Publish Time: 2026-07-22 Origin: Site
A large stadium concert stage may appear to be a collection of visual elements:
Giant LED screens.
Powerful line array speakers.
Complex lighting systems.
Large roof structures.
Audience platforms.
FOH towers.
Relay speaker towers.
However, from an engineering perspective, the most important question is not only how these components are installed, but:
How are the loads created by these heavy systems transferred safely through temporary structures and finally into the ground?
During the construction of the 2026 Guangzhou Pearl Beer Festival Music Festival, many different heavy systems were integrated into one temporary event infrastructure.
The project included:
A hydraulic main-stage roof.
Large Ringlock structures.
Multiple LED walls.
Suspended line-array systems.
Large lighting trusses.
FOH control structures.
Relay speaker towers.
Temporary stage systems.
Each component created different types of loads.
Some created mainly vertical loads.
Some created dynamic loads.
Some created overturning forces caused by wind or suspended equipment.
A safe concert structure depends on understanding the complete load path.
The engineering principle can be summarized as:
Equipment
↓
Support Structure
↓
Primary Structure
↓
Base System
↓
Ground Protection
↓
Existing Stadium SurfaceThe equipment itself is only the beginning of the load system.
A stadium concert contains many large components, but their structural requirements are different.
The same support method cannot be used everywhere.
Equipment | Location | Approximate Scale | Main Support Method |
|---|---|---|---|
Main LED Screen | Rear of main stage | 20m × 16m | Stage platform |
Side LED Screens | Both sides of stage | Each 20m × 16m | Ringlock structure |
FOH LED Screens | Audience area | 14m × 10m | FOH Ringlock structure |
Main Line Array | Front of stage | 16 cabinets per side | Apron cantilever beam |
Relay Speaker Tower | Stadium center | 12 cabinets per side | Independent tower structure |
Moving Beam Lighting | Curved stage trusses | 36 units | Aluminium curved truss |
Strobe Lighting | Curved stage trusses | 36 units | Aluminium curved truss |
Roof Lighting | Main roof truss | 4 groups | Roof rigging system |
Hoisting Motors | Roof system | 42 motors | Roof structure |
This table shows an important engineering principle:
The heavier the equipment is, the more important the support path becomes.
A 10-ton LED wall and a 10-ton speaker system do not necessarily require the same structural solution.
The location, height, wind exposure and dynamic behaviour determine the correct design.
In permanent buildings, loads are usually transferred through columns, beams and foundations.
Temporary event structures follow the same engineering logic, but the systems are modular and removable.
Every load must have a controlled path.
For example:
LED Cabinet
↓
Support Beam
↓
Ringlock / Stage Structure
↓
Base Plate + Adjustable Jack
↓
Ground Protection
↓
Stadium SurfaceSpeaker System
↓
Rigging Hardware
↓
Truss / Beam
↓
Main Structural Frame
↓
Base System
↓
GroundWater Tank
↓
Support Platform
↓
Ringlock Ledger System
↓
Vertical Standard
↓
Base Jack
↓
Ground ProtectionThe purpose of engineering is not only to support weight.
It is to control where the weight travels.
Large LED screens are among the most visible heavy loads in a concert venue.
However, different LED locations require different structural solutions.
During this project, three different LED support methods were observed.
The main background LED screen was approximately:
Width: 20m
Height: 16m
Unlike suspended LED systems, this screen was installed directly on the main stage platform.
Its load path was:
LED Cabinet
↓
Stage Support System
↓
Stage Deck
↓
Ringlock Stage Structure
↓
Base System
↓
GroundThis method has several advantages:
Shorter load transfer path.
Easier maintenance.
Reduced roof loading.
Better stability for a large rear screen.
The main LED does not need to be supported by the roof because the stage itself provides a direct structural platform.
The two side LED structures were significantly different.
Each side was approximately:
Width: 20m
Height: 16m
They were installed on large Ringlock structures.
