Johnny Thinggaard is one of Denmark’s most experienced lighting designers and production designers, with more than 25 years of expertise in lighting design, scenography, and visual production for both television and large-scale live events. From his early start at the age of 16 on the event technician programme at EUC-Nord in Frederikshavn (approx. 1999–2002), Johnny Thinggaard has built a unique combination of technical precision, artistic vision, and hands-on production experience. Just two years into his education, he had his international breakthrough as a lighting technician on Safri Duo’s worldwide tour, where he honed his skills in high-pressure live production in large arenas. Today, he runs his own company, CMY, which he has led for over 20 years. He specialises in creating strong, emotional, and technically advanced visual universes, where light, video, and scenography merge into a cohesive narrative. A central part of his working method is professional 3D visualisation and pre-visualisation using tools such as Wysiwyg, Depence, SketchUp, and Twinmotion. This allows him to design, test, and fine-tune complex setups in the virtual space long before production begins – ensuring high quality, fewer errors, and greater creative freedom. Johnny Thinggaard has worked with some of the biggest and most prominent artists Denmark has to offer. Among others, he has designed lighting and scenography for Aqua, and he is currently collaborating closely with Lukas Graham, Rasmus Seebach, APHACA, Carpark North, Suspekt, and Christopher. His television experience includes lighting design for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix (2023–2026), P3 Guld (2019–2025), VM Håndbold (Handball World Championship), EU elections, the 2026 Danish general election political debates, and the Paralympics in Paris. He masters the art of creating lighting that works optimally for both the live audience and on camera – even under challenging outdoor conditions. In the concert and event sector, he has designed lighting and scenography for Rasmus Seebach Arena Tour 2025, Fjord Soundwaves with Morten & Danmarks Underholdningsorkester (including Denmark’s first major light-drone show in collaboration with Dronisos), as well as the DGI National Event in both Esbjerg (2022) and Vejle (2025). For the latter, he created an impressive 20 x 12 metre monolithic video screen with an integrated entrance, which performed perfectly in outdoor weather conditions and under live TV broadcast. A notable example of his ability to create spectacular and innovative live experiences is his long-standing collaboration with the Danish hip-hop group Suspekt. A highlight was the impressive show at Nationalparken (Parken) in Copenhagen, where Johnny Thinggaard designed an ambitious scenographic concept. This included two large video screens tilted 35 degrees down over the stage. The dramatic angle created a unique perspective effect that delivered an intense and immersive experience for the audience – even in a large arena. In addition, he designed a 48-metre-long catwalk that was lowered from the ceiling during the concert. This theatrical element allowed Suspekt to get close to the audience in the middle of the show and reinforced the raw, present energy the group is known for. Most recently (2026), Johnny Thinggaard created an almost cinematic experience for the band APHACA’s arena tour. With a strong cinematic approach to light, video, and spatial composition, he succeeded in translating the band’s musical universe into a visually captivating and emotionally deep show that elevated the concert experience to a cinematic level. Since 2016, Johnny Thinggaard has been a permanent and trusted collaborator on the Royal Awards (formerly the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Awards) in close cooperation with DR and the Bikuben Foundation. He designed the scenography and lighting for the show from 2017 to 2023 and was selected in 2025 for the new format at Ridehuset at Værket in Randers. He also designed the lighting for Queen Mary’s 50th birthday show at the Vilhelm Lauritzen Terminal. Johnny Thinggaard is known for his ability to make the colossal intimate – to create closeness, intensity, and magic, even for audiences in the back rows or in front of the screen. He is often involved from the idea and concept phase and balances technical complexity with elegant, emotionally powerful design. His combination of TV precision, large-scale experience, 3D visualisation, and creative concept development makes him one of the most sought-after professionals when it comes to creating visual frameworks for significant events in Denmark.