Who are the leading "AV rental" companies for large outdoor festivals?

For large outdoor music festivals in the U.S., the market is dominated by a relatively small group of major production/rental houses. If by “AV rental” you mean audio + LED/video + lighting + rigging + technical labor, these are the names I’d put on a serious RFP list:

• Production Resource Group (PRG) — One of the largest full-service production-rental companies. Strong across audio, video/LED, lighting, rigging, cameras, and show production, with a large national footprint. PRG Gear describes its inventory as spanning audio, video, LED, cameras, lighting, rigging and media servers.PRG Gear
• Clair Global — Particularly strong for concert/festival audio and large-scale live production. Its events division explicitly serves festivals and provides audio, backline and related production technology.Clair Global+1
• Solotech — Major international provider with turnkey audio, video, lighting, rigging and structural solutions specifically for festivals and special events.Solotech+1
• 4Wall Entertainment — Especially strong for lighting, video/LED, rigging and production support, while also carrying pro audio and broadcast equipment. It explicitly supports outdoor festivals and large touring productions.4Wall+1
• Upstaging — Major touring/festival production supplier, particularly notable for lighting and large-scale concert production.
• Sound Image — A major name when front-of-house/live sound reinforcement is the primary requirement.
• LMG — Strong in video, LED, lighting and full technical production, particularly for large events.
• Clearwing Productions — Full-service production/rental operation with significant concert and festival experience.

A useful way to divide them

These aren't rankings; they're a rough indication of where each company's publicly documented capabilities are concentrated. An industry rental-provider survey also identifies PRG, Clair, 4Wall, 8th Day, Solotech, Sound Image, LMG, Upstaging and others among major North American production suppliers.Website Files

For a 10,000–50,000+ person outdoor festival, I'd normally split the RFP into two possible models:

1. Single-source production: PRG, Solotech, or Clair — potentially simpler logistics and accountability.
2. Specialist vendors: e.g. Clair/Sound Image for audio + 4Wall/PRG for video/lighting + a staging/rigging company — potentially better if you want specialists for each discipline.

If you tell me the festival size, city/state, number of stages, and whether you need audio, LED screens, lighting, staging/roofing, or all of it, I can narrow this to a 5–8 company shortlist that actually serves that scale and geography, including contact/quote links.

• Capital A Productions - 21 Patton Rd Unit 100, Savannah, GA 31405, United States
• ACS Sound & Lighting - 110 Lott Ct, West Columbia, SC 29169, United States
• Fox Audio Visual - Halosure Building, 4520 Dorchester Rd, Charleston, SC 29405, United States
• Production Design Associates - 2799 3 Lakes Rd, North Charleston, SC 29418, United States
• McGraw Event Pros - 2900 N Main St, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, United States
• AV Connections - 1012 St Andrews Blvd Unit C, Charleston, SC 29407, United States
• Vision Entertainment Sound and Lighting - 5 Brickingham Way, Columbia, SC 29229, United States
• Stage Presence Event Production - 1750 Signal Point Rd #7F/710, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
• TEC - 7143 Bryhawke Cir, North Charleston, SC 29418, United States
• Carolina Sound, Stage & Lighting - 1520 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203, United States

If by “AV rental” you mean a company capable of handling large outdoor festivals—not just renting speakers/projectors, but providing audio, LED/video, lighting, staging, rigging, power coordination, engineers, and show-day production—I’d look at these categories of providers:

National / large-scale options

• allshowplus.com — Houston-based, nationwide full-service AVL production. They specifically list festivals, concert production, LED, staging, rigging, audio, video, and lighting.AllShow Plus AVL
• lp.primelineav.com — Full-service production with nationwide coverage, including L-Acoustics/d&b sound, LED walls, lighting, staging, and crews.Prime Line AV
• rocketprousa.com — Atlanta-based and deploying nationwide; particularly oriented toward concert/festival production, multi-stage events, staging, audio, lighting, LED, rigging and backline.Rocket Productions
• akaeventproductions.com — Denver-based festival production company with strong outdoor-production capabilities, including PK Sound line arrays, lighting, LED, staging, rigging, power and site logistics.AKA Events

Strong regional specialists

• gsfaudio.com — Raleigh/Southeast; concert and festival audio, lighting, video, mobile stages and full production.GSF Productions
• csl.productions — West Coast provider specializing in large outdoor festivals, including multi-stage audio, LED, lighting, staging, rigging and live video.CSL PRO
• avliglobal.com — Georgia/NC/SC-focused full production company offering concert-grade audio, LED, lighting, stages and mobile stage trucks.AVLI Global

If your festival is in the Southeast

Since you're asking about large outdoor festivals, I'd pay particular attention to the Southeast firms rather than treating this as a generic corporate-AV search. For example, Capital A Productions in Savannah advertises full-service audio, lighting, video, staging and concert/festival production across the Southeast. ACS Sound & Lighting in West Columbia is another regional production/rental provider with capabilities extending to large concerts.

