The KHL season starts in early September, and for a club the first home game means more than usual. The club needs to show fans the new roster, bring back those who drifted away over the summer, and give sponsors something to post about. That is why the season opening almost always starts with a show. Here is what it is built from.
What a season-opening show consists of
- Ice projection. Video mapping across the rink: the club logo, history, player faces. The most recognisable element of hockey openers, needs powerful projectors and a dark arena
- Team introduction. Players are announced one by one and skate out of the tunnel to light and music. The captain usually comes out first or last
- Performers. A singer with the club anthem or a popular hit, a dance team
- Special effects. Cold sparklers, flame cannons by the goals, smoke. Indoors, only certified stage pyrotechnics
- Fans. Banners, performances by the ultras sections, a shared chant
Spectators watch most of these elements from their seats. The strongest moments come when the arena itself joins in: everyone stands, sings the anthem, waves scarves.
The stands as part of the show
We make that moment controllable. Before the team introduction a QR code appears on the arena screen, fans open the page, and in the dark arena their phone flashlights flash to the music, run in waves across sections, light up in club colours. Commands travel via ultrasound through the arena sound, so an overloaded network in a full arena does not matter.
The show pairs well with ice projection: projectors paint the rink, and flashlights turn the stands into an extension of that picture. The show can also accompany the anthem or the team’s entrance at every home game, not only the opener.
What to consider at an ice arena
- The show goes on when the lights over the ice are off: before the game, during introductions, in intermissions
- The QR announcement must come 1.5–2 minutes before the show, otherwise only a small part of the stands joins
- In a lit arena flashlights work better than phone screens, as we saw at Tatiana Navka’s ice show
- A hockey intermission lasts 17 minutes, and the show takes 3–5 of them
What the sponsor gets
A season opener fills the arena and produces lots of social content, so sponsors are keen to buy integrations. After the show a partner promo opens in every participant’s browser: a coupon, a prize draw, a landing page. The club gets a new measurable package item. Who sponsors clubs and what they usually get, in the article on KHL and RPL sponsors.
FAQ
How much does a hockey show cost? The price depends on the number of spectators: for example, a 5,000-seat arena costs 120,000 ₽. No equipment rental.
How long does preparation take? 7–14 days: script, track, a show page in club colours. On match day only the arena sound and a screen for the QR code are needed.
All formats for hockey clubs on the hockey show page. How clubs work on attendance through the season, in the article on stadium attendance.