The observed side Ringlock dimensions were approximately:
Height: 21m
Width: 24m
Depth: 6m
These Ringlock systems were not simple screen holders.
They also supported:
Line arrays.
Lighting equipment.
Maintenance access.
Technical working areas.
The load path became:
LED Screen
↓
Steel Square Tube Support Beam
↓
Ringlock Ledger
↓
Ringlock Standard
↓
Base Plate
↓
Adjustable Jack
↓
Ground ProtectionThe steel square tubes at the bottom of the LED structure were used to:
Level the LED cabinets.
Distribute the cabinet load.
Reduce alignment errors.
The installation logic of LED screens on Ringlock structures is discussed further in:
How To Install And Fix LED Screens on Ringlock Truss
and
How To Install LED Display on The Ringlock Truss System
The FOH structure also carried large LED screens.
The FOH Ringlock structure was approximately:
Height: 20m
Width: 14m
Depth: 8m
Because the FOH is located inside the audience area, its structural requirements are different from the main stage.
It must support:
LED screens.
Camera platforms.
Control equipment.
Operators.
Technical platforms.
The FOH system is therefore a multifunctional temporary structure.
More details about FOH structures can be found in:
Audio systems create unique structural requirements.
Unlike LED screens, line arrays are suspended.
Their loads include:
Vertical weight.
Dynamic movement.
Rigging forces.
Wind influence.
The main stage used line arrays suspended from the front apron structure.
Observed configuration:
Two main suspension positions.
16 cabinets per side.
The load path was:
Line Array
↓
Rigging Hardware
↓
Apron Cantilever Beam
↓
Main Roof Structure
↓
Primary Columns
↓
Base System
↓
GroundThe suspension point cannot simply be selected because it is visually convenient.
It must connect to a structural member capable of transferring the load.
Relay speaker towers create another type of engineering challenge.
They are tall, slender structures exposed to:
Speaker weight.
Wind loads.
Overturning moments.
The observed relay towers were approximately:
Height: 20m.
12 line-array cabinets per side.
Located near the middle area of the stadium.
Their load path was:
Line Array
↓
Tower Top Structure
↓
Vertical Tower Sections
↓
Diagonal Bracing
↓
Tower Base
↓
Ballast + Guy Wire System
↓
GroundThe tower stability did not rely only on the vertical structure.
It depended on the complete system:
Tower geometry.
Diagonal braces.
Water ballast.
Guy wires.
Base extensions.
More information:
Why Are Relay Speaker Towers Needed?
Lighting equipment is often underestimated because individual fixtures may not appear extremely heavy.
However, large concerts use many fixtures concentrated in specific areas.
This creates significant local loads.
Under the main roof, three semi-curved trusses were installed.
They supported:
36 moving beam fixtures.
36 strobe fixtures.
The load path was:
Lighting Fixture
↓
Curved Aluminium Truss
↓
Suspension Point
↓
Roof / Stage Structure
↓
Primary Support SystemThe truss does not only carry the weight of the fixtures.
It also transfers:
Dynamic movement forces.
Installation loads.
Cable loads.
The roof system also carried lighting equipment.
Observed configuration:
Four lighting groups.
Each group:
14 cutting lights.
14 beam lights.
Additionally:
42 motors.
Seven groups.
Six motors per group.
The roof was therefore designed not only as weather protection.
It was also a production support structure.
This is why the roof height, structural strength and rigging preparation must be considered together.
Large Ringlock structures were used extensively in this project.
They supported:
LED screens.
Audio systems.
Technical platforms.
Access areas.
The two major side Ringlock structures were approximately:
Height: 21m.
Width: 24m.
Depth: 6m.
The FOH Ringlock structure was approximately:
Height: 20m.
Width: 14m.
Depth: 8m.
A Ringlock structure distributes loads through multiple connected members.
The load path is:
Platform / Equipment
↓
Ledger System
↓
Vertical Standards
↓
Base Jack
↓
Ground Protection
↓
GroundThe stability depends on:
Vertical standards.
