For FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta, Technical Elements transformed Centennial Olympic Park into a temporary outdoor broadcast and entertainment venue supporting live FIFA World Cup 2026™ match broadcasts, concerts, sponsor activations and community programming. Across the 38-day production, the festival operated publicly for 19 days and welcomed more than 536,000 guests, requiring technical infrastructure capable of adapting to changing audience sizes and programming throughout each day. Audio needed to provide speech intelligibility for match commentary and presentations while delivering the output and coverage required for concerts, DJ sets and match celebrations. Lighting needed to transition from daytime broadcast applications to nighttime performances and celebrations, with both systems operating reliably through Atlanta’s summer heat, humidity and rain.
Technical Elements deployed a HARMAN Professional system centered on JBL Professional VTX loudspeakers, Crown amplification and Martin Professional lighting. JBL Professional VTX A12 line arrays served as the main PA, with VTX A8 loudspeakers providing front-fill and supplemental coverage and VTX B28 dual 18-inch subwoofers supplying low-frequency reinforcement. JBL Professional VTX V20 loudspeakers paired with VTX G28 subwoofers extended coverage through delay positions, while JBL Professional VRX932LAP loudspeakers covered festival entrances. On stage, JBL Professional VTX M20 monitor wedges and VTX A8 side fills paired with VTX B18 subwoofers supported artists and performers.
Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD and I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the system, providing integrated DSP and monitoring throughout the extended production. Managing delay within the Crown amplifiers also simplified deployment while helping Technical Elements maintain consistent levels across the multiple listening areas throughout Centennial Olympic Park.
For lighting, Technical Elements deployed Martin Professional MAC Viper XIP, MAC Aura Raven XIP and MAC Ultra Performance fixtures. MAC Viper XIP fixtures supported key lighting, aerial effects and long-throw applications, while MAC Aura Raven XIP fixtures provided washes and beam effects throughout the site. MAC Ultra Performance fixtures supported audience lighting and visual moments during concerts and match celebrations. The weather-resistant design of the MAC Viper XIP and MAC Aura Raven XIP fixtures supported continuous outdoor operation through changing weather conditions.
“When you’re operating outdoors in Atlanta for more than five weeks, reliability isn’t just an equipment specification; it’s part of the production strategy,” said Zach Sturino, Senior Director of Events for Technical Elements. “We chose systems we knew could deliver at this scale day after day. The consistency of the JBL, Crown and Martin platforms allowed our team to spend less time troubleshooting and more time focused on the audience experience.”
Across 38 days of production and more than 536,000 visitors, the HARMAN Professional system provided Technical Elements with a consistent platform for the festival’s changing daily programming. JBL Professional VTX systems maintained clear commentary and announcements throughout the audience areas while providing the output and low-frequency impact required for concerts, DJ performances and match celebrations. Crown amplification supported continuous system operation and streamlined control, while Martin Professional fixtures transitioned between broadcast, concert and celebration applications throughout the day.
“Reliability was one of the greatest successes of this project,” Brandon Montgomery, Sales Director for Technical Elements, said. “The equipment simply performed and proved to be an excellent demonstration of the durability and reliability of the HARMAN Professional ecosystem.”
By combining JBL Professional VTX loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and Martin Professional lighting, Technical Elements delivered a flexible production system that adapted to multiple event formats while maintaining consistent audio, lighting and operational performance throughout FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta.
