Sports Presentation System

The Sports Presentation system had to perform day in, day out, across all sessions of track and field. For that, we flew 27 loudspeaker arrays around the stadium using a combination of roof hangs and temporary catenary lines. 

We deployed over 200 L-Acoustics Kara and over 100 Kiva II loudspeakers across the four stadium sides. Each section had its own tailored configuration. This approach gave us strong coverage and intelligibility throughout the bowl, from medal ceremonies to hype tracks and announcements. 

Ceremonies Sound System

For both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, we built a robust ground-stacked audio system using 96 L-Acoustics K2 and 72 KS28 subs. These were arranged in 24 stacked arrays around the field of play to deliver consistent coverage without getting in the way of sightlines or staging. 

We used the upper half of the flown Sports Presentation system to handle coverage for the upper tiers, switching off the lower flown elements to prevent overlap with the temporary ground stacks. This flexible approach allowed us to transition between sports and ceremony modes quickly, which was a key factor, given the tight turnaround times between events. 

At the heart of the control system were mirrored pairs of DiGiCo Quantum7 consoles at both FOH and monitors, with dual redundant Optocore networks for collecting inputs. Signal was delivered to amplifiers via an AVB primary network and Optocore as the secondary network. With a system this size, reliability and redundancy were non-negotiable, and this setup delivered both. 

We also pre-programmed the entire Closing Ceremony at Longbridge, using a 1:1 scale stadium replica. Since we had minimal rehearsal time on-site due to the athletics schedule, this off-site pre-production, with an additional set of Quantum7 consoles, was essential. 

FOP System

On the field of play, things changed dramatically between the two ceremonies. 

For the Opening Ceremony, we only needed to cover a small seated area at the south end of the Bullring. That was handled with four compact Syva/Syva Low ground stacks and three X8 fills. 

The Closing Ceremony, however, featured a full-blown party on the field. With a large main stage and multiple satellite platforms, we brought in a bigger FOP rig: four ground stacks of three K2 over three KS28 for the main stage, plus eight arrays of three Kara over one KS28 to cover the satellite stages. 

We also made sure the athletes, who effectively became part of the audience, could hear everything clearly. Twenty-four X8s around the Bullring kept the cast in sync, while 24 X12s ensured the athlete parade felt just as immersive as the rest of the show. 

Broadcast Audio Support

From day one, we treated broadcast audio as an equal priority to in-stadium sound. 

All timecode came from the audio playback system, meaning the broadcast and live mixes were locked to the same musical grid. We worked closely with Done + Dusted and the broadcast team to make sure every decision served both audiences in the stadium and those watching at home. 

Because rehearsal time was so limited (especially for the Closing Ceremony), we used a combination of live performance and pre-recorded instrumentation to guarantee a seamless sound. Most artists even recorded custom stems in advance so we could strike the right balance between energy, spontaneity, and clarity, which is especially important for a live TV mix. 

Playback and Control

A pair of Merging Technologies Ovation systems sat at the core of the playback and control setup. These handled multichannel audio playback and, crucially, served as the show’s timecode host. 

All show timecode was generated from the Ovation media server and show sequencer. All departments – lighting, video, pyro, fireworks, special effects received timecode signals originating from Ovation, meaning the Ovation timeline controls each department’s relative system timelines, as a function of timecode. Musical structure works in bars and beats, not minutes and seconds, and must remain intact. Therefore, the time domain is controlled by music and the audio playback system. The timecode signal from Ovation becomes a robust, generic timing signal for everyone to synchronise to the show music.