Caje Afonso

Germany was where the Backstreet Boys first found success, long before they became a global phenomenon. And now they're back for their Into The Millennium: Homecoming residency in Düsseldorf, Germany! Flying into Merkur Spiel Arena on hoverboards, the boys have recreated one of the most iconic moments from their original 1999 Millennium Tour. And what I absolutely love is that this isn't just another artist flying around on a harness. For fans who grew up watching them, this is a moment they immediately recognise. Over 25 years later, they're getting to relive it all over again. It's nostalgia brought back to life, with a whole new level of production. The residency runs for 10 exclusive stadium shows from September 25 to October 7, 2026, at Merkur Spiel Arena in Düsseldorf. These are also their only European concerts of 2026. Next Live Event Unlocked tomorrow. Follow @caje.afonso. Credits: backstreetboys, aj_mclean, nickcarter, howie_dorough, rokspics #BackstreetBoys #IntoTheMillennium #HomecomingLiveInGermany #Dusseldorf #ConcertProduction

Olivia Rodrigo's dress literally disintegrates on stage. And it reminded me of something from over a decade ago. During her performance of The Cure on her 2026 Unraveled Tour at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut, water starts pouring down on stage, and her white dress disintegrates, revealing a red dress underneath. It immediately reminded me of Hussein Chalayan's 2015 Paris Fashion Week show, where he used a specially developed water soluble material to create a similar effect. While we don't know whether Olivia's dress uses the same material, the resemblance is remarkable. And what I absolutely love is that it's an artistic take on recreating her music video, where she literally unravels in red. A brilliant example of how fashion, technology and storytelling can come together in live entertainment. Next Live Event Unlocked tomorrow. Follow @caje.afonso. Credits: oliviarodrigo, billboard, husseinchalayanofficial #OliviaRodrigo #TheUnraveledTour #TheCure #ConcertProduction #HusseinChalayan

These look impossibly heavy. So how do they keep moving? This was all over my feed over the weekend, and I couldn’t stop looking at it. First, it’s physical and it’s beautiful. But then you realise it never really stays the same. Beautifully designed by Willo Perron at Perron Studios, these massive concrete looking monoliths keep moving around the stage, constantly changing the space around Céline, while forced perspective content extends the physical set even further. And from a production point of view, I kept thinking, how are they moving something that looks this heavy? Where is all the structure needed to support it? So I dug a little deeper, and this is what I found. They’re inflatables. Created by Airworks Inflatables, with TAIT behind the staging, scenic elements and automation, these huge air filled monoliths sit on stage wagons that move around the stage, allowing the entire set to keep changing throughout the show. And the lighting deserves a mention too. Designed by Rob Sinclair, it brings out all those layers in the concrete looking forms and plays a huge role in selling the illusion. The audience may never need to understand how it works. But that’s what I love about design like this. When something that looks this heavy starts moving around the stage so effortlessly, it still creates that sense of awe. Next Live Event Unlocked tomorrow. Follow @caje.afonso. Credits: celinedion, taittowers, airworks, willoperron, perronstudios, gribiche #celine #celinedion #paris #itsallcomingbacktomenow #celinedionparis2026

25 years after 9/11, the Twin Towers rose over New York Harbor, recreated in light at full architectural scale. There are bigger drone shows. More drones. More elaborate visuals. But the story and what it represents will always matter far more than the technology behind it. And it takes a great team to create something this meaningful. Creative Director Addison Mehr, producers Sky Elements Drone Shows, and designer Yan Paul Dubbelman, with the New York Foundation for the Arts. And that’s not all. There’s a reason they used exactly 2,977 drones. 2,977 lights. One light for each life lost on 9/11. Follow @caje.afonso for more of the world's greatest live experiences. Credits: skyelementsdrones #thenycwalkingshow #newyorkcity #neverforget #911memorial #newyork

No roof above you. So how do you fly a car in a stadium? This is one of those moments where the solution is hiding in plain sight. PLK flying into a stadium in a car looks like the main spectacle. But the more interesting question is how they made it possible. Back in 2022, PLK had already flown above audiences in a car inside an arena. A stadium is a completely different challenge. No roof. Nowhere obvious to hide the infrastructure needed to suspend something that heavy. So the brilliant team at @arachneeproductions didn't hide it. They turned it into part of the stage. Forced-perspective content and scenic elements transformed the flat LED screens into an industrial world, making the construction crane feel like it belonged there from the beginning. And that's the clever part. Sometimes great stage design isn't about making infrastructure disappear. It's about giving it a reason to exist. Most people see a flying car. I see the solution behind it. Follow @caje.afonso for more of the world's greatest live experiences. Credits: @plkpb, Arachnee Productions #PLK #stadedefrance #grandgarcon #plkstadedefrance #paris