Bavaria is a stronghold of Germany's great beer tradition, and from summer to fall, hosts many local beer fests, including a major 10 day event in the picturesque city of Erding - the 71st Herbstfest. This features two huge beer tents which are installed by local breweries, complete with full fairgrounds with carousels, roller coasters and other rides and attractions.

Erdinger Weissbräu is the world's largest, privately owned wheat beer brewery and exports its products to connoisseurs in over 80 countries. The giant, 3,600-seater Erdinger Herbstfest beer tent acts as an annual business hub and hosts many international guests, pulling a lively, hip, young local audience.

This year Erdinger Weissbräu really wanted to boost the event's production values, which sees many popular bands playing live, offering up an eclectic mix of music, anything from oom-pah to AC/DC!

They decided to hire a professional lighting and sound system for the beer tent's main stage for the first time as part of a major upgrade to the tent. This ensured optimum sound control - with strict 90bB limits at FOH in place – as well as excellent sound quality and distribution throughout the tent and provided dynamic and eye-catching stage lighting. An emergency lighting system was also part of the new technical production package.

Limelight Veranstaltungstechnik is a leading supplier of event technology in Southern Germany and a member of the AV Alliance (www.limelight-veranstaltungstechnik.de).

They provided a full Robe moving light rig comprising 10 ColorSpot 575 E ATs and 10 ColorWash 575 E ATs, plus a number of ARRI white light sources used for key lighting and LED battens for eye-candy, all controlled by a grandMA light.

The lights were rigged all over a ground support system built around the stage with custom elements to maximise the height and shape of the tent and its apex roof space. The elegant design also blended in nicely with the surroundings.

Freelance lighting designer Jürgen Lehmann operated the system every day for the duration of the event, and liaised with all the various bands' technicians and management to ensure that they received - in technical terms - the style and type of shows they wanted. He commented that using the Robe fixtures, it was very easy to satisfy everyone's requirements as he had so many options at his fingertips. 

He used the ColorWash 575E ATs to create effects like slow colour swipes and shifts across the stage, and the ColorSpots to build the atmosphere with colourful and visually exciting beam work. Robe fixtures were specified for the event by Limelight because of their reliability and because Robe's 575 range was a perfect choice in terms of size and power for that particular stage and setting.

Limelight’s Managing Director Oliver Lembke and Robe lighting SRO’s Sales Director Harry von den Stemmen - born, bred and living in Erding as it happens -  met for the first time and chatted about the installation.

Oliver says, “This year having a good quality flexible sound and lighting system was essential to help raise the profile of the event, and Limelight was extremely proud to be involved. We really enjoyed working with the Erdinger Weissbräu team and all the various bands.”

Harry von den Stemmen, was very pleased to find Robe equipment in the beer tent - initially by surprise - when he walked in with his friends in the  midst of an afternoon's relaxation!

Some quick research and investigation revealed Limelight, clients of Robe’s German distributor LMP, as the supplier.

After speaking to the Brewery’s Export Director, Mrs. Waltraud Kaiser and Marketing Director, Mr. Wolfgang Kuffner, Harry says "It was clear that we needed to produce some PR on the event and the application, as I think it's the first report to date about Robe being used in a beer tent production environment. The results were spectacular - taking the whole live music presentation element and the overall vibe of each day of the festival up a level".

The 2011 Erdinger Herbstfest has been hailed as the best to date, assisted by the best weather of the entire summer!

The new sound and lighting systems were extremely well received, with many positive comments from both bands and audience, setting a precedent of excellence and production levels which can be built on for the future.

Photo credits: Philipp Klak