NEWSUBSTANCE
NEWSUBSTANCE is a Leeds-based multidisciplinary creative studio founded in 2004 that designs and fabricates immersive installations, stage designs, ceremonies, and public art for global entertainment, sports, government, and cultural clients including Coachella, FIFA, and Riot Games.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NEWSUBSTANCE does
NEWSUBSTANCE is a privately-held, Leeds-based multidisciplinary creative studio founded in 2004 that designs and delivers physically-led, technology-enhanced installations, stage designs, ceremonies, and public art for global clients in entertainment, sports, culture, and government. The studio operates as an end-to-end provider across two integrated service lines — Imagine & Design (creative direction, narrative development, immersive and Location-Based Entertainment design) and Build & Perform (in-house fabrication of kinetic elements, puppets, scenic builds, and live show delivery). A flagship example is SEE MONSTER, a retired North Sea gas rig transformed into a public art installation in 2022 that drew more than 500,000 visitors and won multiple international awards including a WAN Gold and a CODAworks Award; other signature works include the SPECTRA light pavilion permanently installed at Coachella since 2018, the FIFA World Cup 2022 hourglass countdown clock in Doha, the Dubai Expo 2020 opening ceremony, the Riot Games League of Legends Worlds Finals broadcast studio, the Doja Cat Scarlet Tour and Coachella 2024 mainstage, and the Co-op Live Citylink public art trail in Manchester. Revenue is generated on a project-based, custom-scoped basis through direct engagement with enterprise and government clients; the studio does not publish pricing or use subscription or productised distribution, instead securing work via industry relationships, competitive tenders for major events, and a portfolio-led inbound motion supported by its Field Notes newsletter and IAAPA trade show presence. The studio serves primary verticals in Arts, Entertainment & Culture (music festivals, concert tours, theatre, dance), Sports & Global Events (FIFA, Commonwealth Games, European Games), and Public Sector & Urban Development (BIDs, government placemaking), with project delivery spanning the UK, USA, Canada, Iceland, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan.
NEWSUBSTANCE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NEWSUBSTANCE
- Legal name
- NEWSUBSTANCE LTD
- Website
- https://newsubstance.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NEWSUBSTANCE is a Leeds-based multidisciplinary creative studio founded in 2004 that designs and fabricates immersive installations, stage designs, ceremonies, and public art for global entertainment, sports, government, and cultural clients including Coachella, FIFA, and Riot Games.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NEWSUBSTANCE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experiential Design & Fabrication Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Effects (Pyro, Lasers, Confetti, Fog) (MPAGAKAF)
Keywords
Where NEWSUBSTANCE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NEWSUBSTANCE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Project-based Creative Services: Custom design, fabrication, and installation of immersive experiences, stage designs, ceremonies, and public art installations for high-profile clients. Revenue is project-based with each engagement custom-scoped.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
NEWSUBSTANCE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NEWSUBSTANCE is a multidisciplinary creative studio that designs, fabricates, and delivers physically-led, technology-enhanced immersive installations, stage designs, ceremonies, and live events. Its work spans concept and narrative development through to in-house fabrication and on-site live delivery, serving music festivals, concert tours, theatrical productions, sports ceremonies, public art commissions, and cultural institutions worldwide.
Product overview
NEWSUBSTANCE is a multidisciplinary creative studio offering physically-led, technology-enhanced experiences across arts, entertainment, and culture. The company's core service offerings span the full project lifecycle: Imagine & Design (design strategy, creative direction, narrative development, immersive and LBE design) and Build & Perform (production design, fabrication, and live delivery). NEWSUBSTANCE's portfolio includes signature public installations like SEE MONSTER (oil rig transformation, 2022) and SPECTRA (Coachella light pavilion, 2018-present); large-scale event production for clients including Doja Cat, League of Legends, and FIFA; public art trails like Co-op Live Citylink (2024); and ceremonial productions for Expo 2020 and UAE National Days. The studio also produces a monthly Field Notes newsletter.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SPECTRA: A multi-award-winning light pavilion installation created for Coachella, exploring the symbiotic relationship between light and landscape. Features a spiral structure with panoramic observation deck.
- SEE MONSTER
- Field Notes
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000+ visitors to single installation (SEE MONSTER, 2022)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NEWSUBSTANCE
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NEWSUBSTANCE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
NEWSUBSTANCE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth GamescoreAppointed as lead design, fabrication and installation partner for the official Longines Countdown Clock. Commissioned to deliver the structure and shape its creative vision.
- MDLBEASTcoreCommissioned to lead design and concept development of three unique stage sets for 1001 Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reimagining One Thousand and One Nights through contemporary lens.
- Agnes Jones (Glasgow-based Blacksmith)coreCommissioned Glasgow-based blacksmith Agnes Jones for her expressive, figurative approach. NEWSUBSTANCE then engineered and fabricated the wider structural framework around her flowing steel linework.
- Oak View GroupcoreOak View Group commissioned NEWSUBSTANCE to create the Citylink walking route public art trail for Co-op Live arena in Manchester. Strategic partnership for major UK entertainment venue.
- Silent HousecoreWorked with production studio Silent House to create Doja Cat's Coachella 2024 headline performance spectacle with giant T-Rex puppet.
- GoldenvoicecoreLong-standing relationship with Coachella promoter Goldenvoice, delivering multiple years of art installations and mainstage productions.
- Michael Curry (Puppet Designer)coreCollaborated with world-renowned puppet designer Michael Curry to transform his larger-than-life designs into unforgettable physical icons for Doja Cat's Scarlet Tour.
