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.

In collaboration with MCM Creative Global, Evolution delivered HSBC's Circle of Excellence 2023 at the Museum of the Future. The event combined an exhibition area, sponsor stands, conference content, a VIP lounge with an immersive VR experience and an executive networking environment.

The strategic challenge was to create variety without losing HSBC's identity or sustainability commitments. Each setting needed a distinct role in the attendee journey, but the materials, visual language and level of finish had to remain coherent throughout.

Evolution used scenic, technical and furniture solutions to build one event ecosystem in which learning, sponsorship, immersive engagement and senior networking could operate side by side.

The Challenge

The Museum of the Future already carries a powerful architectural identity. Temporary event environments needed enough presence to guide and support guests without competing with the venue or appearing disconnected from it.

HSBC's brand requirements and sustainability objectives also needed to influence practical production decisions. Sponsor visibility, conference functionality, executive comfort and the VR activation all had to be delivered through a controlled material and design approach.

The Solution

Evolution designed and built exhibition and activation spaces in line with HSBC's brand guidelines, creating a consistent framework for sponsors and programme content. Scenic form and graphic treatment gave each area clarity while retaining a unified event identity.

Sustainable materials were used across scenic, technical and furniture elements, making environmental responsibility part of the physical response rather than an explanatory message added to the event.

The VIP environment combined an immersive VR experience with a comfortable executive networking lounge. Technology and furniture were planned together so the digital activation could create interest without undermining the hospitality and conversational function of the space.

Sponsor stands and conference areas balanced operational requirements with the same visual and material standards. Dedicated project management coordinated these environments through installation and live delivery at the landmark venue.

Delivery Highlights

• HSBC Circle of Excellence delivered with MCM Creative Global.
• Event hosted at Dubai's Museum of the Future.
• Exhibition area, sponsor stands and conference environment.
• VIP lounge featuring an immersive VR experience.
• Executive networking lounge with tailored furniture.
• Scenic, technical and furniture elements using sustainable materials.
• Brand-compliant production and onsite event management.

Outcome

Circle of Excellence gave attendees a varied journey through formal content, sponsor engagement, immersive technology and senior networking while maintaining one recognisable HSBC environment.

Sustainability was expressed through the way the event was built and furnished, allowing the experience to reflect the client's values without sacrificing quality, comfort or visual clarity.

On 28 March 2021, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi hosted its Tourism and Data Analytics Forum virtually, bringing speakers from around the world together to examine tourism trends, data and emerging methodologies.

The brief required a complete digital venue rather than a conventional webcast. The experience needed a clear visual identity, secure access and meaningful opportunities for the audience to respond to complex analytical content.

Evolution designed the forum around three connected layers: a CGI environment that created a sense of place, a speaker workflow that integrated local and remote contributors, and an event portal that guided guests from registration into live participation.

The Challenge

A virtual audience encounters the entire event through one screen. Without variation, spatial depth and clear interaction, even strong content can become visually monotonous and passive.

Security was also central. Registration, access and live participation needed to operate within a controlled platform, while speakers joining from different locations had to appear consistently within the programme. Questions and polling needed to feel embedded in the event rather than added as separate tools.

The Solution

The CGI stage gave the audience the impression of entering a designed environment rather than opening a video call. It established a coherent visual frame for presenters, data and discussion throughout the forum.

A live MC was broadcast from a green-screen studio and composited into the 3D environment. Global speakers joined through Microsoft Teams and were integrated into the same visual system, allowing the programme to move between contributors without losing continuity.

The dedicated portal acted as the event's digital front door. Guests could register, access programme information and watch the broadcast in one secure environment. Live questions and polls were built into the interface, creating a direct relationship between the content and audience response.

The production was tested as a complete user journey, from access and navigation to speaker transitions and interaction. This kept the technology in service of the forum's purpose: helping sector specialists understand and discuss new information.

Delivery Highlights

• CGI stage creating a consistent virtual environment.
• Live MC broadcast from a green-screen studio and integrated into the 3D setting.
• Global speaker participation through Microsoft Teams.
• Secure event portal for registration, information and live viewing.
• Interactive questions and live polling.
• Integrated design of broadcast, interface and audience participation.

Outcome

The virtual forum gave a dispersed audience a clear sense of entering one shared event. The environment created continuity, while the portal made access, information and live viewing straightforward.

Audience participation was not confined to watching. Questions and polling gave guests an active role in the programme, making the digital format better suited to the exchange of tourism insight and data.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Department of Culture and Tourism

Evolution Events: Led the identity, conference narrative, spatial planning, production management, registration, speaker logistics and live experience.

