Since its opening in October last year, Arena Guadalajara has continued to impress. And it is easy to see why: it is the second-largest arena in Mexico. With a modern design and a capacity of 20,000 people, it stands out against the landscape thanks to its 17-metre circular roof, which creates a striking silhouette against the sky.
When Gloria Trevi’s Celebration Tour arrived at the new venue this summer, the team at UpStage Creative Studio and Lighting Designer Julio “Jules” Moreno knew what possibilities the space offered — and they were delighted with them.
From the beginning, we sought to make the most of the venue’s available height to create a greater sense of scale and spectacle. The horizontal distribution of the structure made it possible to create layers of lighting, scenic depth and a much more impactful visual presence. This was especially valuable during the most intense moments of the show, explained Moreno.
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The design team made the most of this opportunity and created a stunning production that stood out even by the high standards of the Celebration Tour. The setup included multi-level risers, striking special effects, colourful lighting, perfectly timed atmospheric effects and powerful video elements.
This visually rich production seamlessly surrounded Gloria Trevi’s performance, which featured numerous costume changes, live mariachi renditions of classics such as Esa hembra es mala and timeless hits such as 5 minutos.
Playing a key role in creating this visual display were 122 Color STRIKE M units and 40 STRIKE Array 4 blinders from CHAUVET Professional, supplied by LED Proyect. The entire show was controlled using two ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M consoles — one main and one backup — which provided the power and flexibility required for a production of this scale.
The Color STRIKE M and STRIKE Array 4 units were distributed between overhead and floor positions to create a combination of front, side and effects lighting. Side lighting was essential to the design. In addition to adding volume and depth, it made it possible to visually separate Gloria from the background and better highlight her movements and expressions. Combined with overhead lighting, it helped create more elegant, photographic and visually appealing images for both the audience and the cameras, noted Moreno.
Speaking about the fixtures used in the rig, Moreno explained: “The STRIKE Array 4 units were used to create visual impacts, finales, audience interaction moments and high-emotion sections. Meanwhile, the Color STRIKE M units provided colour, power and versatility through their pixel-mapping system, while also reinforcing the energy and scenic impact”.
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Moreno paid particular attention to colour, coordinating the palette with the mood of each song. He also ensured that the lighting blended seamlessly with the varied imagery displayed on the 20-metre-wide main video wall. This ranged from live images to large compositions featuring the artist’s name and graphics of objects such as cars.
The video content was designed to complement the emotion and energy of each moment of the show. We relied on live images to maintain the connection with the audience. We also used imagery from nature to create more intimate and relaxed atmospheres, as well as abstract patterns to add dynamism during the most intense moments, explained Moreno.
Although the Guadalajara design incorporated additional elements thanks to the size of the venue, Moreno noted that the show “maintains the same visual concept and production design used throughout the ‘Celebration Tour’”. Therefore, fans who see this iconic artist during her world tour can expect a true visual spectacle.
