For Saudi National Day 2022, Cirque du Soleil presented a large-scale performance in Riyadh built around expressive stage design, performers and custom scenic objects.

Evolution collaborated with renowned stage designer Stéphane Roy to translate the creative vision into a complete physical production. The role was one of disciplined realisation: preserving the artistry of the original designs while resolving how every component would be engineered, fabricated, transported and installed.

The result was a scenic system in which structural performance and visual storytelling were inseparable. Props, automated elements and stage components needed to feel theatrical onstage while meeting the practical demands of an international touring-standard production.

The Challenge

Complex scenic concepts often begin as expressive forms rather than construction packages. Each design had to be converted into buildable geometry, material specifications, structural details and mechanisms without losing the movement or character intended by the stage designer.

The production was fabricated in Dubai and delivered to Riyadh. That made transport planning, packing, reassembly and installation part of the design process, because every element had to arrive in sequence and perform exactly as intended on the Saudi stage.

The Solution

Evolution developed the technical design for the complete scenic package, converting the supplied creative direction into detailed fabrication and construction solutions.

The build drew on metalwork, carpentry, 3D production, fibreglass, automation, electronics and specialist painting. This mix allowed structural scenic components and bespoke stage props to carry both the visual detail and physical resilience required by the performance.

Automation and electronic systems were integrated into the scenic construction where movement or live control formed part of the design. These systems were tested alongside the physical components rather than treated as separate technical additions.

All elements were prepared for cross-border transport from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, then installed and assembled in Riyadh through a coordinated production sequence designed around the show programme.

Delivery Highlights

• Creative collaboration with Cirque du Soleil stage designer Stéphane Roy.
• Complete technical design and scenic production package.
• Metal fabrication, carpentry, 3D production, fibreglass, automation, electronics and specialist painting.
• Bespoke props and structural scenic components built to exacting performance standards.
• Full stage construction and scenic installation.
• Cross-border transportation of the scenic package from Dubai to Riyadh.

Outcome

The finished stage retained the imaginative quality of the original concept while operating as a robust live-performance environment. Audiences experienced an expressive Cirque du Soleil world rather than the engineering, logistics and fabrication systems behind it.

The strength of the delivery lay in faithful translation: the creative vision remained visible, while the complexity required to build, move and install it stayed embedded within the production.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Cirque du Soleil

Evolution Events: Led project coordination, cross-border logistics, installation planning and delivery liaison around the Cirque du Soleil production schedule.

Evolution Scenic: Developed the technical design and delivered the complete fabrication, automation, scenic construction, transport preparation and onsite installation package.

Diriyah Oasis operated as the entertainment district for Diriyah Season 2019, a two-month programme that attracted more than one million visitors.

Evolution was appointed to transform a 130,000-square-metre car park from concept to opening day within 90 days. The challenge was not simply to introduce individual attractions, but to create a fully functioning destination with its own identity, visitor journey, atmosphere and operational framework.

The masterplan organised the site into four major zones, allowing diverse experiences to operate together while maintaining a clear sense of place across one large public festival environment.

The Challenge

The existing car park provided significant scale but no established visitor environment. Landscape, flooring, lighting, attractions and operational routes all needed to be introduced within a compressed delivery period to create a destination that felt intentional from opening day.

The completed site also needed to operate continuously for two months. Creative impact, durability, maintenance access, staffing and crowd movement were therefore interconnected considerations, requiring the environment to perform as both an attraction and a fully functioning public space.

The Solution

Evolution developed distinct creative identities for the four principal festival zones, giving visitors different reasons to explore the wider destination while ensuring each area remained connected through one overall experience.

Large-scale custom props created recognisable landmarks, while tailored landscaping and flooring transformed the visual and physical character of the former car park. These elements helped establish a sense of place while supporting visitor orientation across the 130,000-square-metre site.

A complete lighting solution extended the experience into the evening, creating continuity between the different zones after dark. Procurement, installation and supplier coordination were managed through one central delivery structure to maintain consistency across the festival environment.