Evolution Scenic: Created the auditorium, theatre, Tourism Data Lab, BI booth and infographic environments that structured the delegate journey.

Evolution Technical: Supported presentations, panels, workshops and multi-space content delivery across the auditorium and theatre environments.

Evolution Furniture: Provided the conference and networking furniture required to shape functional delegate and industry-exchange spaces.

In March 2019, Sandooq Al Watan hosted Barzatkum at Qasr Al Bahr to honour existing donors, communicate the organisation’s programmes and encourage new entities to support sustainable national development.

The event needed to make contribution visible without reducing the evening to a conventional sponsor display. Evolution developed a modern environment in which recognition and future commitment were expressed through symbolic installations as well as formal presentation.

The creative idea connected giving with growth. Sponsor names appeared within a suspended field of crystal raindrops, while a pledge tree turned donor participation into leaves forming a collective visual centrepiece.

The Challenge

Barzatkum had to thank significant supporters while keeping attention on the wider social purpose of Sandooq Al Watan. Recognition needed to feel prestigious and personal, but the environment also had to invite new commitments and communicate future ambition.

The formal setting at Qasr Al Bahr required visual refinement and disciplined use of branding. Stage content, gallery elements and guest photography moments needed to work together without making the experience feel commercially dominated.

The Solution

Evolution designed the main Barza area around a stage backdrop with integrated AV, creating a clear focal point for achievements, current programmes and future expectations.

A gallery installation used raindrop-shaped crystal pendants carrying the logos and names of prominent sponsors. The suspended composition transformed a list of supporters into a more poetic expression of collective contribution.

The pledge tree displayed donor logos as leaves, operating simultaneously as a visual centrepiece and an invitation for new entities to participate. Its imagery linked individual commitments to the growth of a wider national-development programme.

A dedicated photo backdrop and supporting branded elements extended the event identity through the guest journey, while central production coordination kept the symbolic installations, presentation content and live programme aligned.

Delivery Highlights

• Main Barza environment with a stage backdrop and integrated AV.
• Gallery installation of raindrop-shaped crystal pendants.
• Sponsor names and logos incorporated into the suspended artwork.
• Pledge-tree centrepiece displaying donor logos as leaves.
• Visual call to action encouraging future participation and investment.
• Photo backdrop and additional branded guest touchpoints.
• Event environment balancing recognition, elegance and social purpose.

Outcome

Barzatkum gave donor recognition a visual language rooted in contribution and growth. Sponsors were acknowledged individually, yet the crystal rain and pledge tree positioned every name as part of a shared national effort.

The event therefore looked both backward and forward: celebrating what had already been given while creating a visible invitation for the next commitment.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Sandooq Al Watan

Evolution Events: Led the experience concept, donor-recognition strategy, content coordination, project management and live delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and fabricated the Barza stage environment, crystal-rain gallery, pledge tree and branded photo backdrop.

Evolution Technical: Integrated the audio, visual and presentation systems supporting the main Barza programme.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Site Services

The 2025 Al Wathba Tribal Parade required Evolution to create and operate a complete temporary venue for one of the UAE’s largest cultural gatherings.

The scale extended far beyond the show field. Grandstands accommodated 11,570 guests, while a comprehensive back-of-house environment supported approximately 8,000 performers, tribal participants and operational personnel.

Evolution approached the project as an integrated event ecosystem. Audience seating, participant welfare, power, technical systems, mobility, branding, perimeter control and utilities were planned as interdependent services within one temporary city.

The Challenge

A site serving more than 19,000 guests and personnel cannot rely on isolated supplier packages. Grandstands, compounds, toilets, offices, water, sewage, transport and technical systems needed to reach readiness together across a large and exposed Al Wathba footprint.

The venue also had to remain functional throughout a long build and live operating period. Weather, remote logistics, safety, maintenance and participant movement had to be considered alongside the cultural programme and public experience.

The Solution

Evolution delivered multiple audience structures, including a 5,400-seat tribal grandstand and VVIP and public grandstands with a combined capacity of 6,170. Their positioning created clear viewing and separated guest categories without fragmenting the collective atmosphere.

A comprehensive back-of-house area was developed for approximately 8,000 personnel. Performer compounds, offices, toilets, furniture and welfare facilities gave tribes, performers and crews the support needed to prepare and operate across the event lifecycle.

Site-wide power distribution connected generators, cable routes, diesel supply, AVL and lighting. Water, sewage, skips, fencing and perimeter security were integrated into the same operating plan, ensuring that utilities and compliance developed alongside the guest environment.

Transport buggies and internal mobility routes supported movement across the large footprint. Evolution also coordinated branding, tent suppliers and the wider supplier network, maintaining one route to readiness and live control.

