In August, the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan hosted Jennifer Lopez’s Up All Night: Live in 2025 tour. The show was watched by over 31,000 attendees and marked the country’s first performance by an American A-list artist. Tashkent-based rental and sales company YASTREB-Sound supplied the entire audio system for the occasion, deploying an L-Acoustics PA system along with DiGiCo consoles at both FOH and monitors, ensuring that there was no drop-off in quality at the country’s largest stadium. YASTREB-Sound’s Chief System Engineer, Eduard Asadov, designed the system, working in close collaboration with Matt Coplon, Jennifer Lopez’s touring System Engineer. The…
Author: Peter Iantorno
Most Middle East festivals tend do a lot of things right. From record-breaking production levels to a plethora of food and beverage options, there’s very little to complain about for the region’s festivalgoers. However, one area where the admittedly still nascent Middle East festival market doesn’t always hit the mark is that much less tangible characteristic of authenticity, which is earned by a festival returning year after year and building its own legend in the process. This sense of authenticity is in abundance at the original UNTOLD festival, which has taken place annually in Romania for the past decade, and…
Audio delivery at live events has been written about chapter and verse within the pages of TPiMEA, with the relative roles of those up and down the supply chain – from manufacturer to distributor, to rental house to end user – all covered at length. However, one area of sound that has received comparatively little coverage up to now is the music composition and arrangement process. A particularly prominent figure within the region’s live events scene – especially when it comes to the grand ceremonies and launch events that the Middle East is known for – Matt Faddy often finds…
Where does the Q112 fit within DiGiCo’s range of digital mixing consoles? The Quantum 112 (Q112) is a compact yet high-performance console within the Quantum series, positioned just below the Quantum 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8. It unlocks the full power of Quantum processing in the smallest form factor yet, offering a remarkably portable and powerful experience of the world-renowned Quantum platform. It represents a major leap for situations where transportability and space efficiency are critical. The Q112 delivers DiGiCo’s signature Quantum processing power and pristine sound quality in a compact, cost-effective package, ideal for a wide range of…
For most markets, curating, creatively developing, producing and delivering a major show in the space of eight weeks would be unthinkable. However, the UAE is not most markets and, as was recently proved by DAE Global UAE (David Atkins Enterprises), with the right team in place, anything is possible. DAE was entrusted by Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi with delivering a spectacular ceremony to celebrate the reopening of Al Ain Museum – the UAE’s first museum, originally established in 1969 by the country’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed – which recently underwent extensive redevelopment. With time very much…
In October 2025, marking the middle of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, Gearhouse Group, one of South Africa’s leading technical production suppliers, officially emerged from its voluntary Business Rescue Plan. The company successfully settled all its Business Rescue obligations, repaying its creditors in full and resolving a COVID-related debt of R140 million (approximately $7.7 million). With this milestone marking a significant turnaround for the company, Joint Managing Director Nasser Abbas shared his insights into the process and his ambitions for renewed growth and long-term stability in the post-recovery phase. What led to Gearhouse Group entering Business Rescue? Like many businesses…
Creative innovation studio CONDUCTR recently announced the launch of a new Middle East hub, marking the company’s third regional base alongside its UK headquarters and US operations. “The Middle East is one of the most exciting regions in the world for creative technology right now. We’re already collaborating with some of the biggest names in the sector, and this new hub allows us to be closer to the partners we’re working with every day,” commented CEO and cofounder, Peter Cliff. “It reinforces our commitment to the region and our ambition to help shape what comes next for immersive, tech-powered entertainment.” While CONDUCTR has…
What are the main features of Matrox ConvertIP that benefit end users? Matrox ConvertIP is a versatile family of ST 2110/IPMX encoders, decoders, and converters designed to form the backbone of open-standards–based IP video infrastructures. With multiple I/O options – including HDMI, SDI, and HDBaseT – ConvertIP enables users to route and distribute professional-grade video signals over IP networks while continuing to operate their trusted cameras, switchers, monitors, and projectors. ConvertIP’s support for open standards ensures seamless operation across mixed-vendor ecosystems. For rental firms, system integrators, and production crews, this dramatically simplifies deployment, reduces compatibility frustrations, and speeds up system…
For many years, Esports has been discussed in terms of its vast potential, with ambitious projections and idealistic visions of how this unique platform could be set to revolutionise the way that sports, entertainment, music and technology can combine. While these conversations have historically been framed on the future, the involvement of Saudi Arabia seems to have turbocharged the global growth of Esports, with the Kingdom giving it a prominent position within its Vision 2030 plans. Case in point was the recent Esports World Cup, which saw more than 2,000 players take part in 25 competitions over seven weeks for…
The Pink Bows Foundation progressed its aim of making events safer, with another positive step towards establishing an international standard. The first courses in the Middle East, in Riyadh and Jeddah, were hosted by ESM Operations, whose own staff were joined by invited attendees from members of The Royal Guard, the Government’s General Entertainment Authority, Onyx Arena, MDLBEAST, F1 Jeddah and Conference Organisers from the World Defence Show. Steve Coleman, Managing Director of ESM Operations, became aware of the introduction of the new Showstop Procedure course, online. When he realised that his former employer and mentor, Dr Mark Hamilton, was…
Gallowglass Health and Safety recently completed a comprehensive training week across its Middle East division, aimed at preparing teams for a demanding events season. In collaboration with 3DB Event Production, Empro Power, and Pains Fireworks LLC, Gallowglass staff gained hands-on experience with several new technologies and safety systems across all three companies. The initiative is part of a global programme led by Gallowglass Health and Safety, enabling the company’s Safety Advisors across all divisions to enhance their technical knowledge, improve communication, and strengthen collaboration with key partners. “It’s been incredibly valuable to connect with colleagues across regions and align on…
Dubai-headquartered technical production house Sound On Stage Events recently invested in a new DiGiCo Quantum 326, and the company wasted no time in getting the console out in the field, deploying it for the Echoes of a Golden Era show as part of the Beiteddine Art Festival in July 2025. A loyal DiGiCo user for over 15 years, Sound On Stage Events’ Managing Director and sound engineer Rawad Saad explained his preference for the brand: “Throughout the time that Sound On Stage Events has been using DiGiCo consoles, we’ve experienced the remarkable evolution in both the technology and audio quality,”…
