An iconic name in global club culture, SPACE — originally founded in Ibiza — brought its legendary experience to Italy in 2024 with the launch of a groundbreaking open-air venue. Now, after completing its second season, the venue has firmly established itself as one of Europe’s most spectacular and technologically advanced destinations. Raising the bar for immersive visual experiences even higher, the club chose to partner with Claypaky, a global leader in professional lighting, installing a permanent, state-of-the-art IP66-rated lighting system.
Designed specifically for the unique demands of a fully open-air venue operating during the summer season, the new lighting setup transforms SPACE into more than just a nightclub — it becomes the SPACE Festival, a dynamic format that merges electronic music, artistic performances, and immersive technology. The 2025 season, which opened on June 2 and concluded on August 30, featured internationally renowned artists including Carl Cox, Gigi D’Agostino, Peggy Gou, Tale of Us, Marco Carola, and Charlotte de Witte, attracting a cosmopolitan crowd and delivering unforgettable shows under the stars.
At the helm of the venue’s artistic direction is Fabrizio De Meis, who aimed to distinguish SPACE Riccione with exceptional visual quality. The entire lighting concept and visual architecture were conceived by Francesco De Cave, one of Europe’s most respected Lighting & Visual Designers, who oversaw every detail of the project:
“The venue chose to invest in a lighting system that would live up to the brand’s legacy and future vision. Claypaky represents the pinnacle of Italian excellence in professional lighting. We selected high-performance, weather-resistant fixtures capable of delivering top efficiency without compromise. In an open-air space like this, reliability is critical — but just as important was the creative potential to give the venue a strong, unmistakable lighting identity.”
The permanent system includes:
- 64 Xtylos Aqua – IP66-rated moving heads with RGB laser source, installed behind the main LED wall and on a 10-meter suspended circular truss, creating powerful, colorful beams that slice through the Riccione sky — now a signature element of the venue’s visual identity.
- 34 Arolla Aqua – IP66-rated LED moving heads, mounted on the main truss and vertical towers, used to illuminate the stage and audience with an extensive palette of colors, gobos, prisms, and dynamic effects.
- 74 Tambora Flash – Hybrid fixtures combining strobe, wash, and blinder capabilities, positioned throughout the perimeter and interior of the circular structure.
“The Tambora Flash units were essential for delivering those high-impact, high-energy moments reminiscent of major live festivals — merging club culture with the language of large-scale music events,” adds De Cave.
Throughout the summer season, SPACE welcomed a long list of top-tier DJs and artists, each accompanied by their own technical crews. Every event benefited from the expressive power of the Claypaky system, consistently earning enthusiastic praise from visiting lighting designers — many of whom described it as “the best rig encountered on tour.”
“The SPACE lighting system not only meets every technical requirement, but offers exceptional creative freedom. It’s a stage that adapts to each artist’s vision, making it possible to craft the perfect visual environment for every show,” concludes De Cave.
The entire lighting system was acquired outright, reaffirming SPACE Riccione’s long-term commitment to establishing itself as a premier destination for high-end open-air entertainment in Europe.
Titan Sound & Light provided technical support for the project, including effects and lighting control.
The venue will reopen in summer 2026, ready to write a new chapter of innovation and spectacle — with Claypaky once again taking center stage.