Mojo Barriers was called upon to supply and install the main stage crowd barrier, perimeter high fence and the star-studded red carpet barrier at the glitzy MTV EMAs held in the Rotterdam Ahoy, 6th November 2016.

Hosted by American songstress Bebe Rhexa, the 2016 ceremony marked its return to Rotterdam having previously hosted it back in 1997, and saw Mojo Barriers implement an effective crowd barrier configuration both inside and out of the iconic music venue.

Mojo Barriers’ Stanley Jilesen and his 6-strong team installed over 650 metres of aluminium barrier throughout the Rotterdam venue. Over 250m of crowd barrier was installed to line the perimeter of the main ‘infinity’ stage and the B-Stage, created by set designer Julio Himede, which witnessed performances from Kings of Leon, Afrojack, One Republic and Bruno Mars.

Over 100 metres of crowd barrier was used to create a media pit within the standing audience, segregating the broadcast cameras on floor tracking from the crowds. This ensured clear sightlines for the entire audience whilst allowing the broadcasters to film all the live performances throughout the night. Black barriers were installed throughout the venue to blend-in with the set and enhance aesthetics for TV broadcasting.

Broadcast pit and stage barrier configuration

Mojo Barriers supplied its High Fence outside the venue, to provide 50m of sightline kill extensions, offering 2.4m of additional opaque height to protect the privacy of VIP guests on arrival from crowds waiting outside the venue. Over 250m of crowd barrier was installed along the perimeter of the front entrance of the Rotterdam Ahoy to ensure the safe and smooth ingress and egress of music fans.

Stanley Jilesen’s High Fence installation outside the Rotterdam Ahoy

In-front of the venue, a temporary structure played host to the glamorous red carpet area, which utilised over 190m of Mojo Barriers’ crowd barrier to segregate the media and fans from the arriving performing artists, presenters and award nominees. Each section of barrier was adorned with MTV EMA and sponsor logos, in line with event branding and sponsor aspirations.

Stanley Jilesen comments: “Continuing our longstanding relationship working with the MTV EMAs, Maggie Mouzakitis and the wider production team, we were delighted to welcome such a great event to work on back to our home country. It is a pleasure to work on a project which each year pushes boundaries of creative production and we relish the opportunity to enhance the experience for the audience and keep them as safe as possible.”

High Fence and Crowd Barrier lining the Rotterdam Ahoy’s perimeter