For those who don’t know you yet, who is NeonBlack?
NeonBlack:
We’re a creative design studio transforming the world’s biggest stages into visual legacies. Our work blends bold artistic vision with technical precision to create immersive environments that captivate audiences in the moment—and often take over global social feeds afterward.
From large-scale spectaculars to broadcast events, our focus is turning spaces into unforgettable moments. The EMAAR New Year’s Eve Spectacular 2026 was the perfect showcase of that mission.
Tell us about this year’s EMAAR New Year’s Eve project. What was NeonBlack’s role?
NeonBlack:
This year’s celebration was one of the most ambitious yet. Under the creative leadership of OLC and their director, Tiziana Pagliarulo, we were tasked with delivering the complete lighting design for both the boulevard parade and the tension-filled 20-minute pre-midnight spectacular at the foot of the Burj Khalifa.
Our role was to craft a visual architecture that connected two very different worlds: the intimacy of the street-level parade and the massive, cinematic energy of the countdown performance. The challenge—and the excitement—came from uniting these experiences in a single cohesive narrative.
How long have you been using Depence, and what do you primarily use it for?
NeonBlack:
We’ve been using Depence for about five years. It’s an essential tool in our workflow, mainly for pre-visualisation and programming across our event and entertainment projects.
We also rely on it for producing high-quality renders that help us communicate ideas effectively in pitch decks and presentations. For the EMAAR spectacular, Depence was absolutely vital.
What were the main creative ideas behind this year’s design?
NeonBlack:
This edition marked a shift toward a highly narrative-driven experience. Our brief was not just to illuminate but to tell a story through light, one that begins at street level and ascends into the sky.
For the parade, we leaned into texture and colour to elevate the performers and create a sense of intimacy. For the 20-minute spectacular, the lighting became a character in its own right, building anticipation, echoing the heartbeat of the city, and supporting the performance on water for a live and broadcast audience of billions.
We wanted every moment to feel purposeful, emotional, and architecturally integrated.
What specific features did Depence help you bring to life for this project?
NeonBlack:
The scale was enormous. Depence allowed us to handle:
- A detailed 3D model of the Downtown area
- The 828-meter facade of the Burj Khalifa
- A sprawling performance space on the lake
- Over 3,000 fixtures
- A complex laser layout
- The full boulevard parade
- Constantly moving scenic elements on water
Instead of a traditional static stage, this year’s show featured a flotilla of custom-designed boats and 7-metre square floating platforms carrying scenic elements and dancers, continuously shifting across the lake. We had to import all of this into the visualisation environment.
We actually built two Depence environments: one for the lake show and one for the parade, each incredibly complex in its own right.
We also want to credit Drawn to The Light, who supported us with Depence model building, 3D modelling assistance, and file management. We absolutely could not have delivered such a detailed environment without their expertise.
How close was the Depence simulation to the final real-world show?
NeonBlack:
Very close. As always, the accuracy of visualisation depends on the accuracy of the model. We had access to very solid geometry for the Downtown district, and considering the scale, the translation from simulation to real life exceeded our expectations.
Would this project have been possible without pre-viz and pre-programming?
NeonBlack:
Simply put, no.
The installation alone involved thousands of fixtures across water, land, and the tallest building in the world. Combine that with tight build timelines and the need to communicate ideas clearly to EMAAR and the OLC team, and pre-viz became absolutely essential.
Depence wasn’t just helpful; it was mission-critical.
What stands out most to you now that the project is complete?
NeonBlack:
Seeing everything come to life on New Year’s Eve was a career-defining moment. Our aim was to create a seamless visual arc, from the personal scale of the parade to the monumental spectacle of the Burj Khalifa, and we’re incredibly proud of how the final show captured that vision.
Executing a project this complex requires absolute precision across every department. We’re humbled by the resilience, artistry, and dedication of the entire NeonBlack team and our collaborators. Their work made an intensely complex show look effortless.
Show Credits
Producer: Our Legacy Creations
Creative Director: Tiziana Pagliarulo
Lighting Design: NeonBlack | Dom Smith & Paul Johnson
Lighting Programmers: Alex Douglas, Eliot Jessep, Josh Musgrave
Key Light Programmer & Network Specialist: David Wolstenholme (Show Binary)
Video Content: Fractal Picture
Follow Me Systems Design: Mathieu Goinsamy
Follow Me Support: Bianca Mastroianni
Lighting Systems Tech: Alexander Kotov
Production Director: Nick Eltis
Stage Manager: Karena Latham
AVL Systems Director (OLC): Jayden Sutherland
AVL Systems Project Manager (OLC): Joe Thomas
Lighting & Follow Me Vendor: Media Pro
Previz & Drafting Support: Drawn to The Light
