Thousands of fans, a 30,000 seater stadium and a stage built to match the occasion. SMK Live 2026 marked the first festival of its kind ever staged inside Stadium MK, and IPS was the team trusted to deliver it, building one of the largest stage structures the venue has ever hosted.
An event of this scale demanded a stage that could match it. Across two days, headliners Basement Jaxx and Black Eyed Peas took to the stage alongside Jason Derulo, Clean Bandit, Ella Henderson, Groove Armada, Jax Jones and Katy B, delivering a jam-packed, day to night schedule of high-octane performances in front of thousands of fans.
IPS supplied a Eurotruss PR15 roof structure, rigged in a 20m wide configuration. The configuration was made even more impressive with side cowsheds and 4m video wings. It was built on a 32m x 16m Layher stage platform substructure with an integrated rear loading ramp. The roof was constructed using a 40 tonne crane before being raised into position on EXE Rise 2000kg hoists. The IPS team led by Ian Brown delivered the build seamlessly onsite.
The main stage was only part of the picture. IPS also delivered a 6m x 4m front of house structure and three 12m high Eurotruss PA delay towers, carrying sound clearly to every corner of the crowd.
Beyond the stadium bowl, the IPS team extended the festival experience further still, building Stages B and C on 3m x 3m pop-up marquee covered platforms, complete with full audio supply and an onsite IPS technician to install, oversee and remove the kit throughout the weekend. Stage B ran on d&b Y10 speakers, while Stage C gave the brand new d&b U7 loudspeakers their live debut, both paired with Pioneer DJ kit to keep the party going long after the main stage sets ended.
For a venue with an already strong legacy of hosting major concerts, giving Stadium MK its first multi-act event was a milestone moment, and a clear statement of what IPS can deliver at full stadium scale.
It stood as the centrepiece of a landmark weekend for Milton Keynes, and a brilliant showcase of the scale, precision and reliability IPS brings to events of every size.
Click here for more information about IPS’s Outdoor Roof Stages.
What we provided for IPS builds Stadium Sized Stage for SMK Live 2026
