At the heart of U2’s stunning show, viewed extensively by hundreds of thousands of fans at iconic venues accross the world, is the giant in-the-round stage, built by Belgian staging specialists Stageco, supporting 170 tons of giant screens, audio and lighting. The U2 tour began in June 2009, and spanning three years, took the stage and our crew to locations in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This is one of the largest stages ever toured in any field of entertainment. The structure’s central grid is raised 28 metres high, with legs traversing the width of the famous pitches, while a central antenna reaches as high as 51 metres. The stage’s four legs arch out gracefully to embrace the audience, giving unprecedented and extensive access to the superstars, while its gargantuan proportions echo those of the legendary stadia it sits in, carrying the band’s performance to every seat in the house. The Stageco steel structure weighs 220 tons, excluding both the 90 tons of steel ballast that travels with each system and the rigging loads. Stageco has produced three identical systems for the band’s world tour, each one taking a specialist Stageco team five days to erect (four days of Stageco building plus one day of production) and another two days to dismantle, before being packed onto 38 trucks for transportation to the next venue.
Stageco United States