THE SAUDI GAMES OPENING CEREMONY

The biggest athletics event in KSA returned for its second year at the King Fahad International Stadium in Riyadh with Balich appointed to deliver a ceremony that incorporated the country’s rich culture, song and dance. Along with the ceremonial torch lighting there were fireworks, light shows and a performance from French music producer DJ Snake.

The team of Showforce crew included a UK crew manager, international crew chiefs and KSA crew who were onsite from 5th – 28th November assisting with the show build, rehearsals, show days and de-rig.

Responsibilities and tasks during the build included:

• installation of heavy-duty track mats and the laying of protective carpet to ensure the stadium floor wasn’t damaged by plant machinery.
• erecting flagpoles
• assisting with the main stage build and set-up
• supporting the prop and wardrobe departments
• supporting the temporary power provider

When rehearsals began on 20th November, the crew were involved in rehearsing the changeovers, building and moving DJ Snake’s risers into position on the main stage. We also had a dedicated team of crew supporting stage managers with anything they needed, with a further team of response crew on standby in case additional in case of any backup.

Crew numbers peaked at 40 on show day and the first day of the de-rig with 410 crew shifts amassed in total. It was a challenging project that included complex tasks, which all crew handled exceptionally well, working hard to deliver an excellent event.

“It has been a tough one! We have done a lot together in a short period of time. I cannot thank you and the guys enough for making our life easier. The professionalism and dedication was at a high Showforce level as always. My personal special thanks goes to Seim and Talat. They have been awesome and focused all the time. They took responsibilities like production managers and accomplished all in a high quality. Please pass my thanks to them as well. I’m sure we will work together again sometime somewhere in the world.”

Atilla Gezmen, Site Manager, SAGA 2023 Opening Ceremony