4Wall, LD Chris Lisle, and Previs & Chill Light up Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival

Orlando, FL - Festival season came alive as 4Wall Entertainment delivered a striking lighting package for Chris Lisle's Be and Now Stages at Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. The year's first Previs & Chill activation was also launched, igniting the way for an exciting season ahead. 
 
Held at Sunshine Grove in Okeechobee, Florida, the 4-day festival celebrated its 10-year anniversary and championed a multi-genre lineup. To ensure a great visual experience for attendees, the festival's show producers and production team enlisted the help of Lisle to craft the designs for its stages.

"This is my first year working at Okeechobee, and it's always fun to do a new project and get into your creative box to figure out something cool and unique," he stated. "When I'm designing for stages like this, I'm looking at stage size and budget, which are two major factors, but I'm also looking at the lineup and who's going to be on that stage." 

Discussions with the festival team began in the fall of 2025, with Lisle utilizing WYSIWYG to experiment with a structure he had never done before. Over the course of six months, he collaborated with producers to conceptualize rigs that upheld the festival's branding, drafted new plots that implemented 4Wall Orlando's lighting package, and created MVR files for musical acts.  

Featuring 16 different fixture types, the lighting package for the Be and Now Stages was artfully curated to complement a mixture of artists across various genres. 

"We have a mixture of rock bands, rap, and lots of EDM," he explained. "I needed to come up with a rig that really captured any of these genres and what those LDs might need for their shows." 

The Be & Now Stages

The Be Stage served as the festival's main stage, hosting artists such as Knock2, T-Pain, and LCD Soundsystem. It carried 10 different fixture types, with its defining feature being Lisle's robust use of U-Torm truss to create three proscenium arches - two of which carried blinder fixtures, while the third held strobes.  
 
"This rig has 76 Chauvet Strike Array 4 blinder fixtures -  definitely the workhorse of the rig for sure in terms of the visuals out front," Lisle elaborated. "In addition to those, we have 35 Chauvet Color Strike Ms. They're a great fixture. I always look for IP65-rated fixtures, and these are also workhorses in these genres right now." 

94 Elation Proteus Hybrids were also deployed to fully encapsulate the stage's dynamic, versatile structure. 
 
"They're divided amongst three trusses - the A, C, and E trusses, and they're in a straight line, so we can do big, bold bands out in the crowd," he added. "We also have them out in the wings to help accent the stage." 


 
For key lighting, Lisle utilized 4 Elation Proteus Maximus fixtures on DJs and bands, as well as 6 Robe iForte LTX Followspots, and 2 iForte Followspots - while Proteus Lucius fixtures were implemented to support the stage's side lighting. 
 
"We also used 38 ETC High End SolaPix fixtures," he added. "They're a wash fixture, and this is my first time with it. They're super bright, have a tight beam, and look really cool. We also have some Vari-Lite VL3600s sprinkled within the rig to do big, bold punches." 

 
In contrast, the Now Stage specialized in EDM acts such as Alison Wonderland, Big Gigantic, and Disco Biscuits. The rig, consisting of 8 fixture types, shared several fixture types with the Be Stage. Lisle selected Ayrton Perseo Beam, Chauvet Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash and Maverick Storm 2 Profile, Chauvet Rogue Outcast 1L Beam, and Elation Proteus Rayzor Blade L fixtures to fully embody the music genre's frenetic energy.

Lisle's History With 4Wall

With Lisle's history as a longtime collaborator and friend of 4Wall, his experience of designing stages for his first Okeechobee was seamless.  

"It's a home run every time," he said. "They always send great leadership to oversee the installation of the rig, making sure that the crew is taken care of, and that they have the information they need to build it safely and efficiently. With 4Wall, you know the fixtures are going to work. It goes through a great process of cleaning and teching before it hits the festival."   
 
Lisle's well-established friendship with 4Wall Account Executive Robby Kurtz, built through previous collaborations on festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, also contributed greatly to Okeechobee's seamless execution. 
 
"It was great working with Chris Lisle again," Kurtz expressed. "This festival has a different vibe, and felt more relaxed, which was nice. Plus, the weather was amazing, which always makes the whole experience better." 

