Live Production · Jacksonville
Live Event Production in Jacksonville
Festivals, community programming, cultural installations and public events — scoped, delivered, operated and struck by a crew that has done it before.
Outdoor and public events punish guesswork
A conference room has power where you expect it, walls to contain the sound and a building that stays dry. A street festival, a park programme or a gallery installation has none of those things. Power comes off a distribution point somebody has to find, sound leaves in every direction, and the weather has a vote.
Production for those events is mostly planning: where the power is and what it will carry, how long load-in takes when you cannot park next to the stage, what happens to the schedule if it rains, and who is standing there when something needs changing mid-event.
Work we take on
Community and neighbourhood events. Cultural and gallery installations. Festival and outdoor stages for DJ-led and playback-led programming. Public programming, markets and street activations. Recurring annual events that need the same vendor to turn up and do the same job reliably.
A real example
For Downtown Vision's Reflections of Jacksonville gallery installation on West Duval Street, Sonar supplied the silent disco headphone system that carried the exhibition's soundscape alongside projected imagery — the whole point being that visitors heard the work without the work being broadcast into a shared gallery space.
On the recurring side, Sonar has run music, lighting and effects for a Westside Halloween block party five years running — and the crew dresses for the theme, which matters more to a neighbourhood event than any spec sheet.
What a production scope covers
- Site and power planningWhat the site can carry and where it comes from, agreed before the truck is loaded.
- Audio for speech and playbackCoverage planned for the footprint, not just volume aimed at the middle.
- Stage and event lightingIncluding intelligent fixtures where the programme calls for movement.
- ProjectionProjected imagery onto screens or surfaces where the installation wants it.
- Silent disco systemsFor events where sound has to reach the audience without filling the space.
- Special effectsCold sparks, fog and bubbles, cleared with the site first.
- Crew on site for the durationSomeone who can change something while the event is running.
- Load-in, operation and strikeTo the site schedule, cabled safely for a public space.
What we do and do not cover
Knowing where a vendor stops is worth more than a capability list that turns out to be optimistic on show day.
We cover
Speech and playback reinforcement — presenters, panels, awards, ceremonies, announcements and recorded audio. Wireless microphones, lectern and lapel. Projection onto screens for slides, video and playback. Stage, event and intelligent lighting. Uplighting. Special effects. Silent disco headphone systems. DJ and MC where an event wants one. Delivery, setup, technical operation during the event, and breakdown.
We do not cover
Full front-of-house mixing for live bands with large input counts, and LED video walls. Those are real disciplines with real gear behind them and we would rather refer you than learn on your show. If your event needs either, tell us — we will say so early and, where we can, point you at someone who does it properly.
Organisers who booked us again
DJ Danley & Sonar AV is top notch! They have been supplying the music and special effects for the livest Halloween block party on the Westside for past 5 years. They even dress up for the theme each year. Sparkler machines, bubbles, fog.
Danley and Chris definitely made my birthday hands down the best party I’ve ever had in my life! They were energetic and funny. They also brought some pretty cool lighting that helped create a nightclub atmosphere all for me.
Danley and Chris know exactly how to throw down and party! They kept the energy flowing, hyped up the crowd throughout the night, they picked solid music choices, lighting was excellent, and they were professional throughout the whole process from start to finish. These are seasoned DJs and you won’t be disappointed!
Questions we get asked
Can you run an event with no mains power on site?
Partially — we carry battery-capable speakers that cover speech and small-footprint audio without mains. A full stage needs power or a generator, and we will tell you honestly which category your event is in.
What happens if it rains?
We agree the weather call in planning: what gets covered, what gets struck, and who makes the decision and when. Equipment goes under cover or it does not go out — that part is not negotiable.
Do you work with our stage or do you provide one?
We provide audio, lighting, projection and effects. Staging, decking and rigging structures are typically provided by the site or a staging vendor, and we build onto what is there.
Can you do live bands?
Not full front-of-house band mixing with large input counts — that is a specialism and we do not pretend otherwise. DJ-led and playback-led programming, speech, and presentation audio are what we do.
Plan your event
Send us the site, the date and the programme. We will come back with a scope, a crew plan and a price.