Held in Riyadh on 28th October 2023, a packed crowd attended the spectacular opening ceremony for the Riyadh Season at the newly opened Kingdom Arena. Featuring an amazing light show and performances from international artists ahead of the main event ‘The Battle of the Baddest’ where Tyson Fury took on Francis Ngannou in a nail biting 10-round boxing match.
Behind the scenes many event specialists, including a large team of Showforce’s experienced crew, were busy for almost a month in the lead up to the incredible event that was watched by a massive global audience.
Working with DONE+DUSTED and delivery partner Nine Yards Productions Ltd, our crew chiefs, crew, climbers and plant operators began working at the Kingdom Arena on 30th September. Initially supporting with site duties, a small team of 6-8 crew were carrying general site duties around the exterior of the structure whilst the venue build continued. As this neared completion numbers increased to assist with unloading trucks and erecting fences.
Attention then turned to the numerous departments who made the event such an incredible spectacle. These included PRG who supplied rigging, lighting and audio; Stageco who were responsible for the stage; along with Creative Technology, Video Illusions, PixMob, Blackout and Unusual who were involved in LED, video, draping and set design.
Our crew was also on hand to support with rehearsals, show days and the de-rig. Numbers peaked at 100 crew per day with an impressive 1,738 man days amassed in total.
Whilst not without its challenges, it was an incredible project to be part of given its scale and widespread success. It was also the first event of this size to be managed and delivered by our KSA office and team. There was widespread praise for both the operations team and crew on the ground from event organisers and suppliers.
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