On-Site Previs & Chill Suite 
 
Tucked away within palm trees behind the Be Stage laid Previs & Chill, a C-container transformed into an intimate lounge brought to life through a tight-knit collaboration between 4Wall, ACT Entertainment, and Syncronorm. Featuring two previs suites powered by MA Lighting grandMA 3 Full Consoles and Syncronorm's Depence R4, the activation welcomed lighting designers to relax, indulge in complimentary food and drink, enjoy Okee-branded swag, and connect with fellow professionals as they previsualized and updated their show files.

 
"What excites us most is the opportunity to bring real value directly to lighting designers in a festival environment," said Syncronorm Marketing Content Manager Nicolas Ganser. "Instead of a highly structured setting, this concept allows creatives to engage with tools like Depence in a practical, low-pressure environment directly within the festival atmosphere." 
 
By pairing cutting-edge previs technology with a laid-back space, Previs & Chill emphasized both comfort and creativity, reshaping a work session into an unforgettable moment. 
 
"It's one thing to present software - but it's a completely different level when users sit down, try it themselves, and start creating," Ganser explained. "Being part of that creative process and enabling designers to visualize their ideas in a relaxed environment is exactly what Depence is built for."

Ahead of Rainbow Kitten Surprise's performance at the Be Stage, Lighting Designer Hunter Schneider booked a session to experiment with the show's electrifying hues. 

"On-site previs is crucial for festivals, and 4Wall's integration of Previs & Chill is a game changer for productivity and making sure everything will transition seamlessly into my live show," Schneider said. "When I show up to a festival with Previs & Chill, I know my day will be better thanks to all of the qualified and helpful people on site." 
 
The collective passion between 4Wall, ACT Entertainment, and Syncronorm to celebrate and provide an exceptional experience for lighting crews was the core of the activation's success.  

"The collaboration felt very natural and well-aligned - everyone involved shares the same goal of supporting designers and creatives in a meaningful way," Ganser expressed. "What stood out the most was the open and relaxed atmosphere, combined with a high level of professionalism." 

 

Lighting Designer Amanda Gougelmann, representing ACT Entertainment, brought energy and expertise to the space by preparing show files, supporting both house and touring LDs, and jumping in to solve last-minute challenges. 
 
"The most rewarding part of supporting this event is seeing how appreciative the touring LDs and their teams are of Previs & Chill," Gougelmann said. "It is also nice to watch old relationships rekindle while new ones grow. We always have such a great time, whether that is laughing while setting up the Previs rooms, or interacting with people who swing by the trailer." 

A Bright Future Ahead
 
Bringing the activation to a new location marked a memorable milestone for 4Wall, as it reinforced the opportunity to expand the community while elevating existing relationships.  
 
"Festivals are a great time for the LDs to work in a one-off situation, and they often have more time to hang and chat since they have limited console time at FOH," Kurtz said. "The LDs are always grateful for the work our team has put into the details to make the previs 3D translate to the stage. 4Wall Project Manager Max Lenox prides himself on making it a great experience for the programmers, and that is in large part because he has been in the LD seat many times at festivals."

With the success of Okeechobee's Previs & Chill, the three organizations are optimistically looking forward to hosting the activation at additional festivals throughout 2026. 
 
"Previs & Chill is a great example of how the industry can evolve - moving away from purely transactional interactions toward more experience-driven, community-focused formats," Ganser said. "We're excited to continue growing this concept together with 4Wall and ACT and to bring it to more festivals and creatives in the future." 
 
From the Be and Now Stages to Previs & Chill, creating a rewarding experience for both designers and festival attendees stood as the true measure of success for 4Wall and Lisle.


 
"When I see an LD take it and do the cool chases and effects I was hoping somebody would do, it's rewarding," Lisle concluded. "In my role, I will never get to program a song on this rig, I'll never get to run a show, but I love when the LDs come out there and I see them use the lighting rig as I had envisioned it. Also, it's great seeing the attendees out here just having a great time. This is their vacation, their escape from whatever else is going on in life. I love that they can just be out here enjoying it, and we have a little part in making that creative thing happen." 
 
To see more of Chris Lisle's work, visit his website clldllc.com and follow his Instagram page @clisle.