Manufactured within a submillimeter degree of accuracy, Stage One delivered three identical sets for Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics international tour. The steel framework was angled 15° from vertical and required pin-point precision to hold the free-standing cable net system at the desired tension. The first of its kind.

The six steel 30m truss towers were the lynchpin of the set. The truss was the foundation; together, it needed to hold over 55 tonnes of lighting, PA, and an LED halo above thousands of people. If the truss bent or deflected, the cables would slacken, and thousands of pounds of technology would be damaged. So our in-house team designed and built a jig which would hold the truss sections together as they fabricated each unit to ensure a uniformed finish.

Constructing the towers was the next technical challenge. To support the crew, our engineers developed a hydraulic system that was internally manufactured by our metal shop and would provide the crew with a semi-automated system to construct the set safely.

A hydraulic buttress system was designed into each mast and base. This allowed the team to fine tune the angle of each mast 15° from vertical. This guaranteed a high degree of accuracy and made it easier for the crew on site to manage, install, tension and de-rig the cablenet.

Once the truss masts were installed, a conventional cablenet was attached to the tops of the masts and brought to tension using a series of Stage One’s winches.

Fact File
  • 6 steel truss towers
  • 30m height of towers
  • 15 degree angle from vertical
  • 55 suspended tonnes of lighting and PA equipment

Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics tour brought together specialist companies from across the industry. Its bold construction has been celebrated for its ingenuity, and was recognised in both TPi and LSi magazines for its ability to push the boundaries of engineering for the entertainment sector.

Stage One created the main structure of the show. Although we hadn't worked with them before, they were the staging company when it comes to ceremonies and had years of experience working with cable net systems, such as in the 2012 Summer Olympics ceremony.

Production Director