CLIENT
Katara Studios
LOCATION
Al Bayt Stadium, Doha, Qatar
YEAR
2025
PROJECT TYPE
International Sporting Event – Opening Ceremony
Scope
Stadium audio system design for opening ceremony and tournament.
Services Provided
- →Stadium audio system design
- →System modelling and tuning
- →Playback system integration
- →On-site audio production support
- →Technical collaboration with host broadcast and ceremony teams
The Brief
Auditoria were engaged by Katara Studios to design and deliver the audio system for the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.
Auditoria were tasked to deliver a clear and powerful sound system for a narration-led stadium ceremony, while working within the known architectural and structural limits of the venue.
Following the ceremony, the system would remain in place for use throughout the tournament until mid-December.
The Challenge
Al Bayt Stadium is architecturally striking, designed to resemble a traditional Bedouin tent. While visually dramatic, this creates specific technical constraints. The fabric roof conceals all roof steelwork, meaning no new rigging points could be introduced.
As a result:
- The existing house rigging points had to be reused
- The original stadium PA system was completely removed and placed into storage
- The new design had to stay within the same weight loadings and hanging locations from the original stadium PA system
- The number of usable array positions was limited to 16 hangs, fewer than typically preferred for a stadium of this scale.
- Rehearsal access was also heavily restricted. With the pitch in constant use for tournament preparation, most rehearsals took place off-site, leaving only a short window for on-field integration.
Our Approach
Working closely with Katara Studios’ technical team, Auditoria designed an upgraded full-bowl system using L-Acoustics K2 for both upper and lower seating tiers, providing a more consistent full-range experience across the stadium.
Additional sub-arrays were introduced to extend low-frequency impact, while the venue’s fabric roof, although visually concealing, worked in the system’s favour acoustically by reducing reflection compared to a fully exposed steel roof.
The system was fully modelled using Soundvision and EASE, with physical measurement points mirrored on-site. This allowed the team to validate predictions against real-world data and refine coverage and tonal balance with confidence.
Because all loudspeakers were flown, system optimisation could continue outside of performer rehearsal windows, giving the team valuable extra tuning time.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
16 flown array positions using existing house rigging points
Full-bowl L-Acoustics K2 deployment for upper and lower tiers
Expanded subwoofer system for improved low-frequency extension
Soundvision & EASE modelling calibrated against live in-stadium measurements
Despite the 60,000-seat scale, the system delivered exceptional intelligibility for narration, while retaining musical depth and impact across the ceremony’s score.
Show Control
Playback-driven ceremony workflow, with all music supplied as mix-ready stems by Katara Studios
The Results
For an audience of over 60,000 spectators and a global broadcast audience beyond, the audio system delivered:
- Clear spoken word throughout the stadium
- Controlled, powerful musical playback
- Clear translation to the broadcast mix
Following the ceremony, the system remained operational for tournament matches, operated by the local infotainment production team.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
Katara Studios
Creative & Technical Partners
Mahmoud Hamaky – Executive Producer and Head of Production
Ahmed Al Baker – Executive Creative Director
Adrian Burke – Technical Director
Greg Kershaw – Systems Technical Manager
Our Team
Scott Willsallen – Sound Designer
Nick McPhee – Project Manager
Scott Harrison – Systems Engineer
Ben Milton – FOH Mix Engineer
Joe Callister – Replay Operator
Merlin O’Brien – Replay Operator
Our Supplier
Clair Global – Audio Systems Supply & Integration
Matt Oliver, Giulio Rovelli & Irene Gerini
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