Riedel’s Managed Technology team supplied networked comms for Handa’s Sydney Harbour show, including a site-wide communications backbone, data transmission and CCTV coverage.
The 2025 season of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH), Opera Australia’s spectacular annual open-air production, brought Guys & Dolls to Sydney. Set against the famous backdrop of Sydney Harbour and held 21 March – 20 April, HOSH was both a cultural event and a technical feat. The site was transformed from public parkland into a purpose-built, 3,000-seat pop-up amphitheatre complete with a raked stage floating on the water, FOH towers, back-of-house infrastructure, and bars and restaurants.
This year's show featured a networked communications system. Riedel’s Managed Technology division supplied the backbone of site-wide communications, data transmission and CCTV coverage, all under environmental conditions that often challenge live performances. HOSH chose a fully networked Riedel Artist system, a decentralized, scalable digital intercom network that sets up communications and audio signal distribution for audio or intercom applications.
Connected Production
Each modular node in the network contains client cards that accept and distribute different types of signals. Its modular architecture makes it possible to support the full range of audio standards, as well as future standards, and also allows users to scale the system by adding ports to the hardware frame.
Riedel has been HOSH’s communications and networking partner since 2021, maintaining connectivity across each facet of the production. “In all, we had around 100 personal comms operating this year during every performance,” said Roo Smith, Senior Project Manager at Riedel. “That includes Bolero wireless beltpacks for most of the stage crew, some dedicated wired, digital PunQtum beltpacks for the six follow-spot crew, as well as the two-way radios used by people like security and house staff.”
Riedel SmartPanel
The Bolero units apply diversity approaches to signal transmission, transmitting multiple copies of signals while varying timing, frequency, space or polarization in order to mitigate fading or interference. They are also designed to reduce sensitivity to multipath reflections that occur when variations in the cabling or fibre disrupt the signal, and cause it to bounce back toward the source. These characteristics make Bolero useable in challenging RF environments.
Resilient Design
Riedel’s design proved resilient even amid interference challenges common in RF-dense areas like Sydney Harbour. Bolero dynamically hops frequencies to avoid disruption, and the deployment of a trunked radio system and exclusive RF licensing helped reduce interference, ensuring smooth operation of all critical comms and wireless production tools.
Some transceivers use frequency hopping to transmit radio signals by rapidly switching the carrier between different frequency channels. This techniques reduces interference caused when certain frequencies become over subscribed in crowded areas.
Trunked radio systems centrally manage a pool of channels, and intelligently switch users to whatever channel is open at a given time. Because trunked radios work across several channels or frequencies, those channels can be shared by a large number of users, in several groups, without their conversations interfering with each other.
The entire HOSH site was constructed in only four weeks. Riedel infrastructure supported the network backbone, directly integrating eighteen 2300 Series and three 1200 Series Riedel SmartPanels and Artist intercom systems, unifying show control, internet access, security systems and cashless payment services across the venue.
The SmartPanel design separates the panel’s capabilities from its hardware and makes it a generic device where users can install different software to set up different capabilities.
Complete Network Managament
One of the main advantages of Riedel managing the entire network and associated cabling was the ability to unify setup procedures across departments. Instead of separate cabling runs for audio, lighting and communications, Riedel’s unified network design enabled all teams to share fibre infrastructure and connection points, significantly improving efficiency.
To withstand the marine environment, Riedel installed armoured fibre lines connecting the floating stage to shore via a service tunnel. This build protects against sharp oyster shells, barnacles, pooling water and salt-laden mist, which are common challenges on the harbour.
Bolero Beltpack
“We usually have 20 CCTV cameras around the entire site that are especially vulnerable to the conditions. By the end of the season, we’d be down to about 10 or so. Riedel came up with a more reliable CCTV system, which also became part of the whole site network”, said Pablo Puig, Production Manager, Opera Australia. “If we have a medical emergency in the audience, or any kind of issue that needs locating fast, the CCTV is the best way to find out what’s going on and guide staff to help.”
The relationship between the teams from Opera Australia and Riedel has grown very collaborative while both teams worked to anticipate challenges, respond quickly to emerging needs, and continually refine processes to support the production’s complex requirements. www.riedel.net