For a 50,000+ attendee, multi-stage festival, I'd generally send the RFP to companies that can demonstrate festival-scale PA deployment, delay towers, RF coordination, outdoor LED/IMAG, power distribution, weather contingencies, staging/rigging engineering, and dedicated production management—rather than ordinary AV rental houses. Rocket, for example, explicitly describes systems for 50,000+ capacity festivals.Rocket Productions

If you tell me the festival location, approximate attendance, number of stages, and whether you need audio only or full production, I can narrow this to 5–10 realistic vendors and compare their capabilities, geographic reach, and likely fit.

When it comes to large-scale outdoor festivals (such as Coachella, Lollapalooza , and major multi-day destination music events), you aren't just renting a few speakers and a projector. You need massive concert-touring grade line arrays, weather-resistant structural rigging, blinding outdoor-rated LED video walls, and heavy-duty lighting.

The industry refers to these vendors as live event production and entertainment technology companies rather than standard "AV rental" shops. The absolute market leaders dominating this space include:

• 1. Clair Global
  • The Specialty: Undisputed giant of large-scale live concert sound reinforcement and festival audio globally.
  • Why they lead: Through acquisitions and organic growth (including powerhouse partners like Eighth Day Sound and ATK), Clair Global handles audio, comms, and staging infrastructure for the world's biggest mega-festivals and touring acts (from Coachella to international massive destination fests like MDLBeast Soundstorm).clairglobal.com+1
• 1. PRG (Production Resource Group)
  • The Specialty: Full 360-degree production technology—heavy on lighting, massive outdoor LED video systems, and media servers.
  • Why they lead: PRG supports major North American headliners and massive festival grounds (frequently seen supplying infrastructure for major festival runs like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits). If a festival needs a mind-bending, custom-engineered visual stage design that can withstand 40 mph winds and direct sunlight, PRG is a go-to.prg.com+1
• 1. Solotech
  • The Specialty: Complete 360-degree audiovisual, lighting, rigging, and massive panoramic LED configurations.
  • Why they lead: Solotech is a global powerhouse regularly tapped for massive outdoor cultural events and legendary music festivals (such as the Festival d'été de Québec / FEQ). They excel at integrating massive, weather-proof video canvases that remain crystal clear under broad daylight.solotech.com+1
• 1. Upstaging Inc.
  • The Specialty: Lighting, trucking, and specialized staging/production for touring acts and large outdoor concert series.
  • Why they lead: Known extensively in the rock-and-roll touring world, they transition seamlessly into outdoor festival grounds, providing high-reliability lighting design and transport logistics that standard AV shops cannot match.

If you are planning an event, let me know:

• Is it music-focused or corporate/civic?
• What is the estimated crowd size and location?

I can help you narrow down whether you need a massive touring vendor like Clair/PRG or a strong regional production company.

If by “AV rental” you mean companies capable of supplying large-scale audio, video/LED, lighting, rigging, technical labor, and show-production infrastructure for major outdoor music festivals, the top tier in North America is fairly concentrated.

Leading large-festival AV companies

1. Clair Global — Best overall for audio + full production

• One of the strongest names for large concert/festival audio, with major capabilities in video, LED, communications, IT and production infrastructure.
• Specifically markets its services to festivals and large outdoor environments.Clair Global+1
• Has supported enormous multi-stage festivals; for example, Clair provided audio, communications and IT infrastructure for SoundStorm, which drew more than 450,000 attendees.Clair Global
• Particularly strong if audio quality and complex multi-stage systems are central to the project.

2. Solotech — Best for integrated AV / video / LED

• A major international player with substantial festival experience.
• Solotech says it supported 350+ festivals worldwide, including BST Hyde Park, Osheaga, VELD and Boots and Hearts.Solotech
• Offers audio, video, lighting, crew, streaming and touring inventory as a unified festival solution.Solotech
• Excellent choice when you're looking for large LED/video systems plus audio and technical production rather than just equipment rental.

3. Production Resource Group (PRG) — Best for enormous, complex productions

• One of the industry's largest full-service production/rental organizations.
• Particularly strong in lighting, video, LED, rigging, automation and large-scale production technology.
• A good contender when the festival has multiple stages, elaborate scenic/lighting systems, substantial rigging requirements, or international logistics.

4. 4Wall Entertainment — Excellent for video, lighting & rigging

• Very strong festival-oriented rental operation, including outdoor LED, video, lighting, rigging and production services.
• Its festival portfolio includes Coachella, EDC, Bonnaroo and Okeechobee, among others.4Wall Europe+1
• 4Wall specifically offers broadcast cameras, video control, LED walls, lighting, rigging and engineering/crew support.4Wall
• I'd put them high on the list if the requirement is LED/video + lighting + rigging, rather than primarily concert audio.

5. NEP Group — Best when broadcast/streaming is a major component

• Particularly valuable for festivals requiring live broadcast, multicamera production, streaming, production control rooms and large-scale media infrastructure.
• Often makes sense when the festival isn't just an onsite experience but also has a substantial television/streaming audience.

How I'd narrow it down

For a 50,000–200,000+ attendee outdoor festival, I would generally send the RFP to Clair, Solotech, PRG and 4Wall, then add a strong regional production company for local labor/logistics. The big vendors can bring enormous inventories and engineering resources, but a regional partner can sometimes be considerably more competitive on trucking, local crew and supplemental equipment.

