Behind the Laser Lights at Super MAGFest 2025 | Laser Stage Lighting

This blog takes you behind the scenes as a lighting designer and photographer: how Krztov and SONUS used multiple 5W laser light projectors to create very different styles of laser light show, how grandMA consoles controlled everything from moving heads to concert laser lights, and what venue owners can learn if they want a “MAGFest-level” look in their own clubs, live houses, or festivals.

We’ll cover:

• What Super MAGFest is and why laser lights are part of its identity
• How two teams used the same 5W power class for completely different laser aesthetics
• A lighting designer’s view on power, rig layout, consoles, and real-world workflow
• How MAGFest works as a real case study for laser stage lighting design
• A mini buying guide for 2W–5W professional laser lights in real venues
• Buyer-focused FAQs on power, control options, and packages

At the end, we’ll also talk about how factory brands like Starshine can help you build a MAGFest-style laser light show rig with practical concerns covered: free shipping options on some routes, a solid two-year warranty, and support for small-batch orders so you don’t have to commit to a full truckload on day one.

Super MAGFest – short for “Music and Gaming Festival” – takes over National Harbor in Maryland, right next to Washington, D.C. for four days straight. It’s a 24/7 mashup of live music, retro arcade games, rhythm games, tabletop rooms, cosplay, panels, and indie demos. At three in the morning, you can still find people grinding away at DDR or standing in line for some obscure arcade cabinet.

By day, it’s a gamer’s paradise. By night, the bigger rooms turn into mini festivals, powered by full rigs of moving heads, strobes, and laser lights. Over the years, laser light shows have become part of the MAGFest identity – fans expect to see those beams cutting through haze when their favorite bands and DJs hit the stage.

This year was my first time at Super MAGFest – and my first time shooting it as a photographer while thinking like a lighting designer. Two long-time laser friends were back in the building: Krztov and SONUS. Between them, they filled the main stage and B-stage with solid 5W laser light projectors, club lighting, and festival-grade laser stage lighting.

One of the coolest things about watching MAGFest from a lighting perspective is seeing how different programmers approach the same tools. This year, both Krztov and SONUS leaned heavily on 5W concert laser lights – but the results could not have felt more different.

For the DeLorean Overdrive set, Krztov rolled out a very recognizable rig: four 5W laser lights focused on building a classic rave-style look. On paper, it’s a simple configuration. In person – with a dark room and proper haze – it felt huge.

Typical ingredients in this laser light show projector setup:

• A tight, balanced grid of beams that filled the stage and crowd space
• Fast, compact beam work with razor-thin lines, sharp cuts, and fast chases
• Color used with intention instead of random rainbow sprays every second

I was up front with my camera. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, my sister and her boyfriend were dancing. At one point my phone buzzed with a message: “These laser lights are insane!!” Watching the beams in person, I agreed. It was a perfect example of how well-programmed 5W laser lights can feel much bigger than they look on paper.

On the other side of the hall, SONUS managed the main stage and B-stage with a different approach: six 5W lasers plus a full rig of moving heads, wash lights, strobes, and more. Their programming for bands like Red Vox leaned into a totally different aesthetic.

Instead of non-stop rave patterns, Red Vox got a more relaxed, “sky-like” look:

• Fewer ultra-fast scans, more medium-speed sweeps your eyes can actually follow
• Layered “sky” beams that felt like playing under a moving night sky
• Laser looks that followed the emotional arc of the songs instead of pounding all the time

This contrast is exactly why laser stage lighting is so powerful: with the right programming, the same 5W power class can handle everything from soft ballads to hard rave drops.

Seen from front-of-house, MAGFest isn’t just “cool lasers.” It’s a lesson in how to spec power, choose fixture counts, and integrate laser lights with the rest of the stage lighting rig.

One thing jumps out quickly: nobody is swinging around 20W stadium cannons indoors. Instead, both Krztov and SONUS leaned on networks of 5W laser light projectors.

Practical reasons for choosing 5W:

• Room size: a dark indoor venue with haze doesn’t need extreme power to feel immersive.
• Audience distance: most viewers stand 10–40 m from the stage – not 150 m away.
• Safety & paperwork: above certain thresholds, safety and admin requirements grow fast.

The same logic applies to a lot of clubs and live houses: you don’t always need the biggest number; you need the right number, placed in the right positions.