Horizontal ledgers.
Diagonal braces.
Connection strength.
Base adjustment.
The fundamentals of Ringlock engineering are explained in:
What Is a Steel Ringlock Structure? Applications, Advantages and Event Uses
and
What is steel Ringlock truss and what are its main features
Ballast is another important part of temporary structure engineering.
During this project, water tanks were used for stability control.
Observed configuration:
Capacity: approximately 1 cubic metre.
Location: bottom level of Ringlock structures.
Spacing: approximately every 4 metres.
All tanks installed with supporting platforms.
A common mistake is placing water tanks directly on Ringlock ledgers.
This creates concentrated local pressure.
The correct load path is:
Water Tank
↓
Steel Plank / Platform
↓
Ringlock Ledger
↓
Vertical Standard
↓
Base System
↓
GroundThe supporting platform must:
Have enough area.
Distribute the load.
Prevent ledger bending.
Maintain stability.
The tank should also ideally include:
Pallet base.
Forklift access points.
This allows safer transportation and positioning.
A temporary concert structure is built inside an existing stadium.
The ground is therefore part of the engineering system.
The observed protection layers were:
Stadium Surface
↓
Waterproof Plastic Sheet
↓
Anti-slip Felt
↓
Plastic Modular Floor
↓
Steel Plate (Heavy Load Area)
↓
Temporary StructureOn grass areas, additional modular plastic flooring was used.
The purpose was:
Load distribution.
Surface protection.
Stable working conditions.
Reduced point pressure.
A structure may be strong enough, but if the ground beneath cannot receive the load safely, the entire system becomes unsafe.
The main stage itself is also a heavy load system.
Observed stage height:
Approximately 2 metres.
The structure followed a standard Ringlock stage configuration with:
Vertical supports.
Cross braces.
Base adjustment systems.
The load path:
Stage Surface
↓
Deck Frame
↓
Ringlock Support
↓
Cross Bracing
↓
Base Jack
↓
Ground ProtectionThe stage must support:
Performers.
Instruments.
Equipment.
LED systems.
Moving loads.
One of the biggest misunderstandings about event construction is:
If the structure is strong, why not put the equipment anywhere?
Because strength alone is not enough.
Engineers must consider:
A 1-ton load in the centre of a structure is different from a 1-ton load at the edge.
A small contact area creates higher local pressure.
The load must enter through designed members.
The surface below must also receive the load.
Some loads create overturning forces rather than only downward pressure.
For example:
A water tank.
A speaker tower.
A suspended LED frame.
All require different solutions.
Large event structures always involve balancing different requirements.
Engineering Choice | Purpose |
|---|---|
Aluminium roof system | Reduce dead load while maintaining strength |
Ringlock structure | Flexible high-capacity modular support |
Steel support beams | Improve LED alignment and load distribution |
Ballast tanks | Increase stability against movement |
Ground protection system | Protect stadium surface and distribute pressure |
Adjustable bases | Correct uneven ground conditions |
The goal is not to make every component stronger.
The goal is to create a complete, balanced system.
Heavy equipment management is one of the most important parts of large concert engineering.
The challenge is not simply supporting weight.
It is controlling how every load travels:
From:
LED cabinets.
Speakers.
Lighting fixtures.
Roof systems.
Platforms.
Ballast tanks.
Through:
Trusses.
Ringlock structures.
Beams.
Columns.
Base systems.
Into:
Ground protection.
Stadium surfaces.
A successful temporary concert structure is therefore not built by adding stronger components randomly.
It is created by designing a complete load-transfer system.
In large event engineering, safety does not come from one strong element. It comes from every load having a clear and controlled path from equipment to ground.
FOSHAN DRAGON STAGE
No.7,Xiaxi Industrial Area,Heshun,Nanhai District,Foshan,528241,Guangdong,China.
+86 136 3132 8997