Zactrack PRO Delivers Unprecedented Tracking for Souk Wonders in Riyadh

A substantial zactrack PRO automated tracking system – featuring 32 active trackers and arguably the largest deployment to date – was integral to lighting designer Ben M Rogers’ followspot solution for the immersive Souk Wonders performance at the Mayadeen Venue in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Souk Wonders has been acclaimed as a bold reinvention of live performance, blurring the boundaries between stage and audience, tradition and innovation, and immersing visitors in a fully interactive environment where every element contributed to the storytelling. And the system, comprising server, trackers, and anchors, was supplied by German-based specialist TrackingPro to lighting rental vendors PRG.

A total of 36 zactrack anchors were deployed to track lighting across the 80-metre square, approximately 90,000 cubic metre performance space. This configuration, with some performers wearing two tags, was made possible by activating and deactivating anchors to maintain a high refresh rate, as not all anchors could ‘see’ each other simultaneously.

Created by Dragone with Filippo Ferraresi as principal artistic and creative director, and set design by Patrick Larsen, the technical production was led by A Loud Minority (ALM), covering project management, acrobatic rigging design, lighting design by Ben Rogers, and audio design by Calum Robinson. Karl Jenkins, ALM founder, acted as Dragone’s Technical Director. This was the first time the team had used a zactrack system of this size, with TrackingPro handling advance planning and on-site technical support from Jaro Brinkmann and Raphael Doelle.

The three-week season featured two shows a day in a 6,400 square metre venue inspired by traditional Diriyah architecture – combining food, retail, art installations, and live performance. Four distinct performance stages and venue-wide action, including aerial acts and a 30-metre high wire, required full 3D coverage around 14-metre high steel structures. Trackers were primarily attached to artists – two per performer – using sewn-on pouches, 3D-printed clips, or pockets adapted to costumes and movement. A large prop was also tagged for precise tracking. Eight performers each wore two trackers, supported by a second complete set and 16 spares to accommodate up to three shows daily. Therefore, 32 trackers were actively used, with half deactivated per show.

A total of 24 moving light fixtures – 14 Ayrton Huracán and 10 Ayrton Eurus – were used as followspots and tracked with zactrack, with capacity to integrate more fixtures if needed. TrackingPro programmed around 300 auto-function points, allowing performers to enter, disappear into set elements, and re-emerge anywhere in the space, with automatic fades applied.

Traditional followspots were ruled out, and camera-based remote spotting was unsuitable due to blind spots in the scenic design. “Zactrack fitted the bill perfectly,” said Ben. “There was no other practical way we could achieve 360 degrees follow spot coverage for the area.” The system allowed accurate tracking of fast-moving performers on rollerblades and bicycles, with flexibility to adapt lighting pickup points as the show evolved in response to audience flow. The 2D view of the performance area acted like a ‘Marauders Map’, showing the technical team the exact position of artists, even when out of sight.

Show lighting ran on a grandMA3 console in MA2 mode, with Ben’s associate Charlie Hickey managing MA and zactrack integration, creating macros and layout views for quick identification of which fixtures were allocated to which tracking pairs. Lighting, audio, and video were supplied by PRG, with Pitch Black handling specialist acrobatic rigging.