DRY HIRE & SUB HIRE — MELBOURNE
Hire. Touring-Grade Gear. Melbourne and Beyond.
Professional dry hire and sub hire for production companies, lighting designers, and technical directors. Moving lights, LED screens, consoles, rigging, staging, cables, and atmospherics. The gear is maintained to touring standard. Call or download the hire list and go.
Touring-standard dry hire and sub hire from Cheltenham, Melbourne. Ayrton, GLP, Chauvet, Martin, Avolites, grandMA, ROE, Unilumin — properly prepped and available when you need it.
Touring Grade
Fixtures maintained to touring standard — not hire-house standard.
Melbourne Based
Cheltenham, south-eastern suburbs. Metro and regional delivery available.
B2B Only
Production companies, LDs, and TDs. We speak the language.
Quick Turnaround
Short-notice hire available. Call first. We will tell you straight.
Get the Full Hire List.
Every fixture. Every category. Submit your details below to access the Inventory List.
Your details are used to send the hire list and follow up on any enquiry. We do not share your information with third parties.
What We Hire
A professional dry hire and sub hire inventory across moving lights, static lights, LED screens, control, rigging, staging, cables, atmospherics, and site equipment. Each category links to its own page with fixture-level detail. Need it faster — download the hire list above or call direct.
Moving Lights
Ayrton Rivale IP65, Ayrton Perseo IP65, GLP GT1 Hybrid, Martin MAC Aura XIP, Chauvet Intimidator, GLP Wildbar 16 IP65.
Static Lights
TourPro Slim Par, ETC Source Four, Martin Atomic 3000, Astera AX1 Titan Tube, Chauvet Festoon, Luxe Motion.
LED Screens
ROE V4ST 4mm IP65, Unilumin URM III 3mm IP65, Hisense monitors, Brompton SX40 processor.
Lighting & Video Control
Avolites Tiger Touch II, grandMA3, grandMA2, LSC, Lightshark, Novastar, Roland, Brompton.
Rigging
CM Lodestar hoists 250kg–1000kg, Eurotruss HD44, Plustruss, circle truss, base plates, ground support.
Staging & Drapes
GT Performer stage deck, steps and legs, truss borders, black wool drapes, white kabuki screen.
Cables & Power
DMX, EtherCon, SDI, Socapex, True1, PowerCon, 3-phase, PowerLock, multicores, fibre.
Atmospherics
Antari CH1 CO2 Haze, Antari SMAZE F7, F6 Fazer, HZ-400/350, smoke machines, dry ice, bubble machine.
Site Equipment
Cable guards, IP65 enclosure stands, exit signs, floor tiles. Antari fluids and consumables for purchase.
How Production Hire Works With Us
B2B production hire. No surprises. Here’s what you need to know before you call.
Getting a Quote
Every quote is accompanied by our hire agreement — worth a read before you confirm. For longer lead times, touch base with us as your date approaches. Last-minute spec changes on a confirmed prep can incur additional charges.
Send us your dates, fixture list, and delivery location. Turnaround depends on the spec and how busy we are. If the numbers don’t quite work, it’s worth a conversation — pricing can move depending on the season and the job.
Booking & Payment
A quote is not a confirmation — availability is only held once the job is booked. New clients pay in full prior to dispatch. Established account holders get 14-day terms. Credit account applications need 10 working days — plan ahead.
We offer Direct-debit and Credit Card payment online (surcharges apply).
Get Your Invoicing Details Right Early
Before we raise a quote we need the full legal entity name, a contact name and direct number for the person authorising and paying the invoice, and your company PO number where applicable.
If the person requesting the hire isn’t the one signing off on the bills, we’ll need to speak with whoever is. A PO upfront keeps everything moving cleanly.
Equipment & Your Responsibility
Our gear goes out in great condition and we’d love it back the same way. From delivery to return, responsibility for the equipment sits with you — so it’s worth checking that your public and products liability policy covers hired equipment before the job. If something does go wrong, we’ll work through it together, but costs including any excess will need to come from your side.
Any questions about cover — just ask us when you enquire.
WHY AAPBS?
What Makes the Difference on Hire Day?
