THE FULL PITCH
COCA-COLA ARENA Dubai, UAE
Images: Coca-Cola Arena
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ith touring acts and events including the Middle East on the circuit more and more these days, it was only a matter of time before the region was in desperate need of a large,
indoor venue that can be used all year round. Three years ago, DXB Entertainment and AEG Ogden Australia were instructed to build said venue for owner, MERAAS at City Walk, Dubai. After a relatively short build period for a project of this scope, the Coca-Cola Arena is now open and has hosted its first collection of events. The Coca-Cola Arena is the first and largest, fully airconditioned, multipurpose indoor arena in the Middle East. The design is based around the O2 Arena in London, UK, adopting a generic arena bowl layout with the stage at one end, although it is hugely versatile and the set-up of the bowl can be changed depending on the type of event at any given time. Along with touring productions, comedy gigs and exhibitions, the arena is also capable of hosting sporting events such as ice hockey, basketball and tennis, to name just a few. Director of Technical & Production at the Coca-Cola Arena, Malcolm Giles picks up the story: “We don’t have any dedicated sports equipment attached to the venue, but we do have the ability to host a number of sports, and the required floor is brought in. We have sufficient power, enough for a generator to cool an ice rink, for example. We also have draining ditches in place, so anything that requires water can be drained out.” Depending on the seating layout, up to 44-metres by 88-metres of floor space can be achieved. Sporting events that take place in the round - it’s not usual to set up a concert in the round - make use of the standard automated retractable seats, as well as some areas that have a demountable seating system. The seated capacity excluding the 42 hospitality suites, VIP suites and royal suites is 13,000 - although this is determined by the activity inside the venue - which increases by 1,400 when the hospitality areas are included. With standing included, the full arena can accommodate 17,000. Additionally, the arena has a horizontal and a vertical draping system, so more intimate sporting events or live gigs can also feel at home in the arena. Technology within the Coca-Cola Arena, whether it be audio, lighting or visual has been designed and installed with the future in mind, even the roof structure, as the rigging points and the roof weight are rather unique in a venue of this type. Malcolm continued: “All of the rigging is carried out from the catwalks, so there is no climbing, and no rope access. The rigging beams run the length of the catwalks at 4.8-metres apart, and rigging points are created by bridle method using SWR, and the apex of
