Hot on the heels of their headline Coachella set with The Weeknd and the trio’s first US tour in close to a decade, Swedish House Mafia and their new-look production team descended on UK and European venues, presenting a ‘rave inside an arena’-inspired live experience with all the bells and whistles that audiences have come to expect from Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso’s live shows. This time around, that included a giant, automated concrete circle sandwiched between two circular lighting rigs, 550 hits of pyrotechnics, lasers, low fog and special effects aplenty, in addition to the thumping, bass-driven sound system.
Swedish House Mafia return to the road with a ‘rave in an arena’
Having successfully navigated the pathway from the other side of the Atlantic to Manchester’s AO Arena for the first show of the UK and Europe campaign, TPi uncovers the challenges of staging this ambitious production. Photo: Alden Bonecutter