#55 Patrick Ledwith | Building Stadium Tours for U2, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Beyonce

Recorded live at Rock Lititz, this episode features Patrick Ledwith, Managing Director of North America for ES Global, reflecting on a career that spans nearly four decades across touring, staging, and large-scale live production.Patrick takes Nikki Sanz from his start as a 17-year-old stagehand in London to building stages on U2’s Joshua Tree run, managing major tours, and eventually stepping into executive leadership. Along the way, he shares what has changed in live events, what has not, and why fan experience still sits at the center of great shows.For anyone working in touring, production, project management, or live entertainment, this conversation is a grounded look at how careers are built over time. Patrick talks about problem solving, leadership under pressure, the evolution of stadium-scale production, and the values that still matter when the trucks get bigger and the timelines get tighter.What you’ll learn:How Patrick got his start as a stagehand and found his path into touringWhat it was like building stages during U2’s Joshua Tree eraWhy the best artists stay obsessed with fan experienceHow production managers think about responsibility, morale, and problem solvingWhat separates entertainment builds from traditional constructionHow tours like Iron Maiden and Beyonce scale from creative vision to live executionWhat legacy means after a lifetime on the roadPatrick Ledwith Bio:With nearly 40 years in the events, music and film business Patrick amassed a wealth of experience working on numerous different large scale projects and ceremonies around the world. Patrick’s structural and technical background in the business has set a solid foundation for a career as a Production/ Project Manager and Technical Director working with many of the largest production companies in the world including, Balich WS, Five Currents and ES GLOBAL. After working for ES GLOBAL on and off since the 1980’s it was an easy decision to join the company full time. Touring work in the entertainment business has, among others, included world tours with the U2, Van Halen, Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Metallica, Guns n Roses, and Iron Maiden.Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.liveHost: Nikki Sanz