Delivery Highlights

• Complete infrastructure and site management for the 2025 Al Wathba Tribal Parade.
• Tribal grandstand accommodating 5,400 guests.
• VVIP and public grandstands accommodating a combined 6,170 guests.
• Back-of-house environment supporting approximately 8,000 personnel.
• Toilets, offices, performer compounds, furniture and welfare infrastructure.
• Site-wide power distribution, generators, cable routing, diesel, AVL and lighting.
• Internal mobility, fencing, perimeter security, water, sewage and waste coordination.
• Branding, tent-supplier and overall site-supplier management.

Outcome

The completed venue supported more than 19,000 guests and personnel as one functioning cultural-event ecosystem. Public viewing, participant preparation and operational services remained distinct where necessary but connected through one coordinated plan.

That integration allowed the parade to retain its cultural focus while the temporary city behind it delivered the safety, welfare, power and movement required at national-event scale.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Presidential Protocol and Strategic Narrative Authority

Evolution Events: Led the integrated site strategy, audience and participant journey, supplier coordination, mobility, branding, welfare planning, project management and live operations.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the confirmed AVL and lighting systems supporting the show, grandstands and operational areas.

Evolution Furniture: Supplied and coordinated furniture for offices, performer compounds, hospitality and operational spaces.

Evolution Site Services: Delivered the confirmed generators, power distribution, cable routing, diesel, water, sewage and associated temporary site utilities.

In November 2018, the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development launched the Al Burda Festival and Awards Show across Warehouse421 and NYU Abu Dhabi. Artists and cultural practitioners from across the MENA region came together for workshops, interactive sessions and knowledge exchange before the programme moved into an evening performance at the NYU main theatre.

An inaugural event has no inherited visual memory. Evolution's role as lead design and production agency was therefore to give Al Burda its first physical language - one that could hold together different art forms, programme formats and venues without competing with the creative work at the centre of the festival.

The event brand became the thread connecting daytime discovery with evening performance, allowing audiences to experience the festival as one curated cultural journey rather than a collection of separate activities.

The Challenge

The programme changed character throughout the day. Galleries and workshops needed calm, adaptable environments that supported close attention, while the plenary and awards show required a stronger sense of focus and occasion. Warehouse421 and NYU Abu Dhabi also presented different architectures and operating conditions.

The design had to establish a recognisable new platform while remaining culturally sensitive and visually disciplined. Scenic elements, temporary structures, collateral and documentation all needed to reinforce the identity without overwhelming the artists, discussions and performances.

The Solution

Evolution developed a comprehensive event brand and applied it across the main stage, galleries, workshops, collateral and onsite communication. Rather than using branding as a surface treatment, the identity was used to organise the audience experience and establish continuity as the programme moved between locations and formats.

At Warehouse421, the temporary plenary structure created a central gathering point within the daytime programme. Gallery and workshop environments were shaped around viewing, making and exchange, giving each activity a clear setting while retaining a shared visual character.

The evening transition to the NYU main theatre introduced a more theatrical atmosphere without abandoning the festival identity. This gave the awards and performance programme a sense of progression: the day moved from exploration and dialogue into recognition and performance, but remained recognisably Al Burda.

Evolution coordinated event production, site services, branding, collateral, photography and video through one team. For a first edition, the documentation was strategically important, creating an archive of the festival's visual identity and audience experience that could support future communication.

Delivery Highlights

• Lead design and production agency for the inaugural festival and awards show.
• Development of a complete event brand applied across two venues.
• Purpose-built temporary plenary structure at Warehouse421.
• Scenic environments for the main stage, art galleries and workshops.
• Event collateral and onsite branding supporting identity and audience orientation.
• Photography and video documentation capturing the first edition.

Outcome

Al Burda opened with a clear identity that could accommodate workshops, galleries, knowledge exchange, awards and performance without making those formats feel disconnected. Audiences experienced a deliberate progression from daytime participation to an evening of cultural recognition.

More importantly, the first edition established a visual foundation for the festival itself: distinctive enough to be remembered, flexible enough to evolve, and restrained enough to keep artists and ideas in the foreground.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development

Evolution Events: Led the creative strategy, brand development, multi-venue production, site coordination and audience experience.

Evolution Scenic: Designed, fabricated and installed the main stage, gallery and workshop environments, together with the temporary plenary structure.

Evolution Site Services: Supported the temporary event infrastructure and site-service requirements associated with the purpose-built plenary environment and multi-venue delivery.

Evolution Furniture: Delivered all temporary and custom furniture across all event areas, working in sync with the brand environment.