For Winter City 2025 at Expo City Dubai, Evolution was commissioned to design and build a large-scale winter wonderland across a sequence of themed activations and custom environments.

The creative opportunity was to make the site feel like one unfolding seasonal story rather than a collection of unrelated Christmas installations. Each zone required its own atmosphere and activity, but the transitions needed to keep families moving through a recognisable Winter City world.

Evolution developed the environment around progression and discovery, using bespoke scenic construction, furniture, décor and props to give every destination a distinct role within the wider visitor journey.

The Challenge

Seasonal attractions must work for visitors of different ages and attention spans. The experience needed highly legible destinations, moments of anticipation and enough variety to encourage exploration across the site.

Custom structures also had to meet the practical demands of a live public destination. Durability, access, circulation and operational use needed to be resolved without reducing the visual richness of the winter environments.

The Solution

Evolution designed and constructed Sugar Plum Land, Toyland, North Pole Bakery, Letters to Santa, the North Pole Information Center, a Disney screening area and Santa’s Grotto as separate chapters within one journey.

Every structure was purpose-built around its creative and operational requirement. Bespoke scenic fabrication allowed the environments to feel specific to their activity rather than adapted from generic seasonal stock.

Furniture, decorative details and themed props extended the visual language into guest seating, activity areas and smaller touchpoints across the site. This maintained continuity even as the colour, character and purpose of each zone changed.

Layouts were planned around smooth circulation and clear thematic transitions, helping families understand where to move next while preserving the sense of surprise between destinations.

Delivery Highlights

• Large-scale seasonal destination at Expo City Dubai.
• Multiple themed zones designed as one connected visitor journey.
• Sugar Plum Land, Toyland and North Pole Bakery environments.
• Letters to Santa and North Pole Information Center.
• Disney screening area and Santa’s Grotto.
• Fully bespoke scenic structures built for creative and operational use.
• Complete furniture, décor and themed-prop package.

Outcome

Winter City gave families a clear reason to move through the full destination. Each zone offered a different form of participation, but the scenic detail and transitions kept the experience connected from the first arrival to Santa’s Grotto.

The completed site felt designed as a seasonal world rather than dressed for a season, with custom environments supporting both imaginative storytelling and day-to-day public operation.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Expo City / Energie

Evolution Events: Led the seasonal concept, visitor-journey planning, activity coordination, site delivery and live operational integration.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and fabricated the complete themed-zone package, custom structures, décor and physical story environments.

Evolution Furniture: Supplied the confirmed furniture and supporting guest settings across the Winter City zones.

Additional Support:

Evolution Technical - Evolution Site Services

Dubai Future Foundation commissioned Our Future(s) Season 2 as a five-day public activation at Kite Beach during the Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge.

The experience explored how technology and fitness could shape healthier communities and future lifestyles. Evolution’s task was to turn that theme into direct participation, giving visitors something they could play, test and respond to within an accessible public setting.

The activation connected physical movement with digital interaction through a robotic basketball challenge, a bespoke Global 50 touchscreen experience and a custom structure designed around public use and daily operation.

The Challenge

The beachfront activation needed to welcome more than 5,000 visitors across five days while operating to a fixed daily schedule from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Registration, sessions, resets and public opening all had to follow a repeatable rhythm.

The technology also needed to feel immediate and intuitive. A robotic basketball system and custom touchscreen application had to withstand high public use, record interaction accurately and remain supported throughout the live period.

The Solution

Evolution managed the complete build, installation, five-day operation and de-rig under a compressed programme, including three installation days and two de-rig days.

A bespoke deck and integrated saddle-span tent formed the main activation structure, bringing the interactive and operational requirements into one clear beachfront environment.

The robotic basketball arm was supported by custom registration, programming, scoring and back-end development. This turned a familiar sporting action into a technology-led challenge with a complete participation journey.

