Another edition of Colours of Ostrava is behind us. And because most of what we do happens behind the scenes, we’re bringing to light 16 numbers, details and technical facts from this year’s festival.
1. 110 trucks
That’s roughly how many trucks of materials and equipment were needed to set up the technical infrastructure and carry out the festival program, including the equipment for each band.
2. 14 trucks + 12 tour buses. For a single stage.
That’s what Saturday’s lineup on the Main Stage looked like. It was the largest number of trucks and buses we’ve ever had to process, park, and unload in a single day.
3. 650 people in technical production
That’s roughly how many people worked in our technical department during the project. More than 300 people worked on Saturday’s program and the subsequent cleanup alone.
4. The Main Stage has grown a bit more
This year, the main structure was 1 meter taller than last year and also had a higher load-bearing capacity.
5. Over 50 metric tons hanging over the performers’ heads
The Main Stage, located directly above the performance area, had this load-bearing capacity for suspending lighting, sound equipment, LED screens, and other technical equipment.
6. From the Foo Fighters to Colours to Sziget
The Main Stage roof structure arrived here straight from the Foo Fighters concert, and after Colours, it continued on to Budapest for the Sziget Festival. The Lifecycle of Festival Structures in Practice.
7. The Black Box in the center of Dolní Vítkovice
The main structures of both the Main Stage and the Steel Stage are made of black-painted steel. It’s not just about the design—the black color minimizes light reflections and helps create an effect as close as possible to a theater black box.
8. Steel Stage in a completely new look
With our new partner, Moravia Steel, came a new stage design, which we created to reflect its identity directly in the stage’s structural design. At the same time, we wanted to highlight the contrast between the steel and the surprisingly green city of Ostrava. The result is a space that blends the city’s industrial character with its green side.
9. VIP area for 3,500 people on 5,200 m² of floor space
We began construction of the VIP area on the 6th. July. In total, we installed 5,200 m² of flooring and created facilities for approximately 3,500 visitors. In addition, part of the structure was first used by the B4L festival, and after it ended, we continued building it for Colours.
10. 30 glowing cubes on the T-Mobile Stage
This year, the T-Mobile Stage was given a new design consisting of 30 fabric cubes tailored to fit the structure. Each one had its own light source and could be controlled independently, so the entire structure became part of the stage lighting design.
11. Twenty One Pilots Over Ostrava
The idea for the performance on the sightseeing train came directly from the band. One gondola, precisely agreed-upon signals to stop the bike, and a cameraman riding alongside the performer. The biggest technical challenge was ensuring wireless transmission of both audio and video signals from a moving gondola.
12. A Drummer Where No One Expected Him
The Twenty One Pilots drum tower was part of the band’s rider. Instead of building a new structure, however, we used the existing decorative scaffolding and modified it so that the drummer would appear in a place where the audience least expected him.
13. Cacao Stage: A New Look
This year, Cacao Stage moved from the tent to the Koksovna venue. The new location required a completely new technical solution, including the structures and the hidden backstage area.
14. Preparations Never End
No sooner has one school year ended than preparations for the next one are already in full swing. While the programming team is selecting the first musical acts, we’re getting together to review this year’s festival in detail and look for ways to take next year’s Colours to the next level.
15. Three (new) partner zones
This year, in addition to the festival stages, we also set up three (new) partner zones. But we’ll tell you more about those soon.
16. Sixteen years and we’re still having fun 💛
We’ve been part of Colours of Ostrava for 16 years now. Each year’s event involves months of preparation and two intense weeks on-site. Every stage, every light, every meter of the structure, and every detail is the result of the work of hundreds of people. We would like to thank all our colleagues, partners, and suppliers—without each and every one of them, this festival, which tens of thousands of visitors will experience over the course of four days, would not have been possible.
