Heaton Park Music Festival Main Stage
Massive event scaffolding for a 40,000-capacity music festival main stage at Heaton Park. The structure included a 25m wide stage deck, lighting rigs, sound towers, VIP viewing platforms, and artist backstage access.
25m
Stage Width
25 tonnes
Load Supported
4.5 days
Build Time
40,000
Audience Capacity
The Challenge
The main stage needed to support 25 tonnes of lighting, sound, and LED screen equipment while accommodating 40,000 audience members in front. The build window was just 5 days before the festival opened. Weather contingency was critical — Manchester's summer can bring rain and wind that would shut down a poorly designed stage. Artist safety and backstage access also required dedicated scaffold structures.
Our Solution
We designed a custom truss scaffold stage using heavy-duty Cuplok with reinforced base plates on compacted ground. The 25m stage deck was engineered to 5kN/m2 with integrated lighting trusses and sound tower supports. A separate backstage scaffold provided green rooms, catering access, and emergency evacuation routes. Guy ropes and wind bracing were rated to 70mph. A full structural engineer's certificate was provided before the festival licence was granted.
The Result
The stage was built in 4.5 days — half a day ahead of the 5-day deadline. It supported the full production load flawlessly across the 3-day festival. Heavy rain on day 2 caused no structural concerns. The festival organisers reported this as their most reliable stage build in 8 years of events. VIP platforms received praise from performers and sponsors alike.
Before
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After
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"Bee Scaffolding built our main stage faster and stronger than any contractor we have worked with. The structural certificate gave our insurers complete confidence, and the VIP platforms were flawless. They are now our first call for every Manchester festival."
Emma Lewis
Production Director, Manchester Festivals Ltd