Africa Cup of Nations Opening Ceremony
2019, Cairo - Egypt
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), officially the Total 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, marked the 32nd edition of Africa’s premier international men’s football championship. As the third largest football competition in the world, AFCON brings together the continent’s best teams and reaches an audience of more than 300 million viewers.
For the Opening Ceremony in Egypt, Circo de Bakuza, Roshan Soomarchun, and Blink Experience set out to raise the bar with an unprecedented production — the first-ever 360° video mapping show created for a football event. We produced a 12-minute visual performance, projected across monumental scenic elements including three giant pyramids, carpets, and live performers. Blending history with cutting-edge technology, the ceremony became an extraordinary and poetic spectacle that captivated both the live audience and millions watching worldwide.
I was part of the content creation team at Superbien Paris for this award-winning international production, which was broadcast live around the globe. The show went on to win the Bea World People’s Choice Award and achieved 2nd place in the Best Sports Event category.
Role: Art Direction, Motion Design
Client: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
Agency: Circo de Bakuza
Design Studio: Superbien
Lead Motion Designer: Jean Pierre Sastre
Motion Design: Paulin Gerard, Joshua Catalano
Lead Art Director: Rémi Winterhalter
Project Manager: Caroline Gunther
Project Cordinator: Ombeline Vautelet
Documentation Video Editing: Jonathan Mascaro
Venue: Cairo International Stadium
Production: Blink Experience
Show director: Julien Pateau
Technical Crew: PRG
Choreographer: Tatiana Mirikou
Music: Start Rec
Pyrotechnic: Grand Final
Light Design: Concept K
For the Opening Ceremony in Egypt, Circo de Bakuza, Roshan Soomarchun, and Blink Experience set out to raise the bar with an unprecedented production — the first-ever 360° video mapping show created for a football event. We produced a 12-minute visual performance, projected across monumental scenic elements including three giant pyramids, carpets, and live performers. Blending history with cutting-edge technology, the ceremony became an extraordinary and poetic spectacle that captivated both the live audience and millions watching worldwide.
I was part of the content creation team at Superbien Paris for this award-winning international production, which was broadcast live around the globe. The show went on to win the Bea World People’s Choice Award and achieved 2nd place in the Best Sports Event category.
Role: Art Direction, Motion Design
Client: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
Agency: Circo de Bakuza
Design Studio: Superbien
Lead Motion Designer: Jean Pierre Sastre
Motion Design: Paulin Gerard, Joshua Catalano
Lead Art Director: Rémi Winterhalter
Project Manager: Caroline Gunther
Project Cordinator: Ombeline Vautelet
Documentation Video Editing: Jonathan Mascaro
Venue: Cairo International Stadium
Production: Blink Experience
Show director: Julien Pateau
Technical Crew: PRG
Choreographer: Tatiana Mirikou
Music: Start Rec
Pyrotechnic: Grand Final
Light Design: Concept K
For its 32nd edition, the Africa Cup of Nations was held in Egypt and wanted to take its opening ceremony to the next level.
In addition to celebrating the competition and the competing teams, the goal was also to produce an international show that put the host country, the cradle of global civilisation, in the spotlight from three different perspectives: rich cultural heritage, future technologies and the new generation.
This was achieved with a multi-sensory spectacle combining a mix of technologies: mapping, video content, pyrotechnics, a light show and live performance. An immersive experience broadcast live around the globe.
The studio achieved this ambitious creative brief, demonstrating its inimitable savoir-faire by producing a projection surface of exceptional dimensions. Beyond the total pitch area, our playing field encompassed three pyramids, the largest of which rose 20 metres high, four statues over 6 metres tall, three extra-large LED screens along the pitch and a fourth screen above the stands.
In addition to celebrating the competition and the competing teams, the goal was also to produce an international show that put the host country, the cradle of global civilisation, in the spotlight from three different perspectives: rich cultural heritage, future technologies and the new generation.
This was achieved with a multi-sensory spectacle combining a mix of technologies: mapping, video content, pyrotechnics, a light show and live performance. An immersive experience broadcast live around the globe.
The studio achieved this ambitious creative brief, demonstrating its inimitable savoir-faire by producing a projection surface of exceptional dimensions. Beyond the total pitch area, our playing field encompassed three pyramids, the largest of which rose 20 metres high, four statues over 6 metres tall, three extra-large LED screens along the pitch and a fourth screen above the stands.
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