Tyler Littman lights up Etihad Arena with an all-Ayrton rig for the first-ever arena edition of the Global Allstar Concert in Abu Dhabi

The 2025 International Jazz Day Global Allstar Concert marked a historic first as it transitioned from its traditional theatre and concert hall settings to the vast expanse of the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Led by jazz icon Herbie Hancock and hosted by acclaimed actor Jeremy Irons, this year’s broadcast event called for a visual scale-up, and long-time lighting and production designer Tyler Littman rose to the occasion with an expansive Ayrton powered rig, supplied by Production Resource Group’s (PRG) Dubai operation.

Tasked by the producers to “go big”, Littman embraced Abu Dhabi’s futuristic character while still preserving a sense of intimacy across the arena. And the Litman – PRG partnership rose to this challenge with the aim to outperform. “PRG has been my production partner for IJD for nearly ten years, as their global reach helps me to maintain a certain level of quality,” says Littman.

With 170 Ayrton fixtures – including the likes of including Argo 6 Wash FX, Cobra, Domino Profile (both regular and PRG GroundControl versions in standard and LT models), Domino Wash S, and Eurus Profile – forming the core of his design, Littman envisioned a digital tree sprouting from the desert – a network of trusses stretching across the venue like branches, with Ayrton fixtures serving as glowing leaves placed in repeating linear profiles of beam, wash and spot units.

At the heart of the rig were 40 Ayrton Domino Profiles, Littman’s chosen primary profile fixture. “Jazz requires a much softer touch than rock ‘n’ roll,” he noted, “but we must be able to paint big, beautiful scenes that hold attention with limited dynamics. The Domino Profile ticked all those boxes and more.” Leveraging its large zoom range, even field, high CRI and ability to layer gobos, prisms and mixed colour, Littman was able to generate rich, varied looks without redundancy.

The primary back and overhead wash was driven by 36 Argo 6 Wash FX units. Despite initial unfamiliarity, Littman was confident in Ayrton’s optics and colour capabilities, which proved to be a hunch that was rewarded with versatile washes and impressive pixel-driven eye candy. On the other hand, laser-sourced Cobra fixtures brought striking intensity, with 52 units deployed across the rig. “There was almost no visible beam falloff in the arena, meaning we were able to create big beamy graphic looks. The almost overwhelming amount of gobo and stackable effects meant we had nearly limitless options for beam shaping and effects. As with the Domino, we were able to combine a gobo and prism, along with rich colour, and still get strong dramatic beams that looked amazing both in-room and on camera.” Littman said.

To ensure precise key and back lighting for the broadcast, Littman specified 17 Eurus Profile units. Trimmed at considerable height, the fixtures’ strong output, high CRI and wide zoom ensured accurate skin-tone rendering and consistent camera presentation. “My team metered each instrument individually, balancing colour temperature and footcandles, ensuring that we had consistency across all of units. I was personally impressed as we were able to work rather quickly through this process given the build quality of not just the Eurus but the entire compliment of Ayrton fixtures” he added.

Followspot duties were handled by seven Domino Profiles adapted by PRG for their Universal GroundControl system. Three standard units served rear follow spot roles, while four Domino Profile LT fixtures functioned as front follow spots, ensuring full integration and optical consistency with the rest of the rig.

For audience lighting, Littman turned to 18 Domino Wash fixtures – and was particularly impressed. Littman was very specific in his requirements for a wash light that offered the same level of optics found in spot and profiles units – a factor he feels missing in many wash lights with a closed optical system. “When I did the photometric calculations on the Domino Wash, I knew right away that this was not the average wash light. Having used the Domino Profile a few times I had a good idea of what I was in for, but it wasn’t until we started focusing the audience light that I realized quite how amazing these fixtures are: the field on these lights is simply gorgeous, providing a very consistent falloff across the entire zoom range. This meant that as we were focusing the audience light, there were few times we needed to go back and shift an instrument to make up for dark areas. When it came to beam shaping to avoid architecture and camera positions, the internal barndoors were game changing” he explained.

Reflecting on the experience, Littman credited PRG’s global support and Ayrton’s commitment to optical excellence as key to achieving a production that balanced spectacle with the sensitivity jazz demands. “I have always been a fan of Ayrton and the optics and feature set of their fixtures continues to impress me” he concluded.