Every summer, Tomorrowland transforms the Belgian town of Boom into a world where music, storytelling, technology and imagination converge. What began as an electronic music festival has evolved into one of the world’s most ambitious live entertainment experiences, renowned not only for its artist lineup but also for pushing the boundaries of stage design and immersive production.
Among the festival’s most innovative creations is the Floating Sky above the Freedom Stage. More than a visual centerpiece, the installation turns the space above the audience into an active part of the show experience, combining motion, lighting and video to create a constantly evolving spectacle.
Bringing such an ambitious concept to life required close collaboration between multiple technology partners. For Xine Robotics, the challenge extended far beyond moving objects in the air. The entire structure needed to operate as a networked, monitored and safety-critical system capable of performing reliably above thousands of throughout the event. To meet those demands, Xine Robotics partnered with FACE, Luminex’s Belgian distributor, and selected Luminex technology as the foundation for the network infrastructure powering the installation.
For Frederik Colman, Product Manager at Xine Robotics, reliability and safety became guiding principles from the very start of the project.
The Floating Sky consists of 420 winches working together as a single synchronized system. Because the installation forms a large-scale moving structure suspended above the audience, every component had to be continuously monitored and protected against potential failures.
Xine Robotics designed the entire infrastructure around Luminex networking technology, combining GigaCore switches, LumiNode, LumiCore and fiber connectivity to create a resilient architecture supporting both motion control and safety functions.
Particular attention was given to developing a dedicated safety system. Alongside the motion control network, Xine Robotics created a custom-designed safety layer built around LumiNode 4 DIN processors integrated into purpose-built safety enclosures. The system uses ArtRDM communication to enable, disable and monitor the winches in real time while remaining independent from the emergency stop network.
According to Colman, reliable RDM performance played a decisive role in the technology selection process.
“Many devices on the market claim to support RDM, but not all of them handle the protocol consistently or according to strict timing requirements. Luminex is spot-on. It works every time, and that’s exactly what you need when you’re operating a system of this scale.” –Frederik Colman, Product Manager, Xine Robotics
The final deployment includes six GigaCore 16tf switches (of which two of the first generation – GigaCore 16RFO), LumiNodes integrated into the custom safety infrastructure, fiber connectivity and LumiCore technology to ensure resilient data transport and source redundancy throughout the installation.
Designing a reliable network is only part of the challenge. Once hundreds of moving elements are operating above a packed festival crowd, operators need complete visibility into the health of the entire system.
Monitoring capabilities are just as important as the infrastructure itself.
The network supporting the Floating Sky was designed around multiple independent network loops, ensuring communication remains available even if a connection is interrupted. Combined with real-time monitoring through Araneo, operators can continuously oversee the entire system, from front-of-house connectivity to the individual roof sections supporting the installation.
Araneo allows the team to quickly identify packet loss, locate problematic network links, detect missing devices and visualize the complete network topology from a single interface. This level of visibility significantly reduces troubleshooting time and provides confidence that the system remains fully operational throughout the show.
The result is a motion control network that combines redundancy, transparency and operational simplicity, enabling the team to proactively address issues before they affect live performances.
“For us, monitoring is one of the biggest advantages, and Araneo gives us the visibility we need. Because this is a motion system, we need to know immediately if something isn’t working as expected. Being able to identify packet loss, detect faulty cables and quickly understand how the network is structured makes troubleshooting much faster and more efficient.”– Arne Van den Broeck, System Engineer & Project Manager, SND
While the Floating Sky represents one of the most visible applications of the network infrastructure, the same Luminex ecosystem also supports day-to-day show operations across the Freedom Stage lighting system.
Throughout the festival weekend, guest lighting programmers, touring productions and house operators continuously share the same lighting infrastructure. With artist changeovers sometimes taking less than a minute, maintaining uninterrupted operation is essential.
To support these demanding workflows, Phlippo Productions deployed a lighting network built around nine GigaCore 20t, twelve LumiNode 12 and two LumiCore.
LumiCore play a particularly important role by allowing guest and house control sessions to remain active simultaneously. Instead of disconnecting one system before connecting another, operators can verify outputs, confirm connectivity and validate show files before control is transferred. This reduces risk during changeovers while providing a smoother experience for both visiting productions and the in-house technical team.
“The LumiCore do the heavy lifting for us. We can verify that everything is online and working correctly before switching, which makes life easier for both the guest operators and the house crew. Once everything checks out, it’s simply a thumbs-up and we’re ready to go.” – Toon Mertens, Lighting System Engineer, Phlippo Productions
The use of Luminex technology extends far beyond the Freedom Stage. Across Tomorrowland’s Mainstage, the network infrastructure also supports mission-critical audio transport and one of the most extensive lighting systems on the festival grounds.
As the company responsible for the design and operation of Tomorrowland’s audio systems, Noizboyz relies on GigaCore switches to support Milan-AVB transport between the Mainstage’s L-Acoustics amplifiers.
With approximately 250 meters of fiber separating front-of-house from the stage infrastructure, maintaining visibility into network performance is essential. Continuous monitoring allows the team to proactively identify abnormalities, detect fiber degradation and address potential issues before they impact audio performance.
For a production where uninterrupted audio transport is non-negotiable, that visibility provides an additional layer of confidence during live operation.
“AVB is critical for us. With around 250 meters of fiber between Front Of House and the stage, being able to monitor the network and detect potential issues before they become problems is incredibly valuable.” –Pieter Doms, Noizboyz
On the lighting side, PRG (Production Resource Group) deployed an infrastructure consisting of twelve GigaCore switches, sixteen LumiNode and approximately 1,100 lighting fixtures distributed throughout the Mainstage production.
At this scale, ease of deployment becomes just as important as performance. Centralized visibility through Araneo and the plug-and-play nature of the Luminex ecosystem simplify both commissioning and day-to-day operation, allowing technicians to spend less time troubleshooting and more time preparing the show.
Rather than dealing with complex configuration challenges during setup, the team was able to bring the entire system online quickly and efficiently.
“It’s incredibly easy to use, it’s essentially plug and play, so you barely have to think about it. It’s also easy to monitor through Araneo. We reset everything, connected it, and it worked immediately. For a project of this scale, that’s exactly what you want.” – Anne-Sophie Depickere, System Technician, PRG
At the heart of the Floating Sky is a fully redundant Luminex ecosystem combining GigaCore switches, LumiNode, LumiCore and Araneo network management software. The infrastructure connects and monitors 420 winches, while dedicated safety networks based on ArtRDM provide independent control and supervision of the motion system. Multiple network loops, fiber connectivity and real-time monitoring ensure uninterrupted operation and immediate visibility of network events, providing the reliability required for a large-scale kinetic installation operating directly above thousands of festival visitors.
Beyond the Floating Sky, Luminex technology supports critical infrastructure across multiple Tomorrowland stages and technical disciplines. From motion control and safety systems to lighting networks and Milan-AVB audio transport, the Luminex ecosystem provides the reliability, visibility and redundancy required to keep productions running smoothly. Whether enabling rapid show changeovers, monitoring large-scale AV networks or supporting safety-critical operations, Luminex helps ensure that the show can go on without interruption.