TAG Supplies 264 CHAUVET Professional Fixtures For Patrick Dierson’s Ultra Main Stage Lighting Design

MIAMI - The humbling thing about pushing boundaries to the limit is that you never get there. But that, of course, is also the most rewarding thing about embarking on this never-ending pursuit.

Patrick Dierson knows this very well. For years, he has been taking the lighting design of the Ultra Main Stage to the “next level,” only to take it a step or two higher in the next iteration of the preeminent EDM festival.  His 2026 effort was no exception, as the stage design with its central diamond configuration and myriad geometric patterns provided a captivating backdrop for the performances by the likes of BZRP, Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, DJ Snake, Afrojack, and Armin van Buuren to name a few.

This year as in year’s previous, Dierson joined the quest of Ultra Music Festival’s Richard Millstein who created a stunning stage design and Technical Arts Group (TAG), which supplied and installed a powerhouse rig that featured 52 Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes and 212 COLORado PXL 16 motorized battens from CHAUVET Professional.

Speaking of his rig’s supplier, Dierson said: “Kevin Mignone and his team at TAG returned this year as our lighting, video, and rigging vendor for their third Ultra in a row. The notable growth of the company is remarkable.  This year saw some significant multi-day delays in the overall site and stage build due to drastically inclement weather. TAG made up for that lost time in spades and, in the end, were ahead of schedule and 100-percent operational upon my arrival to the site.  It really was a testament to their attention to detail and commitment to the teamwork of trying to keep an entire production on schedule.”

The Color STRIKE M served two critical functions. Some of the units were used to create two linear runs emanating offstage left and right from the stage’s center “diamond” configuration. The others were arranged around the iconic Ultra “U” truss that adorns the top center of every Ultra stage around the world.  

Described by Dierson as “the LED workhorse of the rig,” the 212 COLORado PXL16 battens were affixed to all the geometric truss shapes, mounted 90 degrees straight out toward the audience. Our Lighting Crew Chief, Scott Carpenter and FOH Technician, John Flanagan, both from TAG, directed the crew meticulously to ensure that all orientations were correct as each of the truss elements were raised.

“This fixture arrangement was one of the many vessels that are there to assist in Richard Millstein’s inspired vision,” said Dierson. “We take the geometric ideas and simply bring them to life in a way that is going to work best for all our guest artist teams.  In the end, my role is simply to be in the service of others when it comes to festivals.  Sure, I get creative input, but my prime directive is to ensure that our guests are well setup with what they need to create the best performance possible for their artists.”

Among the goals that Dierson set for this year’s Ultra lighting design was “to have a more even distribution of our lighting elements.”  This is something he says he and his team always strive to achieve, “but don’t necessarily nail down on every single design.” Maybe not… but constantly pursuing goals like this is one of the things that gives the Ultra Main Stage its special energy year after year.

About CHAUVET Professional
CHAUVET Professional offers innovative professional lighting fixtures for the production and touring market as well as permanent installation in theaters, hospitality venues, cruise ships, clubs, television and architainment applications. For more information, please visit www.chauvetprofessional.com

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