PHARAOH'S ICE PALACE SHOW

Conceived for PHARAOH's stadium concert at the Ice Palace in Saint Petersburg, the project translates the artist's visual language into a monumental architectural statement centred around a single iconic gesture. 

Suspended above the stage, a 10-ton cross-shaped structure became both the visual and conceptual core of the production. Rather than carrying a religious meaning, the cross was conceived as an object of power, expressing the emotional intensity and thematic direction of PHARAOH's music while establishing the architectural identity of the show. 

Although physically static, the structure remained in constant transformation through bespoke screen content created specifically for its geometry. Visuals continuously reshaped its appearance, shifting from a solid, dominant presence into abstract and intangible forms that generated the illusion of movement without any physical motion. This constant evolution allowed the scenography to develop alongside the performance instead of remaining a fixed scenic object. 

Lighting was designed as an integral part of this visual language. Rather than simply illuminating the structure, it reinforced its scale, density and emotional weight, allowing architecture, media and light to operate as a single immersive system that evolved in sync with the music.

The technical centrepiece of the production was the suspended cross structure, weighing approximately 10 tonnes and reaching the height of a four-storey building. Its scale defined the entire stage composition and presented one of the project's most demanding engineering challenges. 

While the structure itself remained static, custom-developed media content transformed its perceived form through texture, depth and optical illusion, creating striking naked-eye effects without relying on kinetic movement. 

The lighting design was programmed to preserve the monumentality and readability of the cross throughout the performance, enhancing its architectural volume while maintaining visual clarity across the arena. 

The entire production operated on a fully timecoded workflow, synchronising lighting, video content and SFX with precision. The successful rigging and installation of the suspended 10-ton structure represented one of the production's key technical achievements. 

Credits:

Artist: PHARAOH (@coldsiemens) 

Art Direction / Lighting Design: 

Anatolii Ivanchikov (@ivvvanchikov) 

Cross Concept: 

Evgeniy Kuptsov (Dreamlaser team) (@j.e.n.y.17) 

Screen Visuals Art Direction / Broadcast Direction: 

Alexey Novikov (@novikovlexa) 

Sound (FOH / MON): 

Aleksandr Neumoin (@skripnn), Yurii Mokrousov (@soundhero) 

Technical Director: 

Nikita Ezhkov (@nikitvezh) 

Show Management: 

Ekaterina Rybalskaya (@katyarybalskaya), Christina Shikina (@chrisshik)