Large-scale staffing, logistics and daily operations were planned around the two-month operating period, allowing Diriyah Oasis to function as a complete entertainment district with the reliability, maintenance requirements and visitor flow of a permanent destination.

Delivery Highlights

• Entertainment district for Diriyah Season 2019.
• More than one million visitors during the two-month run.
• 130,000-square-metre car park transformed within 90 days.
• Creative design and delivery of four major festival zones.
• Custom giant props, landscaping and flooring.
• Full venue lighting solution across the extensive site.
• Procurement and installation management for festival activations.
• Large workforce and end-to-end operational coordination.

Outcome

Diriyah Oasis became a destination with its own structure, identity and visitor journey. Guests encountered four distinct zones, navigated through recognisable landmarks and experienced the former car park as a complete entertainment environment rather than a temporary event site.

The transformation remained effective throughout the two-month operating period because creative development, infrastructure, staffing and logistics were planned together from the outset, allowing the destination to deliver consistently from opening day through to the end of the season

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Designlab Events FZ LLC

Evolution Events: Led the concept, festival masterplan, activation procurement, staffing, logistics, operational planning and two-month live management.

Evolution Scenic: Created the four zone environments, giant props, customised landscaping, flooring and physical festival features.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the confirmed full lighting solution across the 130,000-square-metre site.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Site Services

From 24 March to 2 April 2016, the inaugural Mother of the Nation Festival celebrated the values and achievements of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak across more than 1.4 kilometres of the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

The programme brought Emirati culture, healthy living, environmental awareness, creativity, emerging artists, charitable giving and national pride into one family-focused public event.

Evolution conceived the festival as a sequence of experiences rather than a single entertainment programme. Layouts, themes, installations, activities and international performers were curated so different audiences could find their own route through the values being celebrated.

The Challenge

The ten-day festival needed to engage families and visitors of different ages across an unusually long waterfront site. The themes were broad, but the experience had to feel coherent rather than like unrelated zones placed along the Corniche.

The build also faced severe weather. Storm damage required last-minute repairs and adjustments without compromising the scheduled public opening or the quality of the completed environments.

The Solution

Evolution developed the overall festival concept, master layout, themes and activity plan around the intended values and audience mix. Individual zones could therefore offer different content while still contributing to a single cultural narrative.

Interactive activities and original content were designed for a broad public audience. International performers and activities expanded the cultural range, while customised installations and activity environments gave each programme strand a clear physical identity.

Full lighting, rigging, audio and video systems supported the 1.4-kilometre site, creating continuity and live capability across the festival rather than concentrating production in one central location.

When storm damage affected the build, Evolution reorganised repair and production activity around the fixed opening date. The recovery effort protected both the guest-facing design and the operational readiness of the festival.

Delivery Highlights

• Ten-day festival from 24 March to 2 April 2016.
• More than 1.4 kilometres of the Abu Dhabi Corniche transformed into a public experience.
• Complete festival concept, master layout, themes and activities.
• Original interactive content for families and visitors of different ages.
• International activities and performers sourced from around the world.
• Custom installations and activity-zone environments.
• Full lighting, rigging, audio and video across the extensive site.
• Rapid repairs and adjustments following storm damage during the build.

Outcome

The festival gave a wide set of national and social values a tangible public form. Visitors could move between culture, creativity, wellbeing, environmental awareness and giving while remaining within one recognisable celebration.

Its scale was matched by its resilience: the event opened on schedule despite severe weather during the build, allowing the Corniche to operate as a complete cultural destination for ten days.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi

Evolution Events: Led the festival concept, master planning, content, activities, international entertainment, operational recovery and live management.

Evolution Scenic: Created the customised installations, festival zones, activity environments and physical thematic treatments.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the confirmed lighting, rigging, audio and video systems across the 1.4-kilometre festival site.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Scenic