The 2022 GCC Games in Kuwait proved to be an unforgettable moment in the sports history of Kuwait in terms of entertainment with the Opening Ceremony featuring an epic indoor show, taking the crowd – along with live television and social media audiences around the globe – on an immersive journey through the history, culture, and evolution of sports across the Gulf nations.
The 30 minute entertainment had the VIP audiences in awe as it was combined with ground-breaking technologies and outstanding creativity, this stunning production by Éloize Entertainment, a Canadian headquarted company inspired, united, and captured the imaginations of viewers by bringing the story of GCC sports to life like never before.
This world-class event displayed the power of teamwork and the unique ability of sports to bring individuals, communities, and nations together. The drones used in the performance have broken the world record in terms of the number of drones participating in the opening ceremony of a sporting event.
Jeannot Painchaud, head and one of the founders of Canadian Cirque Eloize, the company behind organizing the drone display, confirmed that around 70 performers including technicians took part in the preparations for the opening ceremony of the Third Gulf Games held in Kuwait.
Painchaud pointed out the group was selected for the special event two years ago, as it was supposed to happen in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans. He explained that the 76 drones taking part in the opening ceremony was not only a world record, it was an amazing organizational feat as the drones were circling over the large number of performers, in the stadium to witness the opening ceremony.
He pointed out that Cirque Eloize has been providing quality entertainment to its fans for 30 years and continues to do so quite successfully. In addition, the company has been able to integrate traditional circus with modern technology in most of its works at the world level, including in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, with the participation of distinguished acrobatics players and creative artistes, while supporting their work with the latest electronic technologies.
He added that Cirque Eloize also organized the opening ceremony of the World Handball Championship last year in Egypt, and before that the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Italy. Indicating that over the past four years they have performed in more than 600 cities in 65 different countries, and were working at a rate of 100 shows per year before the COVD-19 pandemic. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a dent to their activities, with shows shrinking to about five around the world during the pandemic period.
Painchaud pointed out that Cirque Eloize was founded in the Canadian city of Montreal as a small outfit, but today, it is the largest such circus in the world, distinguished by the presence of players, opera singers and modern technology specialists, through whom the company was able to develop a new concept of circus in the world and pave the road to excellence.
He added, “We listen to the hearts of the younger generation and know what they like. Therefore, we developed this circus in a way that attracts all ages and delights their hearts, taking into account the smallest details necessary for that,”
– Staff Report