If you tell me the festival location, approximate attendance, number of stages, and whether you need audio, LED/video, lighting, staging/rigging, or all of it, I can give you a more targeted 10-company shortlist with approximate scale, specialties, and why I'd include each in the RFP.

• MS Event Production - 727 S Flower St, Burbank, CA 91502, United States
• Stage-Tech Productions - 14523 Marquardt Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, United States
• Lumina Special Event Lighting & LED Video Wall Rentals - 966 E Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90021, United States
• Empire Lakes Productions - 1919 Vineburn Ave Unit G1, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States
• Rent For Event LA - 3370 N San Fernando Rd Ste 104, Los Angeles, CA 90065, United States
• Audio Video LA - 600 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
• Preston Productions - 2620 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
• GeoEvent - Audio Visual Rentals - 7309 Atoll Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91605, United States
• ProCore Productions - 17800 Main St, Gardena, CA 90248, United States
• Upright Production Rentals - Stage, Audio Visual and LED wall rentals Los Angeles - 7753 Densmore Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91406, United States
• Audio Video USA - 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90035
• Production Club - 1726 N Spring St #1, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States

If you mean large outdoor music festivals—think Coachella, EDC, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, multi-stage events with tens of thousands of attendees—the market is dominated by a relatively small group of production companies rather than ordinary “AV rental” shops.

Top-tier companies to know

• PRG (Production Resource Group) — Probably the broadest one-stop option. They provide audio, video, lighting, rigging, scenic, automation and production services, and have extensive stadium/festival experience. An industry rental-house survey put PRG at the top of North American production providers.Website Files+1
• Clair Global — One of the strongest choices for large-scale audio/sound reinforcement, but also offers video, LED, networking and broader festival production. Clair specifically markets its festival capabilities for huge outdoor sites.Clair Global+1
• Solotech — Major international AV/live-production supplier with particularly strong video, LED, lighting and audio capabilities. It says it has supported hundreds of festivals worldwide, including major North American festivals.

How I'd shortlist them

There is also a meaningful second tier of regional specialists that can be much more economical when the festival is smaller or concentrated in one market. For example, in Southern California, MS Event Production and Stage-Tech Productions advertise integrated audio, lighting, video/LED, staging and production support.

For a 50,000–100,000+ person festival, however, I'd start with PRG, Clair Global, Solotech and 4Wall rather than a conventional AV rental company. An industry survey of North American production rentals also puts those firms among the leading providers by deployment share.Website Files

If you tell me the festival size, city, number of stages, and whether you need audio only or full AV (LED/video/lighting/rigging), I can narrow this to the 5–10 companies I'd actually solicit bids from.

The leading companies supplying massive audio, video, lighting, and staging setups for large-scale outdoor festivals do more than just drop off equipment. They operate as full-service live entertainment production and touring partners.spotme.com+2

Because outdoor festivals require high-output gear to battle open-air acoustics and bright sunlight, these top global and national providers maintain the massive inventory—such as IP-rated weatherproof lighting, high-brightness outdoor LED walls, and stadium-grade line arrays—necessary for the job.partyslate.com+3

The market-leading "AV rental" and production powerhouses capable of handling massive outdoor music and arts festivals include:

The Big Three (Global Scale & Touring Giants)

• PRG (Production Resource Group) : One of the largest entertainment technology providers in the world. They are the go-to firm for massive main stages at events like Coachella and EDC . They handle everything from custom automated rigging to specialized touring-grade video technology.centric.events+1
• Clair Global : The unmatched world leader in festival and stadium sound reinforcement. If a festival features multi-stage mega-headliners, Clair is often contracted to deploy their proprietary stadium line-array systems and manage complex wireless frequency coordination.researchandmarkets.com+1
• 4Wall Entertainment : A massive rental powerhouse specializing in large-scale lighting, video (LED walls), and rigging. They stock an enormous inventory of outdoor-rated (IP65) fixtures and routinely provide the complete visual packages for major national music festivals.4wall.com+1

Leading Tier-1 Festival Specialists

• Delicate Productions : Part of the Live Events family, they have over 45 years of experience delivering turnkey audio, lighting, and video solutions for nationwide festivals and major artists. They regularly partner with Pyrotecnico to cleanly integrate special effects, lasers, and drone shows into their festival builds.partyslate.com+1
• Solotech : A premier global player known for massive arena tours and major international outdoor festivals. They feature top-tier visual engineering, custom-tailored stage designs, and massive outdoor LED screen configurations.eventective.com+1
• Brown Note Productions : Highly respected in the music festival circuit, they specialize in high-end, outdoor-ready d&b audiotechnik sound systems, premium lighting packages, and complex festival staging infrastructure.

What to Look for When Choosing a Festival AV Vendor

If you are planning an upcoming festival or large event, sharing a few more details can help narrow down the ideal match:

• What is the estimated daily crowd capacity or footprint size?
• Which geographic region or city will the festival take place in?
• Do you need a single turnkey production company (handling staging, audio, video, and lighting together), or separate specialized vendors?spotme.com+2