Technical Elements Scores with HARMAN Professional at FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta

Technical Elements served as the production partner for FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta, installing, operating and maintaining the technical infrastructure that transformed Centennial Olympic Park into a temporary outdoor broadcast and entertainment venue for FIFA World Cup 2026™. Across the 38-day production run, Technical Element’s systems supported 19 public operating days and more than 536,000 guests through live match broadcasts, concerts, sponsor activations and community programming, making Atlanta one of the most attended FIFA Fan Festival locations throughout the tournament. They relied on a complete HARMAN Professional ecosystem featuring JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and Martin Professional lighting.

Unlike a traditional concert or sporting event, FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta operated as a temporary outdoor broadcast and entertainment venue for more than five consecutive weeks, with changing audience sizes and programming that shifted from live match broadcasts and sponsor presentations to concerts, DJ performances and nighttime celebrations. Technical Elements designed the production to capture the energy of the tournament while adapting to each use case throughout the day. The audio system needed to maintain speech intelligibility for hosts, commentators and presentations while providing the impact required for live music and match celebrations, with consistent coverage throughout the audience area. Lighting needed to transition from broadcast applications during the day to dynamic concert and celebration looks after sunset. Across both systems, continuous operation through Atlanta’s summer heat, humidity and rain made reliability a central requirement.

“For us, success wasn’t measured by one great show,” said Brandon Montgomery, Sales Director for Technical Elements. “The primary objective was to create an immersive environment that matched the excitement of one of the world’s biggest sporting events by delivering the same world-class experience daily, from opening ceremony through the final whistle.”

Technical Elements designed the main PA around JBL Professional VTX A12 line arrays, selected to provide the output and vocal clarity required across the audience area for programming ranging from match commentary and presentations to concerts and DJ performances. JBL Professional VTX A8 loudspeakers provided front-fill and supplemental coverage to maintain consistent SPL and frequency response throughout the venue, while JBL VTX B28 dual 18-inch subwoofers supplied controlled low-frequency reinforcement for live music, DJ sets and match celebrations.

Extending coverage across the festival site, JBL Professional VTX V20 loudspeakers paired with VTX G28 subwoofers served as delay systems, while JBL Professional VRX932LAP loudspeakers covered site entrances. On stage, artists were supported by JBL Professional VTX M20 monitor wedges and VTX A8 side

fills paired with VTX B18 subwoofers. With multiple listening areas spread throughout Centennial Olympic Park, maintaining consistent levels across the site was a key challenge, and the range of JBL Professional systems allowed Technical Elements to create a cohesive mix for audiences throughout the venue.

Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD and I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the system, providing the headroom, integrated DSP and system monitoring required throughout the 38-day production. Managing delay directly within the Crown amplifiers also streamlined equipment deployment and saved setup time, while the combination of JBL Professional VTX loudspeakers and Crown amplification gave the production team a consistent platform for everything from spoken-word programming to high-energy live performances.

Lighting throughout the festival was built around Martin Professional MAC Viper XIP, MAC Aura Raven XIP and MAC Ultra Performance fixtures. MAC Viper XIP fixtures provided the output and versatility required for key lighting, aerial effects and long-throw applications, while MAC Aura Raven XIP fixtures delivered color washes and dynamic beam effects across the site. MAC Ultra Performance fixtures supported audience lighting and high-energy visual moments during concerts and goal celebrations. Operating daily through Atlanta’s summer heat, humidity, rainstorms and rapidly changing weather conditions, the lighting system delivered consistent performance throughout the 38-day event. The weather-resistant design of the MAC Viper XIP and MAC Aura Raven XIP fixtures was particularly valuable in the outdoor environment, helping reduce maintenance requirements and minimize operational interruptions throughout production.

“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.”

The response from organizers and attendees reflected the experience Technical Elements set out to create. Guests consistently commented on the energy of the festival, from the excitement surrounding live match broadcasts to the impact of concerts and nightly programming. Clear, intelligible audio ensured announcements and commentary remained understandable throughout the venue, while the powerful concert sound and dynamic lighting elevated every celebration. Internally, the production team appreciated the consistency of the HARMAN Professional systems throughout the festival’s extended schedule

“Reliability was one of the greatest successes of this project,” Brandon 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 systems, Crown amplifiers and Martin Professional lighting, Technical Elements created a flexible production platform capable of supporting one of the world’s largest public watch parties throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Across 38 consecutive days of operation, the system delivered the consistency, reliability and operational flexibility required to support more than 536,000 fans while adapting seamlessly to the Fan Fest’s changing daily programming.