Libya Heritage Carnival

Libya Heritage Carnival

Client: North Africa 
Project: Heritage Carnival
Location: North Africa
Role: Full Live OB Broadcast Production
Company: Whatever Live

Overview

The Libya Heritage Carnival a vibrant, three-day cultural celebration officially commenced on November 7th, 2024, in North Africa. The event featured a dynamic array of traditional displays, including horse and camel racing, falconry exhibitions, and various cultural performances that brought together communities from across the region to celebrate their shared history and identity.

Pre-Production & Risk Assessment

Due to North Africa’s ongoing political instability, initial hesitations surrounded our involvement in the event. However, after careful evaluation and on-the-ground assessments, we were met with exceptional hospitality and support from the local community, which helped ease our concerns and reinforced our commitment to delivering a high-caliber production.

Logistics & Technical Challenges

Our original plan involved a single fly-away broadcast kit to capture all content. Upon arrival, however, it became clear that key elements of the festival—specifically the camel racing and falconry—were taking place at venues located over 40 kilometers from the city center, requiring an hour-long commute. This development introduced two major logistical challenges:

  1. The need for a secondary fly-away kit to cover the remote locations.
  2. An additional broadcast director and expanded crew to manage simultaneous site coverage.

Crewing & Equipment

Our production crew was primarily sourced from Dubai, with drone operations subcontracted locally within North Africa. In hindsight, the decision to source drone services locally posed several operational challenges and is an area we would approach differently in future projects.

A pre-event recce was conducted to assess location requirements and technical feasibility. Following the site survey, our Technical Director and team lead, Ean, were requested to remain on the ground to assist with developing the live broadcast infrastructure and technical workflows.

Travel & Transportation

Special arrangements were made to transport essential crew and the primary fly-away kit via private charter, coordinated directly by the client. The remainder of the 66-member team traveled on commercial flights—a complex undertaking with a few hiccups along the way (which we'll delve into in an upcoming podcast). Nonetheless, all team members arrived safely and in good spirits, ready to execute the production.

Satellite Transmission

To facilitate live broadcast capabilities and extend viewership beyond Libya’s borders, we imported a mobile satellite uplink provided by Eurovision. This critical piece of infrastructure enabled seamless content transmission both locally and internationally, ensuring the festival reached a broader audience and reinforced North Africa’s cultural narrative on the global stage.

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