In December 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai introduced Xmas at Expo 2020 as part of its festive visitor programme.

Evolution’s published portfolio identifies the project as a large-scale Christmas environment delivered through full scenic build, design, theming and vendor management.

The creative opportunity was to establish a recognisable festive atmosphere within an operating global Expo, ensuring that seasonal storytelling felt integrated with the wider visitor experience rather than appearing as a temporary layer added to the site.

The Challenge

The environment needed to work for a diverse international public while remaining appropriate to the scale, architecture and daily operating conditions of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Vendor activity, scenic installation and themed elements also had to be coordinated within a live destination. The experience could not interrupt pavilion access or reveal the complexity required to install and maintain it.

The Solution

Evolution connected the scenic build and theming through one seasonal design direction, allowing separate features to contribute to a shared festive atmosphere across the visitor environment.

Physical elements were planned around public circulation and dwell, giving families and visitors recognisable points of interest while maintaining clear movement through the operating Expo site.

Vendor management formed part of the creative delivery process. Installation responsibilities, finishes and handovers were coordinated so the completed environment felt consistent despite involving multiple contributors.

Live-site planning aligned scenic works with access controls and operating requirements, helping the seasonal experience remain visually complete while the wider destination continued to function.

Delivery Highlights

• Festive visitor environment delivered at Expo 2020 Dubai in December 2021.
• Full scenic build, design and seasonal theming.
• Large-scale Christmas environment for Expo visitors.
• Central management of multiple vendors and installations.
• Planning around public circulation and live-site operation.
• Integrated seasonal identity across the completed environment.

Outcome

Xmas at Expo 2020 gave the global destination a clearly recognisable festive chapter. Visitors encountered a coherent seasonal environment rather than a collection of unrelated Christmas features.

The consistency of the public experience came from connecting design, scenic delivery, vendor management and live-site coordination within one programme.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

EXPO 2020

Evolution Events: Led seasonal design coordination, vendor management, visitor-experience planning, live-site delivery and overall project management.

Evolution Scenic: Delivered the confirmed full scenic build, themed environments and installed seasonal features.

Evolution Technical: Provided full AVL solutions around the full installation blending seamlessly into the environment.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Site Services

Monster Jam brought its monster-truck performance to the Liwa Desert for two days on 27 and 28 December 2023. Evolution partnered with Proactive to design and deliver the temporary event environment around the show.

The central idea was visibility. Spectators needed clear views of the truck action, VIP guests required a premium elevated experience, and the operational compound needed enough infrastructure to support heavy machinery, guest services and performance activity in a remote desert location.

Evolution organised the site as a complete motorsport venue, connecting the obstacle course, grandstands, VIP hospitality, crowd-control systems, lighting and power within one operating plan.

The Challenge

Liwa provided the scale and landscape for the spectacle but little permanent event infrastructure. Seating, hospitality, fencing, cabins, lighting, power and operational support all had to be introduced temporarily and perform reliably in desert conditions.

The truck obstacle course also required machinery and specialist site activity close to the live performance area. Public circulation, vehicle movement and guest facilities needed to remain clearly separated without weakening the audience’s connection to the action.

The Solution

Evolution developed the overall layout around the truck performance zones and spectator sightlines. Grandstand seating for 4,000 guests created a defined public arena, while fencing established crowd boundaries and protected operational routes.

A custom VIP hospitality structure was built from scaffolding and equipped with a working elevator. The elevated format gave premium guests strong views while creating a complete service environment within the temporary venue.

Machinery was supplied and operated for construction of the truck obstacle course, aligning the physical performance landscape with the requirements of the show.

Main and secondary power, distribution and supporting infrastructure were delivered across the venue, while full event lighting, cabins, tents, buggies and containers enabled the site to function throughout the two-day programme.

Delivery Highlights

• Two-day Monster Jam event in Liwa Desert on 27 and 28 December 2023.
• Overall venue layout covering seating, VIP hospitality and truck performance zones.
• Grandstand seating for 4,000 spectators.
• Custom scaffold VIP hospitality structure with a fully functional elevator.
• Machinery supplied and operated for construction of the obstacle course.
• Crowd-control fencing and temporary operational support facilities.
• Main and secondary power distribution with full venue lighting.

Outcome

The temporary site operated as a complete motorsport destination rather than an isolated performance track. Public spectators, VIP guests, production teams and heavy vehicles each had clearly planned spaces within the same desert environment.

The spectacle remained the focus because the seating, infrastructure and operations gave audiences a reliable way to experience the scale, noise and movement of Monster Jam safely and comfortably.

Project Ecosystem

Delivery partner: Proactive

Evolution Events: Led venue planning, Proactive coordination, obstacle-course operations, temporary facilities and live event management.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the confirmed full-venue lighting required for evening operation and spectacle visibility.

Evolution Site Services: Provided the confirmed main and secondary power, distribution, cabling and supporting event infrastructure.

For the Expo 2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony, Five Currents LLC commissioned Evolution to realise six mechanised scenic flowers beneath Al Wasl Dome.

The elements needed to carry the delicacy and organic movement of blooming flowers at a scale appropriate to one of the world’s largest ceremonial stages. Their purpose was not simply to decorate the performance, but to move with the choreography and contribute to its emotional rhythm.

Evolution translated the conceptual design into engineered scenic objects that combined material craft, kinetic movement, colour-changing light and mobile operation.

The Challenge

Organic movement is difficult to reproduce through mechanical construction. Petals needed to spiral, twist and open naturally while the complete objects remained durable, controllable and safe around performers.

The flowers also had to maintain visual presence inside the vast Al Wasl Dome. Light, colour and motion needed to remain legible at ceremony scale without making the engineering visible.

The Solution

Evolution engineered the six flowers using wood, metal and fabric, selecting each material for its contribution to structure, flexibility and surface character.

Fibre-optic lamps and cables introduced colour-changing illumination along the sides and ends of the floral forms. The lighting was integrated into the construction so the petals could glow and change without losing their sculptural quality.

Repeated testing refined the kinetic sequence until the flowers could spiral, twist and bloom with a more natural progression. Mechanical systems were tuned around the choreography rather than operated as isolated effects.

Custom mobile bases offered manual and battery-powered wireless movement, allowing performers to reposition the scenic elements and maintain the relationship between the flowers and the live stage picture.

Delivery Highlights

• Six mechanised scenic flower elements for the Expo 2020 Opening Ceremony.
• Engineering developed from the supplied conceptual designs.
• Construction using wood, metal and fabric.
• Colour-changing fibre-optic lamps and cables integrated into the petals.
• Kinetic motion enabling spiralling, twisting and blooming sequences.
• Continuous testing and refinement around the live choreography.
• Manual and battery-powered wireless mobile bases.

Outcome

The flowers introduced a living scenic language into the opening ceremony. Their changing colour and unfolding motion complemented the performers while remaining visually strong within the scale of Al Wasl Dome.

Artistry and engineering were concealed within the action: audiences saw flowers bloom, while the structural, mechanical and wireless systems supporting the moment remained out of view.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Five Currents LLC

Evolution Events: Led project and client coordination with Five Currents, production planning, testing schedules and ceremonial delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed, engineered and fabricated the six flower structures, kinetic petals and mobile bases.

Evolution Technical: Integrated the fibre-optic lighting, colour-changing systems, wireless functionality and controlled scenic movement.

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