Taking place on 9 March, just before Ramadan got underway, the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw hordes of excited racing fans descend on Jeddah Corniche Circuit to witness Champion Max Verstappen continue his title defence with another dominant victory, before filtering down the road to the nearby purpose-built concert site and partying the night away.
Earlier in the day before the race got underway, TPiMEA was on site at the concert venue to catch up with some of the key players behind the production, with MDLBEAST’s Production Director Andy Head generously sparing a few minutes from his busy schedule to show us around the site. “This is my fourth year on this gig,” he shared as we made the journey from the MDLBEAST production office past the side of stage and into the expansive festival arena. “The first one we did here was a challenge, but once we had the infrastructure in place, it became easier and easier; now it’s a very smooth operation year after year.”
With the event having evolved over the years, Creative Director Quentin Greyling wound back the clocks, charting the history of the stage design. “The goal of the inaugural SAGP After Race Concerts in 2021 was to make a big statement that would gain global exposure. Hence, the design approach needed to be larger than life with a multifaceted stage façade incorporating projection mapping across the full width of a 100m stage,” he recalled. “The iconic ‘gem’ stage was embraced by the star-studded line-up that year, with most of the acts providing bespoke content that utilised the impressive canvas.”
Photos: MDLBEAST
