ORLANDO – Acclaimed designer Steve Lieberman doesn’t mince words when talking about his approach to lighting the popular Neon Garden stage at the 2025 Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando in November. “When you spend this much time detailing geometry and defining the personality of a stage, it’s critical to highlight the shape,” he said of his 45-foot wide stage.
Defined by bold techno aggressive triangular shapes that are formed with imposing 40-foot long shipping container-like structures, tilted downward to form a chevron, the stage presents an undeniably stunning image that commands attention.
Accentuating this geometric powerhouse in light required careful attention to even the smallest details, an abundance of artful inspiration, and a potent, flexible rig. Helping Lieberman in regard to the latter was a collection of 383 CHAUVET Professional fixtures.
“We carefully placed various types of fixtures in line with the containers to follow the shape of the stage,” explained Lieberman, who worked with Forrest Hunt, executive producer at Insomniac. “Strobes, blinders, LED’s, moving lights were there to give the LDs the ability to change looks dramatically, while still maintaining the overall geometry to the stage, which is an important reflection of the Factory 93 brand,” said Lieberman.
F93 is the techno brand from the event’s producer Insomniac, and a six-foot tall mirrored black “disco diamond,” the company’s logo topped the geometric structure. “We used the diamond strategically in this year’s design,” noted Lieberman. “It is positioned prominently in the upstage center position, directly under the apex of the center ‘triangle.’
“As we moved off stage, we added design details to help create a cohesive look that broadens the stage,” continued Lieberman. “We filled the triangle void on the upstage position with a video screen; and additional screens were placed on the horizontal containers offstage left and right.”
Lieberman called on 232 ÉPIX Strip Tour linear fixtures to showcase the geometric lines of his stage. “They gave us a very refined edge detail,” he said of the one-meter RGB strips. “They offered us a bold look that didn’t overpower the audience, while highlighting the shape of the stage. They also provided us with excellent pixel-controlled details for chasing and color FX.”
While the rig’s four Rogue Outcast 2x Wash fixtures animated the DJ Booth with relentless visual energy, its 147 Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes delivered engaging audience lighting — and so much more.
“We placed the Color STRIKEs proportionally against the rig and between the other fixture types to give us full coverage of the system,” said Lieberman. “This group of lights gave us both strobe looks and also color washes for the entire environment.
“In addition to this, there was, their role in creating scenic light.” Continued Lieberman. “We set them on either side of each container. Had them in one position, and never moved them.”
Positioned this way, the Color STRIKE M fixtures illuminated the structure throughout the festival. As day moved into night, the set stood out dramatically under the light from these fixtures against the darkening sky.
As a result, said Lieberman “our set/scenic design stood visually proud.” Anyone who saw the Neon Stage live or on video, would wholeheartedly agree with that!
ÉPIX Strip Tour
Rogue Outcast 2X Wash
