Few venues hold as much heritage and international recognition as Lord’s Cricket Ground. Home to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and the spiritual home of the sport itself, Lord’s has stood for centuries as a beacon of cricketing tradition. And yet, with history comes the need for thoughtful modernisation.
RG Jones Sound Engineering has worked in partnership with Lord’s since the 1980s, helping to quietly and reliably deliver world-class sound across this historic site. In recent years, that relationship deepened with a series of phased infrastructure upgrades to support the growing demands of both international broadcast and public safety. The most ambitious of these projects was completed in the mid-2010s: a fully IP-based, EN54-compliant PA/VA system that blends state-of-the-art performance with subtlety, precision and sensitivity to the venue’s architectural legacy.
Scope of Work
- Design and installation of a fully IP-based PA/VA system
- Compliance with EN54 life safety standards
- Creation of the world’s largest Dante network at the time of installation
- Integration with residential noise management protocols
- System-wide coverage: the historic Pavilion, access gates, concourses and public zones
- Full flexibility for different match formats: Test, T20, One-Day Internationals and other public events
- Improved aesthetics and noise control in a Grade II listed environment
Challenges and Achievements
The complexity of the project was not merely technical. Lord’s is a layered venue, with listed buildings, high-profile international broadcasts, and a residential neighbourhood to consider. The audio solution had to serve a multiplicity of functions: voice alarm, public address, event enhancement, and broadcast distribution. RG Jones engineered a system that delivered all of this — while remaining visually unobtrusive.
The resulting infrastructure was groundbreaking: a scalable, modular and fully integrated system built on a 256-channel Dante backbone, linking buildings across the site using fibre media converters. This was the world’s largest Dante network at the time, offering precise control of every audio zone from a central GUI interface. The PA/VA system allows for dynamic zoning, priority paging, fault monitoring and evacuation readiness, all while delivering the kind of audio quality expected by professional touring engineers.
All components — from speakers to amplifiers, digital signal processors to paging microphones — were chosen for their ability to withstand outdoor conditions, deliver broadcast-ready audio, and remain consistent with the architectural demands of this Grade II listed venue.
“Working at Lord’s is a privilege and a responsibility. You’re enhancing one of the most recognisable venues in the world, so every decision has to balance innovation with restraint. The goal is always the same — deliver the best possible sound, and let the heritage shine through.”
— Jon Berry, Sales & Installations Director, RG Jones Sound Engineering
A Testament to Long-Term Partnership
This installation marked a new era in the club’s history, one where technical excellence quietly supports tradition. By uniting life safety compliance, acoustic clarity and future-ready control systems, RG Jones delivered not just a PA system, but a platform for the next 25 years of Lord’s public engagement.
From match day crowd control to public celebrations and dignitary announcements, the system has performed seamlessly in every scenario. The trust built between MCC and RG Jones over decades has led to further commissions, including upgrades across entrances, corporate hospitality zones, and continued seasonal servicing.
This is the RG Jones approach in action: build for the long-term, deliver with precision, and leave the sound to speak for itself.
At a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Client / Venue: | Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – Lord’s Cricket Ground, London |
| Challenge: | Modernise the audio infrastructure of a Grade II listed international venue to meet EN54 life safety standards and broadcast-level performance — without compromising heritage aesthetics or residential noise protocols. |
| Scope of Work: | Designed and installed a fully IP-based PA/VA system built on a 256-channel Dante network — the largest of its kind at the time. Integrated fibre-linked zones, dynamic paging, and advanced fault monitoring across the Pavilion, gates, concourses, and public areas. All hardware selected for durability, intelligibility, and architectural discretion. |
| Result: | A world-class, future-ready system delivering broadcast-quality sound and emergency readiness across every corner of Lord’s. Seamlessly blending tradition and technology, the installation set a new benchmark for large-scale, heritage-sensitive audio integration. |