CTME powers President's Cup production in Abu Dhabi
CTME powers President's Cup production in Abu Dhabi
Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) delivered the lighting, video, projection, audio and show control infrastructure for the 2026 President's Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, supporting both the football match and its opening and closing ceremonies with an integrated technology deployment.
Working with lighting designer Roland Greil of 360 Degree Collective, CTME installed a stadium-wide lighting system using fixtures from Robe, Elation and Ayrton, including Robe iFORTE, iFORTE LTX, iESPRITE LTL and Proteus Excalibur luminaires. Lighting control was managed via three grandMA3 full-size consoles and two grandMA2 light consoles operating on a fully redundant MA Lighting network over a Luminex backbone.
“It is always a pleasure collaborating with Greil and his team,” commented Sam Connolly, head of lighting and power at CTME.
The production also incorporated four Robe RoboSpot remote followspot systems with FS camera tracking on iFORTE LTX fixtures, enabling operators to provide key lighting while maintaining clear sightlines throughout the stadium.
A key element of the lighting design saw Astera Titan Tubes integrated directly into the Disguise media server environment as video outputs, allowing lighting effects to synchronise with projected and LED content. DMX data was routed through Luminex Luminode processors before being distributed wirelessly using LumenRadio Aurora CRMX transmitters.
To reduce programming time onsite, CTME recreated the complete lighting system in an off-site rehearsal facility, allowing the creative and production teams to programme and refine cues before moving into the stadium.
The visual system also included a 200m2 ROE Visual Vanish 8T LED screen alongside 24 Panasonic PT-RZ31K laser projectors used for large-scale projection mapping across the pitch.
“Together, the LED and projection systems formed a unified visual environment capable of delivering impactful content across multiple surfaces while maintaining complete synchronization throughout the show,” said Carlos Aguilar, head of video at CTME.
At the heart of the show control system were dual Disguise VX4 media servers handling content playback and synchronised outputs across the LED screen and projection system, supported by redundant fibre transport and video routing infrastructure.
CTME also supplied the event's audio system, deploying d&b audiotechnik XSL, V-Series, AL-Series, T10, Y-Series and SL-Series loudspeakers throughout the venue. A DiGiCo Quantum 225 Pulse console, DirectOut Prodigy MP playback system and Shure Axient wireless platform completed the audio infrastructure.
The wider production was supported by a redundant IP network, Riedel intercom systems and broadcast-grade wireless communications, providing resilient connectivity for event operations, production teams and broadcast throughout the venue.
