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Racing back to the 90’s with Dutch GP
Challenge
The Dutch Grand Prix is one of the most celebrated events on the Formula 1 calendar, drawing fans from around the world.
This year, we gave the Arena and Fanzone a full design refresh to match the event’s new identity, danced all the way back to the ‘90s with a brand-new Super Friday Show, and directed the race-day Opening Ceremony. All for a once in a lifetime experience for the most dedicated F1 fans.
Departments
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01. Brief
The Dutch GP team presented us the new identity for this year’s race weekend, which served as the base for the update of the Arena and Fanzone stages.
The Super Friday show needed to deliver a '90s themed rave with full insanity, while the Opening Ceremony was required to have the classic staples of a sports event, mixed with iconic performances of popular Dutch acts to amp up the audience for the race.
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02. Designer insights
“Being part of designing the stages reminded me why I’ve always been drawn to architecture. Seeing the forms and layers take shape, becoming real structures and watching how the crowd interacted with them, was incredibly rewarding.” - Marijn Vos, stage designer
“Working on the Super Friday visuals took me back to the 90s and the pixelated racing games I grew up with. I wanted to translate that feeling into the show, giving the audience a nostalgic trip back in time, and seeing the crowd connect with it made it a truly special experience.” - Jordi Kievit, motion graphics designer
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03. Concept
From the start, we designed the Arena and Fanzone stages to feel sharp and elegant, reflecting the speed and refinement of Formula 1 itself. Using the bold brand palette of purple, black, white, and orange, we emphasized the intensity of the race while guiding the audience’s eyes through the space with racing lines and horizontal strokes, creating movement even before the race began. Dutch waves from the GP logo and circuit-inspired shapes were layered throughout the design, adding depth and structure while referencing the dunes of Zandvoort and the exuberant orange crowds. To give the stages a real sense of architectural presence, rather than feeling like temporary decoration, we used rounded corners and organic forms to add volume and dimension. Patterns and lightbulb elements brought visual texture and highlighted key areas, giving the stages life and connecting the audience to the energy of the weekend.
Super Friday became a '90s-themed closing show where music, performance, and speed came together. Under Mental Theo’s direction, the stage was transformed into a lively journey blending eurodance, hardcore, trance, and pop. To support this experience, we created custom 8-bit visuals and a detailed timecode show, turning classic music videos and clips into retro game-style animations, while 3D inflatables and performers brought these visuals to life. Lasers, pyros, smoke, and other effects guided the audience through the night, leading up to the Victory Lap finale.
The Opening Ceremony on Sunday celebrated the ‘Final Countdown’ and the legacy of the Dutch GP as it approached its final editions. Our Show, Spatial, and Visual teams crafted a performance that balanced spectacle with intimacy, featuring Henk Poort, Gerard Joling, Yves Berendse, and Outsiders. Fireworks, military flyovers, and choreographed moments highlighted the excitement of the event, engaging fans both on-site and at home.
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04. Results
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