Creative Technology (CT) worked closely with client; global entertainment group Done+Dusted to a Florian Wieder design for overall creative agency POSSIBLE to support delivery of Riyadh Season opening ceremony. Taking place within the brand-new Kingdom Arena, which was constructed in just 60 days and accommodates more than 26,000 people – parts of the build were still ongoing throughout the load-in phase of the project, which presented unique challenges for the team on-site.
Senior Project Manager Stuart Young commented, “With a considerably shorter pre-production period than is usual, all technical departments were given challenges. All production crew worked in difficult conditions, with heat and dust being the main two, but all endured and came through, to their credit. I thank my crew for knuckling down and delivering in some particularly testing circumstances with fantastic results.”
CT’s role was pivotal in making the event a visual spectacle. CT provided large-scale display solutions, incorporating various LED and projection elements that brought the stage design to life. Two InfiLed ER5.9 19m x 12m stage walls, combined with four upstage columns, created a visually engaging entrance.
A circular stage featuring 123 sqm of ROE BM4 was meticulously built into a Stage One tracking stage. The 34-tonne circular screen and stage tracked upstage 25m to reveal and allow the Tait supplied mechanism to bring the boxing ring into position from a void dug in the venue floor.
Above the circular stage, a 6m x 6m cube showcased CTME’s newest addition to its LED inventory, the ROE Vanish V8T. On the stage’s left, right, and downstage faces of the cube, HoloNet screens, featuring projections powered by four Panasonic RQ35’s, enhanced the overall spectator experience. All these elements were seamlessly orchestrated through signal processing and delivery by NEP group company Lux Machina.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, CT is dedicated to minimising the movement of equipment and people wherever possibly to improve its carbon footprint. In line with this goal, CT has officially established itself in Saudi Arabia, with an office and warehouse now operational in Riyadh. This significant milestone supports CT’s core values of providing a global service with a local touch. Saudi Arabia’s growing stature as a host for high-profile events has made the opening of this office a vital addition to CT’s presence across the world.