- Imagination (for Supreme Committee for Legacy & Delivery of Qatar)coreWorked closely with Imagination to develop and design the FIFA World Cup 2022 hourglass countdown clock in Doha, Qatar for the Supreme Committee.
- UNBOXED: Creativity in the UKflagshipOne of just 10 teams awarded a UK Government commission as part of UNBOXED, a Government initiative and UK-wide celebration of creativity. Created SEE MONSTER from 300 applicants.
- Riot Games / Possible ProductionscoreCommissioned by Riot Games to create physical manifestations of Arcane universe for League of Legends World Finals. Worked with Possible Productions for full design, production management and onsite fabrication.
- Riot GamescoreFull broadcast studio design for League of Legends Worlds Finals Iceland 2021, themed with Arcane Netflix series visuals.
- FiveCurrents (Dubai Expo)flagshipCollaborated with FiveCurrents to dream up and deliver unforgettable experience for Dubai Expo 2020 Opening Ceremony. Provided consultancy and delivered pivotal live moments.
- Lune Rouge EntertainmentcoreCollaborated with Guy Laliberté's Lune Rouge from day one to deliver Through the Echoes - his first major piece since Cirque du Soleil. Full creative narrative development, design, fabrication, delivery and installation.
- Betty ProductionscoreCollaborated with Betty Productions for UAE 48th National Day Abu Dhabi, delivering physical lunar installation depicting moon phases.
- FiveCurrents (Abu Dhabi National Day)coreCollaborated with FiveCurrents to elevate 44th National Day Abu Dhabi celebration with theatrical performance featuring giant pearls representing seven Emirates.
- FiveCurrents (European Games)coreCommissioned by FiveCurrents to create powerful and emotive centrepiece for First European Games Baku 2015 opening ceremony.
- See MonsterminorNEWSUBSTANCE created SEE MONSTER, a public art installation on a retired North Sea gas rig. See Monster is a related entity (seemonster.co.uk) showcasing this transformative public art project.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NEWSUBSTANCE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TAIT: Global staging, automation and experiential engineering platform serving concerts, theatre and brand experiences with proprietary automation hardware and scenic fabrication. Comparable in turnkey design-to-delivery capability for large-scale kinetic and automated live event installations.
- Hawthorn: UK-based full-service event production company providing custom staging, scenic build and live event delivery. Comparable as a fellow UK-headquartered live-event fabricator serving corporate and entertainment clients.
- Stufish Entertainment Architects: Long-established entertainment architecture studio specialising in theatrical and concert stage design, including touring productions, permanent venues and immersive structures. Directly comparable to NEWSUBSTANCE in designing iconic stage environments for global music and entertainment clients.
- MET Studio: London-based design studio producing exhibitions, museums and immersive visitor experiences. Comparable in designing landmark physical installations and immersive public-facing experiences, particularly for cultural and civic-sector clients.
- Staged Adventures: Theatrical set design and build studio working on Broadway, West End, concerts and immersive experiences. Comparable to NEWSUBSTANCE in delivering custom scenic fabrication and live-show spectacle, though with a stronger theatre-bias.
- BeWunder: International live event production and staging specialist delivering concerts, brand experiences and ceremonies. Comparable in end-to-end live event execution and fabrication for large-scale international clients.
- Hotbox Events: UK-based event design and production house building custom scenic and experiential elements for brand activations and live events. Comparable as a fellow UK mid-sized creative fabricator serving high-profile event briefs.
- FiveCurrents: International ceremony and event production company responsible for Olympic, World Cup and Expo opening ceremonies. Repeated collaborator and competitor of NEWSUBSTANCE on flagship ceremonies (Baku European Games, UAE National Day, Dubai Expo 2020).
Broad incumbents
- Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency producing live events, installations and experiential campaigns for major brands. Overlaps with NEWSUBSTANCE on ceremonial, brand and public-sector commissions but at significantly larger scale and broader service mix.
- Imagination: Global experiential creative agency with a much broader portfolio across brand experience, architecture and digital. Directly worked with NEWSUBSTANCE on the FIFA World Cup 2022 countdown clock and competes for the same tier of landmark commissions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NEWSUBSTANCE social profiles
Digital presenceNEWSUBSTANCE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NEWSUBSTANCE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
NEWSUBSTANCE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NEWSUBSTANCE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NEWSUBSTANCE
What does NEWSUBSTANCE do?
NEWSUBSTANCE is a multidisciplinary creative studio that designs, fabricates, and delivers physically-led, technology-enhanced immersive installations, stage designs, ceremonies, and live events. Its work spans concept and narrative development through to in-house fabrication and on-site live delivery, serving music festivals, concert tours, theatrical productions, sports ceremonies, public art commissions, and cultural institutions worldwide.
Is NEWSUBSTANCE a public or private company?
NEWSUBSTANCE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was NEWSUBSTANCE founded?
NEWSUBSTANCE was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NEWSUBSTANCE based?
NEWSUBSTANCE is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does NEWSUBSTANCE make money?
One revenue line is on record: project-based Creative Services.
Who are NEWSUBSTANCE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TAIT, Hawthorn, Stufish Entertainment Architects, MET Studio, Staged Adventures, BeWunder, Hotbox Events and FiveCurrents. Broad incumbents are Jack Morton Worldwide and Imagination.
Does NEWSUBSTANCE have an API?
No public API is recorded for NEWSUBSTANCE.
What industry is NEWSUBSTANCE in?
NEWSUBSTANCE's product category is Experiential Design & Fabrication Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAKAF, Special Effects (Pyro, Lasers, Confetti, Fog). Its NAICS code is 7111.