QATAR: Lusail International Circuit once again transformed from high-speed racetrack to large-format live entertainment destination as the Formula 1 after-race concerts brought Seal, Cheb Khaled and Metallica to the same stage over a single weekend, with Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) delivering a fully bespoke, temporary production infrastructure at scale. With no permanent power, acoustic treatment or fixed rigging points available, the project demanded the construction of a complete open-air concert venue capable of supporting a 50,000-capacity audience in an unforgiving environment.

“With no acoustic treatment, permanent power, or fixed rigging points, you’re basically building a 50,000-capacity venue in an open field,” said Artur Kurowski, Deputy Head of Projects at Creative Technology, reflecting the core challenge at Lusail.

The concert infrastructure incorporated 684 LED panels totalling more than 600 square metres of display surface, a distributed audio system built around 28 line array speakers per side, and more than 400 lighting fixtures, all controlled over a network processing thousands of DMX channels simultaneously. Audio for the weekend was delivered on a single d&b audiotechnik stadium rig, with main PA configured as 16 units of the GSL per side using ArrayProcessing on the main hangs and overhangs. Outfill coverage was handled by 14 units of the KSL per side, supported by 36 units of the SL-SUB units across the front for low-frequency extension. With a site depth stretching close to 200 metres from pit lane to the back row, four KSL delay towers were deployed, each 12 deep and time-aligned to the main system.

Front-of-house control was handled on a DiGiCo Quantum 338, while a DirectOut Prodigy MP acted as the system hub, managing matrixing, clocking, format conversion and redundancy between visiting consoles and the d&b amplifier network. “Lusail is big, open, and not very forgiving,” explained Wissam Shaheen, Head of Audio at Creative Technology. “You need the GSL and KSL systems to behave as one, so whether you are on the barrier or at the very back, you are still listening to the same show.”

The dynamic demands of Metallica’s performance pushed the system further. “With Metallica the material is very dynamic,” added Tim Cook. “Clean passages into full-weight guitars in a couple of bars. The rig was run with enough headroom and control that those hits stayed clean, and the vocals and guitars held their place in the mix across the whole stadium.” Metallica’s longtime FOH engineer Greg Price, who typically tours with the band on a different PA, responded positively to how the system performed across the weekend, with the band equally satisfied with the results.

Visually, the onstage LED system was built around ROE Visual Vanish V8T panels, selected for their flexibility and ability to integrate lighting fixtures behind the screen. In total, approximately 700 square metres of LED was installed onstage, complemented by four audience-facing totems carrying 800 square metres of 3.9 mm LED to deliver an immersive IMAG experience within the crowd. All video content was processed across a network of Disguise media servers, with VX servers driving eight 4K outputs. “When you’re working with LED walls of this size, you’re not just displaying video—you’re managing a distributed display system,” said Carlos Aguilar, Head of Video at CTME.

Live camera production was built around a Ross Video Carbonite 4K 2ME PPU switcher, with coverage provided by four Panasonic UC4000 camera channels, two Panasonic AW-UE150 PTZ cameras and six Marshall CV-503 mini cameras for specialist angles. Lens selection ranged from wide-angle ENG glass to ultra-telephoto box lenses, while a Robo Agito with RC dolly delivered dynamic motion shots from the front of the stage.

The lighting system comprised 392 moving fixtures across multiple types, each chosen for defined roles within the rig. Robe iFORTE units provided key light and beam effects, while Ayrton Kyalami fixtures delivered the output required to cut through ambient light at the open-air circuit. Followspot duties were handled by 12 Robe RoboSpot systems, enabling operators to control fixtures remotely. “Traditional followspots require operators to be physically positioned with the fixtures,” explained Sam Connolly, Head of Lighting at CTME. “RoboSpot decouples the operator from the fixture, which is valuable when you need followspot positions that aren’t practical for technicians to occupy.”

Lighting control was distributed across three GrandMA 3 consoles from MA Lighting — two full-size and one light—networked via sACN, with two GrandMA 3 NPU XL processors providing additional processing and redundancy. The transparency of the ROE Vanish 8T panels allowed lighting to be positioned behind the LED surfaces. “You can play light through the transparent LED panels, which creates depth and layering that gives a quite different effect than traditional opaque screens,” Connolly added. “It means we can have beam effects and wash lighting coming from upstage, passing through the video content itself, influencing the spectator’s perception of the visual graphics.”

Artist flexibility remained a central design principle. Metallica’s production required additional followspots, including four iFORTE LTX follow spot cameras, along with adjustments to the standard lighting plot to accommodate the band’s longtime lighting designer. “When you’re building a system for multiple artists, you need to maintain flexibility,” Kurowski said. “We design the core infrastructure to handle the most demanding requirements, but we also need to be able to accommodate specific requests.”

At the heart of the entire production sat a Luminex GigaCore network. Twelve GigaCore 10 switches delivered PoE to distributed devices, while GigaCore 26i and 30i units handled core routing. One of the most demanding aspects of the project was the rollout of concert-side internet, extending coverage across the production village, main stage, Artist Village and full F&B zone, with access points positioned to ensure stable connectivity across the site. “Everything runs over IP,” said Darius Charlery, Head of Integrated Networks at CTME. “Audio, video, lighting control, and intercom, once you break it down, it’s all just network traffic.”

The audio network ran on a full Dante backbone using Audinate’s audio-over-IP protocol, with the DirectOut PRODIGY.MP managing conversion and routing between network formats. Lighting control operated on isolated Art-Net and sACN structures while still travelling across the same Luminex infrastructure, ensuring fixture control, timecode and show cues remained stable. Crew communications were handled via a Riedel Artist matrix with SmartPanels and twenty Bolero wireless belt packs from Riedel, supported by Hytera radios during pre-production. With intercoms, microphones, IEMs, RF cameras and two-way radios all sharing spectrum, early RF coordination proved critical to maintaining stability once the show went live.

“Every inch of this site was covered,” Charlery added. “The goal was to push both our equipment and our team to their full potential, and we did exactly that.”

Reflecting on the broader challenge of temporary mega-scale production, Kurowski noted that Lusail exemplifies both the difficulty and opportunity of such environments. “Everything has to be robust enough to survive transport and repeated installation, yet flexible enough to adapt to different site conditions. That’s why we specify touring-grade equipment and build redundancy into every critical system. Because in live production, nothing else matters except, of course, every detail.” He added, “But none of it means anything without the people. I want to express my thanks to the entire team for their dedication and drive in delivering this project.”

“For the second year running, CT has delivered the F1 Qatar Grand Prix and after-race concerts in Doha,” said Irum Ashraf, General Manager of Creative Technology in Qatar. “First, I want to thank our client, Lusail International Circuit, for trusting us to bring their vision to life. We’re very proud of how this project turned out, from the circuit enhancements to the concerts. I would also like to give a huge thank you to the CT crew on the ground who made it happen and to everyone on the back-end support team who developed it and kept things running smoothly.”

Across one intense weekend, Lusail International Circuit once again demonstrated how, with the right ambition and infrastructure, a Formula 1 venue can be reimagined as a world-class live entertainment destination—capable of hosting global artists with the same precision demanded by the fastest sport on the planet.