Returning to the stage

As the largest stadium in the country and the flagship venue of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar’s Al Bayt Stadium grabbed the spotlight when millions of global viewers tuned into their TV screens to not only witness Argentina beating France on penalties in the final to claim the trophy, but also a series of impressive visual displays across the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies.

Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) was a key component in helping bring those past productions to life. With Qatar’s Katara Studios – the same production company that the team worked with on those events – appointed to deliver the mostrecent Arab Cup production, the Dubai-based AV specialist was brought in once again, building on a working relationship that had spanned previous Arab Cup ceremonies and the 2022 World Cup at the same venue, and more recently the AFC Asian Cup. For Creative Technology, the ceremony was a projectionled show in which reliability and familiarity with the stadium environment were just as critical as brightness or resolution.

Twenty-four Barco UDX projectors were deployed across four projection towers

Developed in collaboration with creative studio Sila Sveta, the ceremony design introduced floating curtain elements above the pitch, requiring projection onto moving surfaces suspended within the stadium volume. The 20-minute production saw the stage itself become a powerful storytelling device, tracing the creation, collapse and symbolic rebirth of a monumental structure throughout gradually ascending and descending platforms.

An initial brief outlined an ambitious vision built around largescale projection across the field of play and complemented by scenic elements suspended above the pitch. Brightness targets, pixel density requirements and creative intent were defined early, but with the event calendar already congested and multiple events taking place simultaneously, the delivery window was compressed.

According to senior project manager Riaan Gomes, the early stages followed a familiar pattern for major international ceremonies. “We got a very early brief of what they were looking to do,” he recalls. “Projection on the field of play, floating scenic elements and a very high brightness requirement. After that, there was a bit of a gap before the production team came back and asked how we could value engineer the concept to make it work within budget.”

That process brought CTME’s engineering team into closer alignment with the ceremony’s designers and producers. With the organisers pushing for maximum visual impact, the team worked through a variety of technical scenarios to meet the creative ambition without compromising reliability. Once the project was confirmed, things moved quickly into delivery mode. “At that point, we very much hit the ground running,” says Gomes. “Q4 is always an intense time of year, and this was no exception.”

Floating elements were projected onto as they arose from the centre of the field of play

Working in CT’s favour was the fact that having previously delivered multiple ceremonies inside the same venue, the team already had a detailed understanding of cable routes, possible projector positions and access constraints.

“This familiarity shortens the engineering phase considerably,” explains CTME head of video, Carlos Aguilar. “We already know where projectors can be positioned, how fibre needs to be routed and what the stadium infrastructure allows. That makes a big difference when timelines are tight.” “This familiarity shortens the engineering phase considerably,” explains CTME head of video, Carlos Aguilar. “We already know where projectors can be positioned, how fibre needs to be routed and what the stadium infrastructure allows. That makes a big difference when timelines are tight.”

CTME’s scope for the opening ceremony was focused squarely on projection. Field-of-play visuals were delivered from four projection towers positioned around the stadium, each supporting multichannel projection. Twenty-four high-brightness Barco UDX projectors were deployed to achieve the required luminance levels across the pitch, while 12 more compact Panasonic 35K units were used for the floating scenic elements.

However, while the field-of-play projection was a known quantity, the introduction of the scenic elements added a new layer of complexity. Floating curtain structures were introduced as part of the ceremony design, requiring projection onto moving surfaces suspended above the pitch, which was achieved using the Panasonic 35K units. “That was the most challenging and interesting part of the show,” Aguilar notes. “We had to work out projector positioning, tracking, pixel mapping and content alignment so that the visuals matched the creative exactly, even as those elements moved. The choice of smaller-format Panasonic projectors was driven by audience sightlines, as these units were positioned closer to seating areas. Brightness was more than sufficient for the scenic surfaces without physically blocking views.” Content playback and control were handled using Disguise VX4+ media servers, with fibre infrastructure installed to distribute signals around the stadium.

Projection mapping transforms the field of play at Al Bayt Stadium during the FIFA Arab Cup opening ceremony

Interestingly, the visual language of the ceremony was driven almost entirely by projection; however, CTME also supported signal distribution to existing stadium screens as required.

With the ceremony broadcast across the Arab region to millions of viewers, system resilience was also non-negotiable. The projection and control infrastructure was designed with full redundancy throughout, reducing the need for any manual intervention during the live show.

“We always treat ceremonies like this as broadcast-critical,” Aguilar explains. “Media servers are protected by UPS systems capable of running for up to 30 minutes in the event of a power loss, while fibre runs are fully redundant wherever possible,

with separate routes for main and backup paths. The goal is to minimise human intervention. If something fails, the system needs to react instantly and predictably.”

This approach extended beyond projection alone. Audio was delivered by Auditoria, which designed and deployed a full stadium system using L-Acoustics K2 across both the upper and lower seating bowls. With Al Bayt Stadium’s fabric roof concealing all steelwork and preventing additional rigging points, the existing house system was removed and replaced within strict load limits. Modelling was undertaken by Auditoria in advance to ensure consistent coverage and speech intelligibility for the narrative-driven performance, reinforcing the broadcast and live experience for more than 60,000 spectators.

CTME worked closely with Auditoria, as well as lighting and broadcast teams, to ensure synchronisation across all show elements. “Shows like these are a collaborative environment,” says Aguilar. “Everyone is aligned around the same standards because the stakes are so high.”

Despite detailed planning, last-minute changes were inevitable. Minor shifts in projection tower positions required adjustments to cable runs and pixel maps during installation. “It’s inevitable there will always be small things that move,” Gomes reflects. “But because we know the stadium well, we were able to respond fast and keep everything on track. Overall, it was a smooth install despite the tight time constraint.”

For both Gomes and Aguilar, the success of the large-scale ceremonies like the Arab Cup is often measured as much by the confidence shown by returning clients as it is the technical outcome on the night. The company has worked closely with local production house Katara Studios and FIFA-linked organisations for several years, and repeat engagements have become a defining feature of its role in the region.

“When clients come back and say, ‘When can we have you again?’ that’s the biggest indicator of success,” says Gomes. “These events are stressful by nature, and a major part of our job is to take that pressure off the client.”

Aguilar agrees. “You can watch ceremonies in the same stadium, and none of them look the same,” he says. “Each one has its own personality because of the creative vision behind it, and that’s not simple to achieve. Our role is to make sure the technology supports that vision perfectly.”