DISCOVER OUR SHOP!

NEW WAVE

AMSTERDAM

Ten years after New Wave reshaped the Dutch hip-hop scene, the landmark album returned to the stage in a series of five sold-out performances at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome. More than a reunion concert, the production became a celebration of an album that transcended music to become a defining cultural moment for an entire generation.

Originally conceived during a writing camp on one of the Dutch islands in 2015, New Wave brought together a collective of emerging artists whose collaboration would permanently influence the sound and identity of contemporary Dutch hip-hop. A decade later, those artists—now among the country's most successful performers—reunited for an ambitious live production that translated the project's legacy into a powerful visual experience.

At the heart of the scenography was a monumental wave, conceived by creative director Yousef Gnaoui and creative producer Stijn Kierkels as the show's defining architectural gesture. More than a scenic backdrop, the wave became the central narrative element of the production, drawing inspiration from the island landscape where the album was born while symbolising the enduring cultural influence that New Wave continues to have on Dutch music and youth culture.

The sculptural structure rose 14 metres above the stage and incorporated more than 500 square metres of LED surface seamlessly integrated into its flowing form. Designed as both an architectural object and a dynamic media canvas, the wave continuously evolved throughout the performance, shifting between abstract visual compositions, water-inspired imagery, bespoke graphic content and artist-specific visuals.

Lighting played an equally fundamental role in defining the installation. More than 500 lighting fixtures were embedded within and around the structure, accentuating its contours and transforming its appearance from subtle, atmospheric landscapes to high-energy concert moments. Rather than treating lighting as an independent layer, the design integrated it directly into the scenic architecture, allowing the wave itself to become a living, breathing element of the performance.

The sense of movement extended well beyond the stage. Two suspended lighting lines, each stretching 54 metres into the arena, projected the geometry of the wave deep into the audience. Constructed from 212 Chauvet COLORado PXL Curves and 212 ACME Pixel Lines, these linear structures visually dissolved the boundary between performers and spectators, reinforcing the immersive scale of the production while creating a continuous dialogue between stage and venue.

Across the two-hour performance, sixteen artists occupied the evolving landscape created by the scenography, with video, lighting and architecture working as a single visual language rather than as separate production disciplines. The result was an environment capable of constantly adapting to different performances while maintaining a strong and recognisable visual identity.

By merging scenic design, lighting and digital content into one unified architectural gesture, the production transformed a commemorative concert into an immersive spatial experience. The monumental wave became both a tribute to the album's origins and a physical manifestation of its lasting influence—an iconic stage design that reflected not only where New Wave began, but also the remarkable legacy it continues to leave on Dutch music and culture.