Morgan Wallen's recent I'm The Problem tour was designed by Raw Cereal, an immersive experiences firm led by partners and co-founders Cort Lawrence and Anders Rahm. Live Design chats with Lawrence, the show's creative director about the design for Wallen's most recent tour, which ran June through September 2025 – having worked with the artist since his One Night At A Time tour in 2023. Raw Cereal is also involved in Wallen's upcoming Still The Problem tour planned for 2026.
Live Design: What was the artistic brief for this tour?
Cort Lawrence: This tour picked up where the One Night At A Time run left off, but the new I’m The Problem album brought in a very different energy. The brief focused on keeping that same sense of intimacy in massive stadiums while digging deeper creatively for both the new songs and the older ones. It became a chance to apply everything we learned the year before. We brought the show back into the shop, made thoughtful improvements, added new features, and elevated the overall experience while keeping the core foundation intact. The goal was to hold onto what fans already loved and expand the emotional world of the show in a way that felt true to the new music.
LD: Can you describe the design concepts?
CL: We kept the main visual foundation in place, like the 270 degree wraparound LED header that provided incredibly vivid content and IMAG, along with the clean, open sculptural stage layout. From there, the new album guided the evolution of the design. The I’m The Problem songs had a more personal, textured feel, so the lighting, scenic direction, and color story leaned into that tone. It wasn’t about reinventing the entire show, but about refining it and giving it a fresh identity that still felt familiar. The end result was a show that looked like an evolution rather than a replacement, which allowed the music to speak in a new way.
Photo by Matt Paskert
LD: How did you collaborate with technical partners such as TAIT and Nighthawk?
CL: We worked hand-in-hand with all of our vendor partners including Clear All Visuals, Christie Lites, FFP, StrictlyFX, G2 Structures, PixMob, and last but not least TAIT and Nighthawk. Every vendor played a crucial role in the success of the show with their crews and gear. TAIT and Nighthawk handled automation, staging, scenic fabrication, video, and camera engineering. A great example of the collaboration was how the teams helped transform and recycle an older set piece into what became the “Baja 1000,” a larger-than-life motorcycle headlight that became a standout moment in the show. It gave a familiar element new purpose and kept the design touring-friendly while still feeling fresh.
LD: How intense was the touring schedule and was everything built for fast turnaround times?
CL: Stadium touring was incredibly demanding, but the Morgan Wallen team, led by Chad Guy, ran the operation with incredible efficiency. This show became known as one of the smoothest stadium productions when it came to load-ins and load-outs. Everything in the design was built to pack, travel, and reset quickly, and the crew executed it with precision every single night. For a production of this scale, the level of organization and speed was impressive to watch.
Photo by Matt Paskert
LD. What was the biggest challenge?
CL: As the production evolved, the challenge was figuring out how to add new scenic and kinetic pieces without pushing the rig past its limits. Elements like the “Baja 1000” and the kinetic chevron introduced additional rigging weight, which required careful planning given the temporary stadium roofs. The biggest hurdle was keeping everything safe and properly balanced while still delivering the creative impact we wanted. It took close coordination between the creative team, engineering, and the touring crew, and in the end the balance was exactly where it needed to be.
Photo by Matt Paskert
LD: What made the design and the use of technology successful?
CL: Everything worked together in harmony. This was one of the most cohesive productions we created. The programming was incredibly detailed, and many talented people shaped every cue so the entire show flowed seamlessly. Lighting, content, automation, pyro, lasers, and IMAG all supported the music instead of overpowering it. The goal was always for the technology to disappear into the experience so the audience could fall straight into the performance, and when that happened, we knew the design was successful.