CLIENT
THA & Beyond Limits
LOCATION
Expo 2025 Arena, Osaka, Japan
YEAR
2025
PROJECT TYPE
National Day Celebration
Scope
Full audio and control system design, rehearsals and live concert delivery
Services Provided
- →Audio system design
- →Show control design
- →Front of House mixing
- →Monitor mixing
- →Systems engineering
- →Replay operation
- →Project management
The Brief
Auditoria were engaged to design the audio and control systems for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Day Concert at Expo 2025 in Osaka. The event was a centrepiece celebration, bringing together Saudi and international talent to showcase the Kingdom on the global stage. Our role was to create an audio experience that balanced the needs of live performance and cultural storytelling, all within the challenging context of Expo’s technical restrictions.
The Challenge
From the outset, the project presented several unique obstacles. As part of the Expo rules, all technical delivery had to be undertaken with local suppliers and from local equipment inventories. Access to the Expo Arena itself was also extremely limited, with just a 24-hour window available for load-in, setup, sound check, rehearsal, show and de-rig. Rehearsals were held in a separate venue, an hour away from the site, and continued until the evening before the show day.
The design process was further shaped by the evolving scale and instrumentation of the orchestra, which changed repeatedly right up to the final rehearsals. On top of this, RF spectrum allocations were uncertain until the day before the event, meaning backup plans had to be built in from the start.
Our Approach
With limited flexibility around the in-house system, our design team focused on optimising what was available. We implemented our own front-end processing, timing and tuning via L-Acoustics P1 processors to correct and refine the venue system.
Close collaboration with the musical directors, Max Lambert and Steve Sidwell, as well as MAC Global, and Dasdur for the Tales of Water segment, enabled us to refine the orchestra layout. This not only made the best use of restricted stage space but also improved isolation for audio capture, while maintaining ensemble connection.
Two DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles were deployed, one at FOH and one at monitors, each running dual engines. Dual redundant QLab systems supplied 64 channels of MADI playback each, while a pair of 192-channel record/playback rigs enabled virtual soundchecks, a crucial step given the constrained rehearsal time.
Our team also kept contingency plans in place for RF spectrum management. The site rules around frequencies weren’t confirmed until the day before the concert, so we prepared fallback strategies for reducing and reallocating channels. Fortunately, we were able to deploy the full planned setup, which was 24 channels of microphones and 18 channels of IEM.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
Mixing & Control: Two DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles at FOH and monitors with full redundancy
Virtual Soundcheck: 192ch record/playback per console to maximise rehearsal efficiency
Processing & Tuning: Two L-Acoustics P1 processors providing independent timing, tuning and EQ
RF & IEMs: 24 channels of wireless microphones and 18 channels of IEM in a heavily restricted RF environment
Show Control Design
Playback: Dual redundant QLab replay systems, delivering 64ch of MADI each
The Results
On show day, the concert unfolded exactly as planned. Despite the condensed schedule, venue limitations and shifting requirements, the audience experienced an engaging, cohesive sound that elevated both the live performances and the cultural storytelling.
For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the National Day Concert became a showcase moment at Expo 2025, one that celebrated national identity with international flair.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
THA & Beyond Limits
Our Team
Scott Willsallen – Sound Designer
Ethan Curry – Systems Engineer & Project Manager
Luis Miranda – Replay Operator
Richard Sharratt – FOH Mix Engineer
Martin Dineley – Monitor Mix Engineer
Our Supplier
Hibino – Local Audio Supplier
Creative & Production Partners
Liz Goodyer – Executive Producer
Jack Thompson – Technical Director
Woodroffe Bassett – Lighting Designers
AIM – Video Content Designers
Max Lambert, Steve Sidwell, MAC Global – Musical Directors
Dasdur – Musical Directors for Tales of Water
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