Ayrton tackles challenging UAE Pro League Awards rig

UAE:

Turning the ballroom of Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental into a football stadium presented lighting designer Alexander Kotov with a combination of tight rigging limits, a low ceiling and demanding broadcast requirements. His solution for the UAE Pro League Awards 2025-26 centred on 24 Ayrton Rivale Profiles and 46 Kyalami fixtures provided by the brand’s local distributor, Procom Middle East.

Held on 10 August, the awards were produced by No.1 Events & Productions, with Kotov, cofounder and technical director of Dubai-based Cueline, responsible for the lighting design. The creative concept transformed the ballroom with tribunes surrounding a playing field made entirely from LED floor, connected seamlessly to the main LED screen.

“This was a prestigious event with an array of high-profile guests,” said Kotov. “There were senior officials, football stars, club representatives and, of course the UAE Pro League Chairman, H.E. Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi in attendance, so we were needed a system that worked equally well for the VIP audience and for the broadcast cameras.”

The LD noted how the venue imposed several restrictions in terms of load capacity, a roof height of no more than 6m and what Kotov described as an “unforgiving white ceiling”.

“With only 250kg per rigging point and with those points not located in our preferred positions, we had to make a couple of creative rigging decisions to get every fixture where we wanted it,” Kotov explained.

The Rivale Profile’s 4°–52° zoom was particularly useful in the restricted space, while its framing shutters helped control spill from the LED surfaces and laser performer. Kotov also used the fixtures as automated followspots, with Lumatrack tracking the two MCs.

“Rivale was our key light – 360° – for all cameras and the audience,” added Kotov. “Its good CRI held up as broadcast key light and its speed of movement allowed the fixtures to work as automated followspots: the two MCs [Master of Ceremonies] were followed by a Lumatrack tracking system, so we could keep them well lit for TV and broadcast wherever they moved, while keeping the content on the floor clean with very little light spill around them.”

The 46 Kyalami fixtures were positioned at floor level behind performers, around the audience and above the LED screen, providing additional depth without obscuring the visual content.

“The Kyalami really proved their worth, giving us depth behind the performers at floor level, separating them from the top light without ever blocking the LED content, while the units around the audience and on top of the screen extended the same look across the whole room without intruding into the picture,” Kotov said.