SONUS also did something more and more common in professional rigs: they controlled their lasers directly from a grandMA console instead of treating them as a separate system.

From the crowd, you’d never notice, but side stage you could see:

• Base cues for colors, shapes, and scan paths built in advance
• Live fader rides, macros, and chases triggering during each song
• Lasers being played like another instrument instead of just replaying pre-rendered shows

For club owners and LDs, this is good news. If your laser lights can live on the same console as your moving heads, you:

• Keep your workflow simple
• Reduce the learning curve for operators
• Get deeper, more synchronized laser light show looks

This was also my first time seriously shooting laser lights at a multi-day festival. SONUS helped a lot by giving me and my assistant a small backstage office for gear and walking us through safe sightlines and zones.

Even so, the best vantage point for **concert laser lights** is still the obvious one: front-of-house, inside the crowd. That’s where you see beams travel from stage to ceiling, cross over people’s heads, and build that “tunnel” feeling fans love.

A few quick tips if you’re shooting laser lights:

• Use slightly faster shutter speeds so beams stay sharp instead of turning to mush.
• Underexpose a little to protect bright beam highlights and keep colors rich.
• Wait for the haze to settle into an even layer before going for your hero shots.

So why is Super MAGFest such a useful example for anyone thinking about laser stage lighting? Because in four days, you see almost every “common” use case in one venue.

At MAGFest, you can observe:

• Multi-artist lineups with different musical styles and visual needs
• Medium-sized indoor stages powered mostly by 5W laser lights
• Rave sets, rock bands, game music, and hybrid shows all using lasers differently
• Rigs where lasers are fully integrated into the main lighting console

If you’re a venue owner, LD or production manager looking up “how to use laser lights at a festival or club,” MAGFest quietly answers a lot of questions:

• How many watts do I really need indoors?
• Can 5W lasers cover a whole room?
• How do different programming styles change the mood?
• Is it worth integrating lasers into my main console?

The pattern is clear: use realistic power (often 5W), enough fixtures, good haze, and thoughtful programming – and you can deliver a professional laser light show without chasing extremes.

If you want to translate lessons from MAGFest into your own space, here’s a quick, practical guide. You can even share this section with clients who ask, “What kind of laser lights do we need?”

Recommended power:

• One or two 2W–3W full-color laser light projectors

Goal: Add a “wow, they have real lasers” feeling without overpowering the room. Pair them with basic moving heads, washes, and a reliable hazer.

Best for: small clubs or bars upgrading from cheap party boxes to real club laser lights.

Recommended power:

• One to three 3W–5W laser lights

Goal: Use lasers as highlight moments – grand entrances, first dances, big chorus drops – rather than nonstop effects. Integrate them with traditional event lighting and décor.

Best for: wedding planners, campus event teams, and rental companies who want tasteful laser stage lighting without turning every show into a full rave.

Recommended power:

• Four to eight 5W concert laser lights

Goal: Build deep, layered looks over the crowd with beams, fans, and sky cues. This is where MAGFest-style rigs sit: multiple 5W units plus a strong base of moving heads, strobes, and washes.

Best for: festival organizers, larger clubs, and touring shows that need a solid, professional laser light show presence indoors.

Beyond pure tech specs, real buyers also care about practical “C-type” topics:

• Free shipping or tax-friendly lanes to their region
• A real two-year warranty for gear that works every weekend
• Whether they can start with small-batch orders instead of a massive pallet

Factory brands like Starshine are used to these questions and can help balance spec sheets with logistics and budget.

At Super MAGFest 2025, what people remember isn’t just decibels or fixture counts – it’s the way laser lights and music felt like one story:

• Krztov used four 5W lasers to build a sharp rave wall for DeLorean Overdrive.
• SONUS used six 5W units plus a full rig of moving heads and washes to paint a dreamlike sky for Red Vox.
• grandMA consoles turned laser stage lighting into a live instrument, not a background loop.

Fans walked out saying some version of the same thing: “Those laser lights looked incredible.”

You don’t have to match MAGFest’s scale to borrow its logic. You can:

• Match your laser lights to your room instead of chasing the biggest wattage.
• Integrate lasers into your main lighting console for tighter, easier shows.
• Start with a compact but serious laser light show package and expand over time.