It was a big year for the Show. A brand-new Main Arena, a packed international programme, new premium hospitality experiences, live television coverage and activity running across the full RDS site.
For CT, five live days represented a major six week operation with over 40 members of crew on site, backed by teams across the wider business.
The newly completed Laya Arena officially opened with the 2026 Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, becoming the Show’s new Main Arena.
Three large LED screens around the ring kept timings, scoring, live camera coverage, graphics and replays visible from all viewing areas. A dedicated camera system covered the competition, supported by arena-wide audio, RF and wireless microphones for commentary, announcements and competition operations.
CT also reinstated the grandstand public address system, which will remain in place to support the 2027 rugby season.
A dedicated OB operation brought together live camera feeds from across the grounds, scoring, graphics and screen content throughout the Show.
From here, content was managed and distributed to LED displays, IPTV and viewing points across the RDS, with multi-channel recording providing an archive of the competition.
Feeds from the system also supported national television coverage, with CT providing additional radio microphones and audio feeds to RTÉ.
The Show extends well beyond the Main Arena, with Simmonscourt remaining an important part of the competition programme.
A dedicated LED screen inside the EOS IT Solutions Arena supported live competition, scoring and presentation content, alongside audio, local control and recording requirements.
Outside, an LED trailer beside the warm-up and exercise areas kept riders, teams and spectators connected to the action elsewhere in the Show.
With so many areas operating simultaneously, the infrastructure connecting them was a major part of the delivery.
Site-wide audio was linked through a fully redundant Dante network connecting 13 locations across the RDS, with Yamaha consoles and Rio I/O forming the backbone of the system.
Wireless communications across the Show were delivered using Riedel Bolero, with multiple antennas connected over single-mode fibre. Radio microphone allocation combined Sennheiser 2000 Series and Sennheiser EW-DX digital systems across competition, presentation and broadcast requirements.
Away from the main competition arenas, the same live programme continues through entertainment areas, public spaces and the working parts of the Show.
LED, audio, playback and live feeds supported areas including the Band Lawn and Industries Hall, while dedicated systems across Rings 1 and 2 and the stable areas supported competition and day-to-day operations.
Stable announcement systems were particularly important, keeping riders and teams informed as activity moved between different parts of the grounds.
Hospitality was a major part of the 2026 Show, from suites within the new Laya Arena to dedicated guest spaces across the wider RDS.
Within the Laya Arena, screens and audio systems kept guests connected to the competition, with live coverage, timings and event content available throughout the suites and hospitality areas.
The Blue Ribbon Dining Experience at The Grand Hall offered something very different. Set within one of the RDS’s most distinctive historic spaces, it created a dedicated premium dining environment away from the Main Arena.
A large LED screen carried live coverage from the ring alongside sponsor and event content, with audio systems supporting the dining programme. The technology was specifically worked around the room and the experience, rather than becoming the focus itself.
For visitors, the Dublin Horse Show runs for five days. Delivering it takes considerably longer.
More than 40 CT crew were involved on site, supported by our warehouse, logistics and scheduling teams throughout the build, live operation and de-rig. Before anything reaches the RDS, equipment is prepared and tested, specialist crews are scheduled, transport is coordinated and each area of the production is planned around the wider Show.
Once live, teams across audio, video, LED, cameras, graphics, RF, broadcast, engineering and project management are working simultaneously across the site. Very few projects bring together so many parts of our business at once.
That depth is also reflected in our relationship with the RDS. Earlier this year, CT was reappointed as its in-house AV partner for a further five years, continuing a partnership that began in 2014.
More than a decade of working together has given our teams a detailed understanding of the venue and of the Dublin Horse Show itself. The new Laya Arena may have changed the shape of the event, but the knowledge, trust and people behind its delivery have been built over years.
Get in touch today to discover how our team can bring your next project to life.