Production hire works best when the gear shows up right, the communication is straight, and nothing creates extra work for you on the day. Here’s how we approach it.
Gear prepped before it leaves the warehouse.
Every item is checked and tested before dispatch. You get what was quoted, in working order, ready to go. No substitutions without a call first.
Honest availability. No overselling.
If the gear isn’t available for your dates, we’ll tell you upfront — not after you’ve built your production schedule around it. We’ll work with you to see if there is a solution we can offer.
Clear communication from quote to return.
You’ll have a direct contact throughout. Hire agreements are clear, delivery windows are confirmed in writing, and if anything changes, you hear from us first.
Consistent care. Dressed for the job.
Whether you’re sub-hiring one fixture or pulling an entire rig, the level of care is the same. One thing worth flagging: if the equipment is going front-of-house at a premium event — visible truss, baseplates, anything your client will see — tell us early. We’ll make sure it’s dressed for the room.
PRODUCTION HIRE – FAQS
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PRODUCTION HIRE
What's the difference between dry hire, sub-hire and cross-hire?
The terms are largely interchangeable in our Aussie industry — all three generally refer to hiring equipment without crew (to set them up or operate them). What’s included beyond the core fixtures depends on what you ask for. Supporting infrastructure such as lighting consoles, data distribution, and power leads can be added to a hire — just specify what you need when you enquire.
What does a hire from AABPS include?
Equipment hire covers the gear itself. Freight, delivery, setup, and crew can all be added to your quote if needed — just let us know when you enquire. How that equipment integrates with your production system, venue, and wider rig remains your responsibility as the hiring party. If you’re unsure what you need, a quick conversation when you are discussing your quote, before you book, usually sorts it out.
Do you hire to individuals or only to production companies?
Yes — we hire to production companies, event agencies, freelance lighting designers, technical directors, and individuals. What matters is an honest conversation about how the equipment will be used and who will be operating it. Some fixtures carry a replacement value of $6,000 or more, so we’ll want to make sure the hire is the right fit for your situation — and we’re happy to help you work that out.
A few things to be aware of if you’re collecting your hire from our warehouse: lighting fixtures and LED screens are delicate, heavy, and require their road cases for transport. We usually load them into our equipment using a forklift or electric tailgate. You’ll need suitable transport arranged before collection — that means adequate space, all-weather protection and a driver that can tie the load down securely and safely. If you think you’ll need assistance with this – flag this when confirming the quote.
What makes a hire run smoothly?
Start with the fixture you have in mind, but don’t stop there. A short conversation about the look you’re trying to achieve, the rig you’re supplementing, and the practicalities of your load-in often leads to a better outcome — sometimes a different fixture is a stronger fit on output, beam angle, or price. We’ll also want to know things like whether hired fixtures are going into an existing rig (firmware compatibility matters), who’s receiving delivery at the venue, and whether you need any supporting infrastructure. The more context you give us upfront, the smoother the hire runs.
How early do I need to lock in gear?
As early as you can. Show Season (September through March) fills fast. For touring quotes especially, getting your enquiry in early means first access to available inventory when you’re ready to confirm. When you’re ready to lock in, a PO helps us get your booking confirmed quickly. New to hiring from us? We may require payment upfront to secure the gear — it’s straightforward and we’ll talk you through it.
How is rental equipment prepared before I collect it?
All rental equipment is tested and prepared before it leaves the warehouse — that takes time to do properly, particularly across busy periods. Planning your hire request and confirmation with enough lead time means we can prep your equipment without rushing it. If you identify a fault on collection or delivery, contact us immediately. Responsibility for the equipment during the hire period is covered in your hire agreement, including protocols for damage, loss, and faults.
Can fixtures be pre-addressed (programmed) before delivery?
Yes. Fixtures can be pre-addressed to your DMX layout before dispatch — just include your address map with your hire enquiry. Less time patching on load-in, more time for focus and programming.
Consistent Care. Dressed for the job
Whether you’re sub-hiring one fixture or pulling an entire rig, gear leaves here prepped and ready. If it’s going on show at a high-profile event — for example visible truss and exposed baseplates — tell us upfront. We can assess whether the everyday working finish needs a step up.