado PXL16 battens were mounted on all geometric truss structures at a 90-degree angle facing the audience. Lighting Crew Chief Scott Carpenter and FOH Technician John Flanagan, both from TAG, directed the crew with precision to ensure correct orientation as each truss element was raised.
This fixture arrangement is one of the many elements that help bring Richard Millstein’s inspired vision to life. We take the geometric ideas and translate them in the way that works best for the guest artist teams. Ultimately, my role is to be in service to others when it comes to festivals. I do contribute creatively, but my primary objective is to ensure our guests have what they need to deliver the best possible performance, explained Dierson.
Among the goals Dierson set for this year’s lighting design was achieving a more even distribution of lighting elements. As he explains, this is an ongoing objective for his team, although it is not always fully achieved in every project. It is precisely this continuous pursuit that helps maintain the distinctive energy of the Ultra Main Stage year after year.
