International multimedia studio SILA SVETA developed the full creative concept for the stage design and visual content of the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025. Held in Doha at Al Bayt Stadium, the show gathered nearly 70,000 spectators and set the creative tone for one of the region’s most anticipated football tournaments.
The 20-minute show unfolded as a cinematic narrative exploring unity, heritage, and renewal. The storyline traced the creation, collapse, and symbolic rebirth of a monumental structure at the heart of the performance – a visual metaphor for continuity, cultural legacy, and identity.
A monumental architectural structure composed of numerous chains formed the core of the stage design. At the beginning of the show, its key elements remained concealed, gradually emerging and lifting into place to create the effect of a monument taking shape. As the show unfolded, the elements rose to their full 40-meter height. Once fully elevated, the monument transformed into a dynamic, levitating structure with shimmering tails made of 22 kilometers of chrome-finished chains cascading beneath it. This central set piece became a symbol of unity and a place where a community takes shape.
The entire stage, designed by Sila Sveta and produced by Stage One, was supported by truss systems, with 20 automation winches lifting and lowering scenic elements that weighed approximately eight tonnes. Eleven steel-wire catenaries ran across the pitch to carry the load and divert the winch lines. All scenic pieces were brought onto the field on custom platforms using 102 wheels to distribute weight and protect the playing surface before the opening match.
«Stadium shows are unforgiving — everything must function as one system. An idea matters only if it can be executed with absolute control both on the field and on broadcast. For this opening ceremony, one of the key challenges was designing a structure that could remain fully concealed until the exact moment of the reveal. That led us to the chain solution: in a compact, folded state, the chains could be stored beneath the platforms, and once lifted, they expanded into the full volumetric bodies of the columns», said Arthur Kond, Creative Director at SILA SVETA.
The storyline and visuals were tightly integrated with the choreography, music, and projection mapping on the field, creating a seamless visual and emotional flow across the stadium. PixMob technology transformed the audience into a synchronized field of light, turning spectators into active participants and amplifying the show’s scale and atmosphere.
This project continued SILA SVETA’s long-term collaboration with Katara Studios and major international sporting events in Qatar. The studio previously created the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Closing Ceremony and, in 2023, contributed to the AFC Asian Cup Opening Ceremony at Lusail Stadium. The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 marked a new creative milestone within this ongoing partnership.
«This project marks our sixth collaboration with Katara Studios and our third football ceremony in Qatar. This pre-match show involved dozens of partners, industry specialists, and around 200 performers. Our previous experience in Qatar proved invaluable: knowing the venue and its technical limitations allowed us to develop ideas much faster and avoid unnecessary rounds of testing. Katara Studios – and Qatar as a host – continue to impress us with their level of preparation and their ability to bring together top professionals for live sports productions», adds Magrifa Güra, the project’s producer at SILA SVETA.
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