Lana Del Rey’s distinct breathy vocals and 1950s Americana aesthetic took over stadiums across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales this summer, marking her debut as a UK & Ireland stadium headliner.
The Matriarch of melancholic glamour even added a second Wembley Stadium show – due to popular demand – leading to her becoming the biggest selling touring solo artist of 2025 in the UK.
How her sound was conveyed was down to a team of hand-picked mixers, engineers and techs, supported by audio vendor, Sound Image, which has worked with Tour Manager Emily Holt across Lana’s shows for years. “I am so lucky,” begins Emily. “We’ve got an amazing team who go above and beyond, and my suppliers have been with me for so long now. A key factor in that is good communication, it’s so important on any tour, and our team is great at explaining to Lana certain things which will make her feel more comfortable, things to expect in each venue, so that she will be in the right headspace. The honesty between our team is amazing and she obviously really appreciates that and works better for it.
“Like any tour, there are always last-minute changes and Sound Image give us flexibility whenever we need it, they’re always accommodating. When Jesse [Adamson, Sound Image President] came to a show on this tour, he said to me afterwards: ‘She really enjoyed that performance, didn’t she?’ And as her Tour Manager, I thought that’s so nice, that he has that intuition. That says a lot about how Sound Image works; they care about and notice the artist’s performance.”
Dani Munoz , FOH Mixer, says he is “honored” that Sound Image asked him to join the tour: “I know I’m very lucky to work with such an iconic artist…. Lana has changed the game and influenced so many other artists to find their own sound, which is incredible.
“She is the star, the show is her, so to me, everything in the mix is really centred around her vocals while also making sure her band is well represented. Her shows are very elegant and ethereal, and she has a lovely, delicate voice. She’s also got an amazing ear when it comes to her live sound. She can convey what she wants really well, and she’s got great taste when it comes to her FOH mix. She’s very particular about her vocal effects how her voice is represented so I’m lucky that she digs my mix!”
An SSL L550 is Dani’s preferred desk; “It’s the most beautiful sounding console in my opinion. It’s supported by some nice analog pieces which are very specific for group processing. The only thing that I’m processing channel wise is her vocal is through a Cedar Audio DNS8D unit. It’s a lifesaver when you need to deal with tough rooms. Lana can have very delicate vocals and very loud fans!” he adds.
A Waves Superrack LiveBox enhances the band’s guitar sounds, and just like the SSL, is also employed in monitor world.
Dani’s set up may be minimal, but his reasoning is always strategic. “Jesse understands perfectly how things work. He never gets in the way of the vision, and he gives me everything I need. When you’re on the road, he is the best guy to have in your corner.”
The FOH mix is heard through an L-Acoustics K1/K2 system, engineered by Chris Demonbreun, who also wears the Audio Crew Chief hat. Dani continues: “Chris is very thorough, he’s extremely talented at his craft. It’s a team effort out here for sure, but the work he does guarantees that my mix can survive any room. I’m very grateful for all the Sound Image PA crew because they really put the hours in. Stadium shows can be hard work in terms of the scale of what we need to do, but they show up happy and always deliver.”
Working alongside Chris is System Tech Anthony Silipigno, PA Techs Jonathan Duncan and Brian Hernandez, and Delay Tech Pat Tobin.
“For the main hangs we’ve got a combination of K1 and K2 down fill. We’re flying K1SB’s next to the main hangs to pull the low end off stage and make it a little quieter for her,” begins Chris. “She’s such a delicate singer that we want to make sure we have the cleanest possible stage. An advantage with the K2, especially on the main hang, is being able to use the Panflex horizontal steering technology. The way she sings is unique, so we make sure to keep that high end out of her vocal mic. On the sides, it gives me some flexibility for throw and keeps the sound off the walls.”
The delay system comprises a mixture of L-Acoustics’ lightweight L2 and L2D boxes. Chris continues: “It’s super light and super easy to fly.They literally just set the site angle, load the presets, and it immediately sounds good.” For system processing, L-Acoustics P1’s run everything with AVB redundancy augmented by an analog backup.
Chris’ design also houses a fleet of ground subs and front fills. “I want to make sure that all the people who have paid good money to see our show can hear it well. We’re overshooting the thrust to help cover that lower area in the front because looking around and seeing people dancing and having a good time is what we want to make sure happens at Lana’s show. Dani is such a great mix engineer, seeing him translate her music in all the areas of the stadium is awesome for me.”
For the ideal in-ear audio blend, Sound Image’s Caleb Rodrigues is managing 22 mixes: 19 x stereo IEM mixes and 3 x wedge mixes, and for Lana, her mix is predominantly her vocal. “It’s been a really rewarding experience to step into mixing monitors for Lana. Playing Wembley two nights in a row is truly a bucket list gig! And working so closely with Dani has been a privilege, to achieve the best possible show night after night for Lana has been a real highlight.
“She really likes to connect with her audience, and the space she is in. Having her vocal forward and on top of the mix helps to achieve this. Other than that, a full mix that I process through busses creates a bed for her vocal,” explains Caleb.
“Her mic is very present, and this can come with its own set of challenges, mostly to do with the loud environment from the crowd. As Dani said, she has a great ear, and she knows exactly what she needs to hear, so that makes my job easy!”
For IEMs and RF, a trusty mix of Shure and Sennheiser are utilized. The heart of Caleb’s rig is another SSL L550 console, again complemented by Waves. “I’m using 2 x Waves Livebox (primary/redundant), 2 x Bricasti M7’s for vocals and 2 x Rupert Neve 5045 Primary Source Enhancers. Most of the processing is done on the console except for a few plug-ins coming from Waves, and the rest of the verbs and dynamics are handled on board the desk.”
Caleb is looked after by Monitor Tech Greg Roberts, and Stage Patch duties are overseen by Christopher Roberts.
Following a run of stellar shows for the ‘Summertime Sadness’ singer, the reviews have been anything but. The Guardian declared Lana’s UK headline extravaganza to be “mid-century melodrama as a mind-blowing stadium spectacle”, a sure-fire compliment for both artist and crew.
James Hayward, Head of Production, comments on the teamwork surrounding its sonic conveyance: “It’s a massive thing for Lana, that her sound is right. The priority for me is not just making the gig sound good out front, it’s making sure that the crew have got everything they need. Sound Image has great crew; every single person we work with is brilliant – I couldn’t ask any more of them. Lana is the kind of artist who knows what she wants, she’s a really talented performer, and Sound Image have given us the perfect people for her to tour with. They’ve done a killer job.”
