Concert Stages: Types, Strengths and Weaknesses

 
CHOURA TEAM

CHOURA TEAM

Overview

Many people enjoy the thrill and excitement of concerts. However, it’s easy to overlook the detailed planning that goes into making these events happen. An important part of this process is selecting the right concert stages. When planning a concert, the venue and especially the type of stages used can greatly influence the experience for both the performers and the audience. There are many different types of concert stages, each with its own shape, space, and acoustics, all contributing to the overall concert experience.

To help you with this challenge, we’ve come up with a quick and easy guide to help you find the right stage for your concert. Whether you’re putting on a small community performance or a large festival, we’ll help you get the show started!

End Stages

Strengths:

  • Great for smaller venues.
  • Simple to set up and take down.

Weaknesses:

  • Not as much control over the acoustics, so the music may sound different depending on where your venue is.

End stages are fantastic for creating a raised spot for your musicians to play just about anywhere. They are really easy to set up as the stage and the scaffolding can be created off site and built out pretty much anywhere you need a stage. The flexibility of where you can set these concert stages is truly what makes the end stage a great choice!

Thrust Stages

Large concert venue showcasing a Thrust Stage in Red lights
Choura events presents a Thrust Stage

Strengths:

  • Creates an immersive experience for performers and audience members.
  • Similar to the end stage, thrust stages can be created off-site and assembled in a variety of locations.


Weaknesses:

  • Shape of the thrust stage may make it difficult to create in certain areas, making it less flexible than the end stage.

One of the best stages to use to create an experience like no other are thrust stages. With thrust stages, the audience is not relegated to just the front side of the stage. They can gather along 3 sides, as the design of thrust stages almost resemble the shape of a capital “T.” Performers can practically walk out into the crowd as they’re playing, which can be thrilling for everyone!

Arena Stages

Arena Stage elevated above a large convert crowd

Strengths:

  • Performer is surrounded on all four sides, making for a completely immersive experience for performers and audience.
  • Great for setting up in stadium venues with a lot of space for people to stand all around the stage.


Weaknesses:

  • Moving performers off and on stage can get tricky as there are no off-stage areas due to being surrounded on all four sides

Arena stages are the pinnacle of stadium concert stages. These are perfect for setting up on a football field because you can fill the entire crowd all around the stage during the concert. Like end stages, they are very easy to set up and can be placed pretty much anywhere! The trickiest thing for arena stages is that they make security and moving performers on and off the stage a bit more difficult.

Flexible Theatre Stages

Strengths:

  • Very easy to customize to the venue space.
  • Ideal for minimalist performers.


Weaknesses:

  • Rather small and difficult to light as they don’t usually come with lighting due to their small size.

As the name implies, the flexible theatre is one of the most versatile stages out there. Their small, minimalist nature allows for performers to lean into their audience engagement skills as there isn’t room for many props during the concert at all. This makes for a very intimate experience between performers and audience as there is simply a black box that the performer plays upon to entertain the crowd.

Open Air Stages

Strengths:

  • Creates a space that feels natural as there is plenty of fresh air moving throughout the theatre area.
  • You can capitalize on the beauty of the area to help provide a peaceful or fun ambiance to performers and audience alike.

Weaknesses:

  • Due to the outdoor nature, you’re often subject to the weather, causing show cancellations in the event of inclement weather.

Some of the best concert stages in the world are open air stages. A great example is Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The stage was created back in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has served as a premiere concert venue for many years. Seating is wide open and ascends up the side of a hill, giving everyone a great view of the stage. Plus, the views are absolutely phenomenal! The only bad part about open air stages like Red Rocks is that when the weather doesn’t cooperate, you’re kind of out of luck for the show.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve learned a bit more about the different types of concert stages out there, you’ll have a much better frame of reference to go off of when booking your next concert. You’ll have a way to communicate with the performers and be able to understand what their needs are and how you can meet them.

You’ll also have a better idea of which stage profiles will suit the music venue you plan on using as well. All of which will help you put on a great show that people will enjoy and create lifelong memories at! Let us know how we can help you with your next show.

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Choura Events: An Experience Company. Building pretty is easy. Building with purpose takes guts. Amongst an industry of order-takers, we don’t fit in. We find out. We’re after the moments that can’t be replicated. The events that transcend walls and transform individuals. To learn more visit us at https://www.choura.co, call us at (310) 320-6200 or email us at info@choura.co. Follow us on Social Media:

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