A bespoke Global 50 touchscreen application introduced a second mode of engagement, allowing visitors to explore future-focused content beyond the physical game. Evolution coordinated the delivery with Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Municipality, Humantra and Technogym.

Delivery Highlights

• Five-day public activation from 26 to 30 November 2025.
• Daily operation from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM with structured sessions and reset periods.
• More than 5,000 visitors at Kite Beach.
• Complete build, installation, live operation and de-rig.
• Bespoke deck with an integrated saddle-span tent.
• Robotic Basketball Arm with custom registration, programming and scoring.
• Global 50 interactive touchscreen application.
• Coordination with government and commercial programme partners.

Outcome

Our Future(s) turned an abstract discussion about future wellbeing into something visitors could physically experience. Sport created the invitation, technology created the challenge and digital content extended the idea beyond the game.

The beachfront setting remained open and approachable while the registration, programming and operational systems behind it supported thousands of repeat interactions across the five-day run.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Dubai Future Foundation

Evolution Events: Led the public-experience strategy, partner coordination, programme scheduling, registration journey, permitting, full site operation and live management.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and installed the bespoke deck, primary activation structure and associated physical environment.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the robotic basketball technology, custom programming, scoring system, back-end development and Global 50 touchscreen application.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Site Services

For the Expo 2020 Dubai Closing Ceremony, Five Currents LLC commissioned Evolution to create a giant suspended gold ring inspired by the Expo emblem.

The structure needed to serve two purposes: a visually striking symbol above the stage and a fully engineered performance element capable of releasing a seamless curtain of rain during the ceremony.

Evolution translated the conceptual design into a flyable scenic structure integrating concealed water tanks and technical systems. The result was a dramatic transformation moment that remained hidden from the audience until activation.

The Challenge

The ring needed to remain structurally secure while suspended approximately 20 metres above the stage, while maintaining the refined appearance of a simple gold emblem. All engineering components, including the concealed water system, needed to remain hidden from the audience.

Water behaviour, structural loading, surface finish, rigging and live show timing all required precise coordination. Each element had to perform reliably as part of one integrated scenic and technical system to deliver the intended ceremonial moment.

The Solution

Evolution engineered the ring as a combined scenic feature and water-performance mechanism. Concealed tanks and distribution technology were integrated within the form without interrupting its circular profile or refined gold finish.

The design was developed around the requirements of suspension and movement, with stringent safety considerations and coordination with the Al Wasl Dome rigging system informing load paths, connection points and final positioning.

Materials and finishes were carefully selected to preserve the elegance of the Expo-inspired emblem while meeting the durability requirements of a suspended live-effect feature.

Extensive testing aligned water flow, rigging, positioning and show timing, allowing the ring to transform into a continuous rain curtain during the ceremony before returning seamlessly to its role as a visual symbol.

Delivery Highlights

• Giant gold ring inspired by the Expo 2020 emblem.
• Suspended approximately 20 metres above the stage at Al Wasl Dome.
• Hidden water tanks and rain-curtain technology integrated within the structure.
• Engineering for a large-scale flown scenic installation.
• High-quality gold finish concealing the functional systems.
• Integration with the Al Wasl Dome rigging system.
• Extensive testing of water flow, positioning and live operation.

Outcome

The ring delivered a final transformation that turned a familiar Expo symbol into a theatrical rain curtain above the stage. The moment appeared effortless to the audience, yet relied on complex engineering, precise timing and integrated scenic technology.

Its impact depended on concealment. Guests experienced the visual simplicity of gold, scale and falling water, while the tanks, distribution systems, rigging and engineering remained seamlessly integrated within the scenic form.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Five Currents LLC

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

Evolution Scenic: Translated the concept into the giant gold ring, integrating the structure, concealed tanks, water system and finished scenic form.

Evolution Technical: Coordinated the confirmed flown installation, rigging-system integration and technical control required for the live rain-curtain effect.

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 Price 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

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.