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Jack Kelly and Ben M. Rogers help Saadiyat Nights launch 2026 season with Chauvet

On January 9, 2026, Saadiyat Nights launched its 2026 concert season with performances by Diana Ross and Seal. To illuminate the event in Abu Dhabi, UAE, lighting designers Jack Kelly and Ben M. Rogers used a collection of 138 Chauvet Professional fixtures.

“Our primary objective for the festival this season was to develop a lighting scheme that offered maximum versatility for a diverse roster of incoming artists while aesthetically complementing the architectural lines of the stage”, Kelly says of the lighting rig.

Given that Saadiyat Nights is a 10-week outdoor residency, having IP65 rated fixtures was a must, according to Kelly. “It was non-negotiable”, he says. “When compared to other weather-protected options on the market, we felt the Chauvet fixtures offered the most robust build quality and the best performance metrics available for a production of this scale.”

“We maintained a rigorous focus on detail during both the design and installation phases”, he continues. “To ensure a seamless and robust production, we implemented comprehensive system backups and redundant signal paths to keep the system as stable as possible.”

The rig featured 32 Maverick Storm 2 Profiles, thirty Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, 38 Color Strike M motorized strobe-washes and 38 Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWashes. Working in harmony with this lighting were a 14 m wide by 7 m high main video screen and two 8 m wide by 6 m high IMAG screens.

As for Diana Ross’s performance, her longtime designer Ben M. Rogers explains: “I deployed my touring setup where the lighting console drives all parameters of the media server layers to ensure I maintained a consistent visual image. The visuals for Diana Ross were curated with her and set a clear visual palette for each song.”

“With the MediaMaster server, I then refined and adjusted color, and playback on content in the same way I did the lighting rig to maintain the balance of color and contrast throughout”, he adds. “With the backup band in pure white outfit, rich colors framing the performers, and Ms. Ross being as warm and elegant as ever, we rocked the stage, helping this stunning venue begin its 2026 season in beautiful fashion.”

(Photos: Chauvet Professional)

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