SCN: How long have you been with this company, and what are your responsibilities?
Bryan Grant: I’ve been with the company for 46 years, having owned it until our sale to the Clair Global Group in 2017. I continue as a non-executive director alongside Mike Lowe.
SCN: How did Britannia Row celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025?
BG: Given how extremely busy we were this year, we only had time for a quiet internal celebration! Although we did produce some nice black and gold commemorative merchandise. This year, we also moved into a brand-new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility in Weybridge, Surrey, England.
Join Britannia Row for "50 Years of Audio Innovation" at the Live Events Stage in Hall 6 at ISE 2026 on February 3 at 2 p.m.
SCN: How does Pink Floyd factor into your company’s origins?
BG: Pink Floyd formed the Britannia Row group of companies in 1975, providing audio, lighting, and staging for other touring bands and a recording studio at its premises in Islington. I joined in 1979 with the aim of providing these services as a package, which we did successfully until 1984, when Robbie Williams bought the touring equipment and kept the company name. We concentrated our investment on audio equipment while still offering full production services, but after Mike Lowe joined in 1988 and he and I bought Robbie out in 1991, we focused entirely on audio.
SCN: Clair Global acquired Britannia Row in 2017. How has that impacted your company?
BG: Mike and I continue as non-exec directors, and I’m extremely pleased to see how well the company has fit into the group, now being able to offer our clients a truly global service with massively increased resources. Clair’s acquisition has given us more access to a global market and has given our people the opportunity to further their careers. Our worldwide network is quite incredible.
SCN: In late 2024, Brittania Row acquired Plus 4 Audio. What was the strategy behind that move?
BG: To broaden our audio services; we now have a group partner that works across broadcast audio and operates at the top of its game. As with all strategic moves, we are excited to knowledge share and become a stronger, more global, and specialized network of technology partners who can work in unison where needed.
SCN: Live events experienced a significant bump after the pandemic, but how’s business these days?
BG: Business continues to increase globally and in our own regions; we’ve had many busy periods post pandemic. You only need to look at the amount of stadium acts coming into the U.K. over the summer months to gain an understanding of the demand for world-class audio from our clients. And there’s no sign of it slowing down.
SCN: How is immersive audio impacting your business?
BG: I wouldn’t say it is having a "big" impact on us, but there are some unique productions which have worked on this year that are dedicated to the immersive experience. Some of our tours have also recently been engaging in spatial and immersive sound system designs. Andrea Bocelli and Steven Wilson are good examples of what engineers are doing to enhance the listening experience for artists’ fans.
Clair’s acquisition has given us more access to a global market and has given our people the opportunity to further their careers.
SCN: What are some of the audio challenges specifically related to concerts in sports stadiums?
BG: Providing even coverage of the audience. The people in the furthest seats still want great audio. Every ticket holder, every fan, every audience member has paid for a great listening experience and with collaboration, communication, and shared goals, it’s the engineers and the vendors they ultimately trust to ensure it's delivered. The job of a systems engineer is becoming increasingly challenging, and it takes a lot of skill to interpret and achieve what the mixer needs in large sports stadiums and historical venues that were often not built with live music in mind.
SCN: Britannia Row offers data services in addition to live audio solutions. How important has data management become to modern events?
BG: In addition to audio design and delivery, we also offer data services and comms/radios supply and radio licensing. This is a crucial element of many productions these days, especially as they become more complex. As an industry, we need to be online to deliver a seamless show and, crucially, for safety, more than ever. There can be so many moving parts to modern arena and stadium shows and festivals. From production offices needing faultless internet for busy tours, for festival fields, in deserts or unique venues, to the audience demand (and now the influencer demand!) of fan-facing internet and online transactions, the Clair Global Group offers many variations of these services for clients around the world.
