Firehouse and JBL Professional Take the Runway at the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

For the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Firehouse Productions delivered concert-level audio for one of fashion and entertainment's most recognizable runway events. Held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, the production combined runway presentations and live musical performances with elaborate lighting and scenic design. To accommodate the production's extensive rigging requirements while maintaining the output and coverage expected for the show, Firehouse deployed 120 JBL Professional VTX A8 line array loudspeakers across 12 arrays, supported by VTX G28 subwoofers and additional JBL reinforcement. The system design used JBL Venue Synthesis software, allowing the team to coordinate loudspeaker placement with the production's complex lighting and rigging infrastructure.

The 2026 show featured models including Gigi Hadid and Ashley Graham, alongside performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Tate McRae, Megan Moroney and KATSEYE. With the runway the production's centerpiece, the audio system needed to deliver the impact of a live concert while supporting the show's elaborate visual design.

Firehouse provided audio for the previous year's show, and the production team was familiar with the client's expectations. The 2025 edition used JBL VTX V25 ii CS loudspeakers to deliver the output and impact requested for the relatively compact performance environment. The following year's production introduced a different set of physical constraints as the expanded overhead lighting design occupied a substantial portion of the available rigging space and weight capacity.

"They like a very big sound on the show," says Mark Dittmar, audio coordinator. "Last year, the Victoria's Secret team attended the VMAs and was blown away by how the JBL VTX V25 ii CS system sounded, so we brought that same system to the fashion show. This year, the production featured stunning lighting and rigging elements that took up a considerable amount of ceiling space and weight capacity. We needed to maintain that same powerful sound in a much tighter space, so we went with the more compact VTX A8 system."

The VTX A8's compact enclosure allowed Firehouse to increase the number of loudspeakers while significantly reducing overall weight compared with the previous VTX V25 ii CS configuration. The system incorporated 12 arrays of 10 VTX A8 loudspeakers, with five arrays positioned along each side of the runway and a stereo pair covering the control and end-of-runway area. Positioned between lighting trusses with approximately 2" of clearance on either side in some locations, the arrays accommodated the production's overhead lighting design while maintaining the coverage required across the runway and audience seating.

"In our opinion, it's the biggest sound you can get out of a compact box," Dittmar says. "Switching to the VTX A8 gave us more low-mid and power than we get with other comparable products, and even though we doubled the quantity of speakers, it was still a huge difference in weight, obviously, compared with the VTX V25 ii CS system."

Low-frequency reinforcement came from 16 JBL Professional VTX G28 subwoofers positioned on the ground, providing the bass response required for the show's musical performances and runway programming. Seven JBL VTX F12 loudspeakers provided runway fill, while six additional F12 loudspeakers on the outer edges of the seating sections extended coverage. Combined, the distributed system provided reinforcement across the runway and audience areas, supporting a more enveloping listening environment.

The audio system also supported the show's live musical performances, which were integrated throughout the runway presentation alongside the production's lighting and visual elements. "Megan Thee Stallion brought the energy, and the production matched it," Dittmar says. "From the scale of the visual design to a stunning drone shot, the technical execution made this a standout moment of the show."

The complexity of overhead production made system modeling an important part of the design process. Firehouse used JBL Venue Synthesis to develop the loudspeaker configuration and evaluate coverage before installation, with the client requesting acoustic prediction heat maps to verify performance throughout the audience area. The software also let Firehouse coordinate loudspeaker placement with the broader production design, helping the team identify potential conflicts and refine the system before installation.

"As we were trying to work around winch motors, lighting trusses, rigging motors, and drape truss, we could import layer after layer into Venue Synthesis and see all those elements directly in the design software," Dittmar says. "The level of detail is pretty stunning. Being able to bring in those CAD layers saved us a lot of back and forth and really sped up the process. It's a powerful tool that has made some of our more challenging productions much easier."

That workflow was particularly valuable as production requirements evolved. Firehouse could incorporate updated design information and revise loudspeaker placement without rebuilding the room geometry, helping the team respond to changes within the short turnaround times common to large-scale live events. For Dittmar, the ability to return updated designs within hours rather than spending that time recreating drawings was an important advantage.

Firehouse provided audio coverage across five additional sound stages supporting the production. JBL Professional F12 loudspeakers formed much of the distributed system, while JBL VTX A6 arrays and subwoofers provided reinforcement in the hair and makeup area. Additional JBL subwoofers, including VTX F18S, B18, and S25 models, supported applications throughout the production facilities.

The distributed audio infrastructure allowed models and production personnel to listen to music or monitor the runway show from different backstage locations. A campuswide announcement system also provided voiceover and operational communications, allowing production teams to coordinate personnel across the multiple sound stages involved in the event. This extended the audio system's role beyond the runway itself, supporting both the entertainment experience and the operational requirements of the larger production.