October 29, 2026
Firehouse and JBL Professional Take the Runway at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
Firehouse Productions deploys 120 JBL Professional VTX A8 loudspeakers and Venue Synthesis to navigate complex production requirements at one of the world’s most recognized fashion shows
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA – 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 an elaborate overhead 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 was designed using JBL Venue Synthesis software, allowing the team to coordinate loudspeaker placement with the production’s complex lighting and rigging infrastructure.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has become a fixture of fashion and pop culture, combining runway presentations by internationally recognized models with live musical performances for audiences worldwide. 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 remaining the centerpiece of the production, the audio system needed to deliver the impact of a live concert while supporting the show’s elaborate visual design.
For Firehouse, which also provided audio for the previous year’s show, the production team was familiar with the client’s expectations. The 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show used JBL Professional 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,” said 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 some 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 the 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 inches 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,” said Dittmar. “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.
For more information, visit jblpro.com.
