More than 20 years in the making at a reported cost of $1 billion, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation, housing over 100,000 artefacts. Egypt’s new icon officially opened its doors to the public on 1 November, with a fittingly grand ceremony attended by 40 heads of state and broadcast live to a global audience of over one billion people around the world. With the eyes of the world firmly upon them and pressure very much on to deliver an event that was worthy of the occasion, MediaHub entrusted…
Author: Peter Iantorno
The Middle East has never been short of ambition when it comes to the size and scale of events. However, the same can’t always be said for the depth of cultural storytelling present in those events. Enter Mistika: a company born out of a desire to bridge the gap between heritage and innovation in the region’s events. “For years, we saw a mismatch between the scale of events in the region and the depth of cultural storytelling on stage,” explained Mistika cofounder Jimi Elgohary. “Clients were looking for experiences that felt authentic to the GCC and Arab culture, but the…
What was the idea behind this innovation? We wanted to bridge the gap between cinematic image quality and live production efficiency. Traditional camera setups often demand bulky infrastructure, multiple power sources, and complex signal routing – all of which can slow down deployment and complicate control. Instead, we came up with a custom-built multi-camera system centered on Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pros paired with Canon CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS lenses and a 18-400mm lens for versatile coverage. It’s about solving complexity through simplicity. We wanted a compact solution that’s fast, light, and reliable – something we can trust…
For one night in October, Sami Yusuf took to the stage at the 6,000-seat, 2nd Century Roman Theatre in Amman, Jordan, with more than 50 musicians, performing with an array of traditional instruments and voices spanning the Middle East, South Asia, South America and Europe, in a celebration of cultural tradition and musical unity. To make this project a reality, sound design specialist Auditoria was engaged to design and operate the audio, with a creative lighting design courtesy of Woodroffe Bassett Design and technical supply from Amman-based R.B Event Technology. “Our goal was to sensitively light the space and accentuate…
Here at TPiMEA, we’re well accustomed to covering the region’s biggest productions – many of which just so happen to boast the latest and greatest in live events technology, deployed by experts in their respective fields. We’re not only about the kit though; sometimes the human element of an event is so compelling, it warrants a special mention. This is very much the case for the Opening Ceremony of Riyadh Season 2025 – an audacious parade featuring a cast and crew of 1,500, watched by more than 40,000 people over a 1.7km stretch between Kingdom Arena and BLVD World. “This…
In August, the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan hosted Jennifer Lopez’s Up All Night: Live in 2025 tour. The show was watched by over 31,000 attendees and marked the country’s first performance by an American A-list artist. Tashkent-based rental and sales company YASTREB-Sound supplied the entire audio system for the occasion, deploying an L-Acoustics PA system along with DiGiCo consoles at both FOH and monitors, ensuring that there was no drop-off in quality at the country’s largest stadium. YASTREB-Sound’s Chief System Engineer, Eduard Asadov, designed the system, working in close collaboration with Matt Coplon, Jennifer Lopez’s touring System Engineer. The…
Most Middle East festivals tend do a lot of things right. From record-breaking production levels to a plethora of food and beverage options, there’s very little to complain about for the region’s festivalgoers. However, one area where the admittedly still nascent Middle East festival market doesn’t always hit the mark is that much less tangible characteristic of authenticity, which is earned by a festival returning year after year and building its own legend in the process. This sense of authenticity is in abundance at the original UNTOLD festival, which has taken place annually in Romania for the past decade, and…
Audio delivery at live events has been written about chapter and verse within the pages of TPiMEA, with the relative roles of those up and down the supply chain – from manufacturer to distributor, to rental house to end user – all covered at length. However, one area of sound that has received comparatively little coverage up to now is the music composition and arrangement process. A particularly prominent figure within the region’s live events scene – especially when it comes to the grand ceremonies and launch events that the Middle East is known for – Matt Faddy often finds…
Where does the Q112 fit within DiGiCo’s range of digital mixing consoles? The Quantum 112 (Q112) is a compact yet high-performance console within the Quantum series, positioned just below the Quantum 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8. It unlocks the full power of Quantum processing in the smallest form factor yet, offering a remarkably portable and powerful experience of the world-renowned Quantum platform. It represents a major leap for situations where transportability and space efficiency are critical. The Q112 delivers DiGiCo’s signature Quantum processing power and pristine sound quality in a compact, cost-effective package, ideal for a wide range of…
For most markets, curating, creatively developing, producing and delivering a major show in the space of eight weeks would be unthinkable. However, the UAE is not most markets and, as was recently proved by DAE Global UAE (David Atkins Enterprises), with the right team in place, anything is possible. DAE was entrusted by Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi with delivering a spectacular ceremony to celebrate the reopening of Al Ain Museum – the UAE’s first museum, originally established in 1969 by the country’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed – which recently underwent extensive redevelopment. With time very much…
In October 2025, marking the middle of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, Gearhouse Group, one of South Africa’s leading technical production suppliers, officially emerged from its voluntary Business Rescue Plan. The company successfully settled all its Business Rescue obligations, repaying its creditors in full and resolving a COVID-related debt of R140 million (approximately $7.7 million). With this milestone marking a significant turnaround for the company, Joint Managing Director Nasser Abbas shared his insights into the process and his ambitions for renewed growth and long-term stability in the post-recovery phase. What led to Gearhouse Group entering Business Rescue? Like many businesses…
Creative innovation studio CONDUCTR recently announced the launch of a new Middle East hub, marking the company’s third regional base alongside its UK headquarters and US operations. “The Middle East is one of the most exciting regions in the world for creative technology right now. We’re already collaborating with some of the biggest names in the sector, and this new hub allows us to be closer to the partners we’re working with every day,” commented CEO and cofounder, Peter Cliff. “It reinforces our commitment to the region and our ambition to help shape what comes next for immersive, tech-powered entertainment.” While CONDUCTR has…
