AFC Asian Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony

2023

AFC Asian Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony

2023

On January 12, the main show of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 opening ceremony took place at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, commissioned by our partner, Katara Studios. Sila Sveta was responsible for developing the stage design and all the visual content. This ceremony was unique and differed from the usual concepts of football tournaments, resulting in a blend of a complex setup, stage elements, and heightened theatricality.

We created a concept where each element of the stage design intertwined history and culture. At the heart of the stage concept for The Lost Chapter of Kelileh & Demneh show was the idea of unity between the East and Asia. Sand dunes symbolized the Arab world, while pink petals paid homage to the magnolia and sakura, symbols of Asia.

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A key design feature was the use of shell-shaped screens. This choice was deliberate: they served as a bridge to the past, reminiscent of the times when pearl diving was the main industry of Qatar itself. The show was designed to look beautiful from any point in the stadium, not just from one side of the stands. Five screens enabled a 360-degree view, corresponding to the number of regional federations that make up the AFC.

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For each of the 24 national teams participating in the cup, a mascot was chosen — an animal representing the respective country. These images were brought to life by artists in costumes of anthropomorphic animals. For instance, the symbol for Qatar was the Arabian oryx, a saber-horned antelope playing a crucial role in the local ecosystem. China was represented by the panda, often mentioned in Chinese literature and art and part of the country’s natural heritage. Indonesia’s symbol was the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard species on the planet, only found in the wild there.

The content on the screens matched the plot of the musical Kelileh & Demneh, performed by the actors on stage. The narrative focuses on the main character’s journey to accept his flaws alongside his virtues, aided by magical animals. We turned this self-acceptance into an allegory, using imagery from the song lyrics. The content did not just copy what happened on stage but metaphorically showed the story. For example, the protagonist’s flaws were depicted through abstract, fluid visuals at the start. In another scene, a person’s face and body shone in white light, suggesting a soul. When the song’s lyrics mention, «We are all colored paints in the sky,» this image is presented on screens through clouds with a colorful rainbow fracture. A magical character emerges from this scene, signaling the main character to follow.

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project team

Stage Design and Content Creative Director Arthur Kondrashenkov Katara Studios Executive Creative Director Ahmed Al Baker General Producers Alexey Rozov, Alexander Us Katara Studios Executive Producer Mahmoud Hamaky Producer Magrifa Project manager Julia Bochkunova Production Director Denis Sidorenko Deputy Production Director Anastasia Gurinova Art Directors Madina Ayupova Lead Supervisor Kristina Kubrina Support Supervisor Natalia Ganzha Concept Artists Anna Zakharova, Aleksandr Kaidalov, Anastasiia Shepelina Graphic Designer Tatiana Zhilyaeva, Daria Kuzmina CG Artists Sergey Gorokhov, Inna Savina, Ivan Maksimov, Victor Mescheryakov, Samad Samadov, Sergey Martsul, Andrey Pichugin, Andrey Osokin, Aleksander Tokar, Yuri Kaplitskiy, Arthur Terletskiy, Sabina Tuktarova, Sergey Akulyonok, Alexander Karelin, Aleksey Kornev, Vsevolod Taran, Denis Zabolotnyi, Danila Pyankin Modeling & Texturing Ivan Maksimov, Daria Shurkina Sculpting Azat Batyrov Character Animation Varvara Kalakutskaya, Alena Samokhvalova Rigging Stanislav Dudko Rotoscoping Elinskaya Ekaterina, Miklashevskaya Valeriya, Petrov Sergey, Glebov Nikolay, Ilieva Inna, Andrey Kiselev, Oleg Koverchenko IT Support Nikolay Chebotarev, Aleksandr Romashkin, Dmitriy Kraytor Concept Technical Director Oleg Rikota Concept Technical Producer Kirill Kosenko Concept Civil Engineer Valeriy Zyuzin Brand Director Alexander-Nestor Nesterenko Marketing & PR Director Asya Ibragimova Editor Evgeny Stepanov SMM Manager Danil Sapsay Video & Editing QARA Studios Special Gratitude to Katara Studios

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