Follow-Me System Powers Performer Tracking

The Follow-Me 3D tracking system played a central role in the EMAAR New Year’s Eve Spectacular in Dubai, delivering automated performer tracking for a large-scale outdoor show staged around the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain.

The system was specified by creative lighting studio NEONBLACK to support a water-based performance staged in the 20 minutes leading up to the midnight countdown. The production was watched by audiences on-site and by millions more worldwide through live broadcasts and online streams.

The performance area covered approximately 500 square metres on water and formed part of a loop around the Dubai Fountain, with the Burj Khalifa serving as the visual centrepiece. Production company Our Legacy Creations was responsible for the show’s creative direction and sought to deliver a water-based spectacle unlike anything previously staged at the venue.

At the height of the performance, 24 moving elements — including autonomous rafts carrying performers — were active simultaneously across the water, creating a complex tracking and lighting challenge.

The project was led by Dominic Smith and Paul Johnson of NEONBLACK as lighting designers, with David Wolstenholme of Show Binary serving as key light programmer. During the design phase, NEONBLACK collaborated with Luke Edwards, Designer Relations UK at Follow-Me.

Production vendor mediaPro International played a significant role in delivering the system, bringing its experience with Follow-Me infrastructure to the project. The company designed, built, supplied, and deployed the tracking setup, with Alexander Kotov handling lighting systems and Bianca Mastroianni contributing during show week. mediaPro also engineered custom rigging solutions, including bespoke brackets attached to handrails and speaker towers around the perimeter of the lake to support key lighting fixtures. Overall technical delivery was led by mediaPro Senior Technical Director Semynov (Sam) Dsouza.

"There were no natural hanging positions to hang lights," explained Smith. "We were using a playing area that is essentially a loop of water about 25–30 metres wide that goes around the outside of the fountain. The challenge was figuring out how we put a lighting rig into a space that isn't designed for it, in an outdoor environment, over massive distances."

With no traditional rigging infrastructure available, the production relied on high-output fixtures capable of functioning almost as theatrical sidelights across the water. More than 70 fixtures were calibrated to the Follow-Me system, the majority being Robe LTX units, alongside Ayrton Domino LTs.

The decision to deploy the Follow-Me system was influenced by the project’s compressed four-month build schedule and the evolving nature of the performance environment, where 24 moving targets needed to be tracked in real time.

"The development of the show was always going to be fluid as we built it in such a challenging environment," said Smith. "It was one of those shows that was only ever going to come together on site, so we needed a system that was flexible – that wasn't stuck to a particular fixture if it needed to be. That led us to the world of Follow-Me."

Six Follow-Me 3D SIX systems were configured for the production, including a primary and secondary server and three additional servers feeding data back to the main and backup servers running the show. Five cameras were installed, with three ultimately covering the kilometre-wide site. Video-grade switching enabled camera feeds to be merged and distributed across the system, allowing operators to track performers as they moved between camera views. Large multiview displays were provided so that groups of operators could share visual feeds during the show.

Shaam Pudaruth, COO of mediaPro International, described the 24-handle mouse and console configuration used for the show as "among the largest systems the company has ever deployed".

"All of the camera inputs being merged and sent to the different servers – all of that was seamless. There were no problems there," said Wolstenholme. "Being able to follow a target moving on one camera and suddenly see that same target picking up somewhere else – that’s what made it work across such a huge area."

One of the show's standout moments featured a conductor lifted from water level high into the air using a winch system. The Follow-Me platform's ability to track movement along the vertical Z axis allowed lighting fixtures to follow the ascent automatically. The system's manufacturer-agnostic design also allowed fixtures to be reassigned during final rehearsals with minimal configuration changes.

"With the Follow-Me 3D system you just dial it in and it works every time, and you're not relying so much on humans as you would be if you used a standard follow spot system," said Smith. "Literally the night before we were still able to make changes. It’s as simple as turning off one beacon and turning on another. That flexibility on a show with so many unknown elements is really, useful."

Staging the production within an open-air retail and public environment — effectively a live shopping destination that remains operational throughout the day — added further logistical challenges. The venue has no traditional backstage areas and remained open to the public until shortly before the show.

Despite these constraints, the production was delivered on schedule and received strong audience response, with the Follow-Me system operating as planned throughout the performance.

"The Follow-Me system performed well in what was an incredibly challenging environment, with a compressed programming and rehearsal schedule that left no room for error," said Nick Eltis, Production Director for the event. "The team at Follow-Me were fantastic throughout. Their support was invaluable and made a real difference to the success of the show."

"Being part of the Dubai New Year's Eve Spectacular was an extraordinary milestone for mediaPro," added Pudaruth. "Our team's established expertise with Follow-Me systems meant we could hit the ground running from day one, turning a genuinely complex set of challenges into a seamless, world-class delivery. To see the system perform flawlessly in front of millions of people, on the world's biggest New Year's Eve stage, was an incredibly proud moment for everyone involved."

"We picked Follow-Me for a reason," concluded Smith. "And in the end, it did exactly what we asked of it."

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