William “Bill” Harkin grew up in Liverpool where he went to Beatles' concerts at the Cavern and showed artwork and models at the Liverpool Academy before briefly studying architecture. He began creating stage and lighting designs instead, at first for concerts at Liverpool’s famed Bluecoat Art’s Centre and later on designing tours for music legends including The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. He also contributed ground breaking architectural creations at the Eden Project, Britain’s sustainability centre in Cornwall, and taught at Wimbledon College of Art.
Harkin wrote about his career here, detailing how he stumbled upon the organizers of the Glastonbury Festival at midnight on Glastonbury Tor.
Here, the designer is at an early Glastonbury discussing his vision for the Pyramid Stage.
Last year, the stage became a metaphor for the state of the live entertainment industry during the pandemic as part of the Light It In Red project.