Pufferfish take the stage with Coldplay

Positioned on-stage are five 10k lumen PufferSphere XLs, each driven with a single Barco CLM R10 projector and using a 2m screen, while front-of-house is suspended one custom-built 20k lumen PufferSphere, driven with a Christie Roadster and using a 3m screen.

Content for the PufferSpheres is a mix of live-feed footage of the band on stage, provided by XL Video's expert team, and Viva La Vida motion graphics produced by Justine Catterall.

The content is managed by four Green Hippo HD Hippotizer V3s, each with Green Hippo's Pufferizer Plug-In, to create warped and aligned 360° projections. The Hippotizers are stationed backstage and controlled via Green Hippo's ZooKeeper remote software from Miles' GrandMA Lite desk.

The five PufferSphere XLs are suspended from 10 half-tonne fixed speed hoists, controlled via a 10-way Kinesys fixed speed automation system with Vector control. This allows them to move up and down during the show, appearing and disappearing from ‘sock'-style soft elements.

The single central 3m PufferSphere, nicknamed ‘Big Bertha', acts as a static 360° video screen in the middle of the arena, offering an alternative to the more conventional flat-screen-behind-the-band concert staple.

Having a single projector with an integrated optics system, the movement of the smaller spheres can take place without the need for projector-tracking, edge-blending and warping envelopes. The single integrated source uses no mirrors or secondary lenses, so eliminating the risk of decalibration during the show. Pufferfish's SuperUmami optics keep the video sharp, clear and the colours true, with outstanding pixel distribution across the entire sphere.

Using air-inflated spheres with lightweight aluminium frames eliminates the cost of transporting six large, heavy spherical structures. Each PufferSphere XL weighs 125kg and packs down into two transportable flight cases.