LONDON WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY – Last night, Formula 1 made history with its first-ever season launch at London’s O2 Arena. Unveiling the 2025 car liveries while marking F1’s 75th anniversary, F1 75 Live brought together all ten teams and drivers for an evening of spectacle and high-energy entertainment. The groundbreaking world premiere event was brought to life by STUFISH Entertainment Architects in collaboration with production partner 1826, alongside creative visionary Brian Burke and DX7 Design. Together, they crafted an unforgettable experience that merged Formula 1’s signature speed with the thrill of live theatrical performance.
The event was meticulously designed as a multi-sensory storytelling experience, with each reveal uniquely choreographed to build anticipation and excitement. Renowned for their visionary stage designs for global icons like Beyoncé, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and Sabrina Carpenter, STUFISH reimagined the stage as a long central runway extending into the crowd—evoking the high-speed straightaways of an F1 track. Towering above the stage is the largest LED screen ever used at The O2, stretching across the width of the venue. The screen serves a dual purpose - delivering cinematic visuals that build anticipation for each team’s segment.
Hidden beneath the main screen is a garage-style door, which introduces each team’s driver for the 2025 season. In the center of the stage, a mechanical lift system has been incorporated, capable of raising the cars eight meters high adding an element of vertical spectacle. Suspended above it all, a flying LED screen, embedded with dynamic lighting effects, moves fluidly throughout the night—serving as both a visual storytelling canvas and seamlessly lifting away to reveal the next team in an unforgettable sequence of reveals.
“At STUFISH, we are always looking for ways to push the boundaries of live entertainment, and designing the staging for the F1 launch was an exciting challenge—blending the theatricality of a live show with the raw energy of motorsport. With this production, we wanted to bring the thrill of the racetrack into the heart of The O2, immersing audiences from the instant the lights dim to the roar of the engines” – Ray Winkler CEO and Design Director at STUFISH Entertainment Architects.
“We’re always excited to get the call from F1 for one of their shows. They love pushing the boundaries and so do we. We’re lucky enough to have great creative partners, like StuFish, Brian Burke Creative and DX7 and a great production team on this show and have thoroughly enjoyed producing what’s going to be the talked about event of 2025.” – Joe Sanchez, CEO of 1826
As the production partner for Formula 1’s 75th Anniversary season launch, 1826 played a pivotal role in bringing the event to life, ensuring that the spectacle aligned with F1’s evolving vision. Known for their work with artists such as Tyler The Creator and Charli XCX, and brands such as the LA Dodgers, 1826 were tasked with bringing all aspects of the production together. Their mission was to orchestrate and execute a dynamic experience that blended motorsport with entertainment, catering to an ever-expanding and diverse fanbase.
Designed to extend beyond the racetrack, each team’s segment is designed as a fully immersive experience. Custom music, live performances, and curated video content transform each reveal into a compelling narrative—celebrating not just the cars, but the teams, their stories, and the passionate fans who drive the sport forward.
By transforming the unveiling of the ten cars into a pop-rock spectacle infused with the electrifying energy of a stadium concert, STUFISH and 1826 have redefined how motorsport is presented to the world. It’s a bold statement that Formula 1 is bigger, bolder, and more immersive than ever before.
The fusion of music and sport has become a defining trend, as fans increasingly seek festival-like experiences that go beyond the competition itself. From Formula 1 to the Super Bowl, major sporting events now incorporate world-class musical acts, recognizing that music amplifies emotion, enhances storytelling, and deepens fan engagement. As sports continue to attract younger, more diverse audiences, the integration of music helps create shared cultural moments that transcend the event, transforming it into a global spectacle.
Building on their groundbreaking collaboration, the Formula 1 Season Launch marks the second major F1 project for 1826 and STUFISH. Their partnership began in 2023, when they joined forces to create the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, transforming the event into a spectacular fusion of motorsport, entertainment, and theatrical production. By blending the high-speed adrenaline of F1 with immersive staging, cutting-edge visuals, and live performances, they redefined how the sport is experienced bringing the electrifying energy of Las Vegas to the global stage.
About STUFISH Entertainment Architects
STUFISH Entertainment Architects is the recognized world leader in entertainment architecture. Their award-winning portfolio includes an ever-broadening scope of design excellence, from permanent and semi-permanent buildings to live productions, touring shows, exhibitions, master planning and more. STUFISH designed the award-winning demountable and tourable ABBA Arena, a state-of-the-art, 3000 capacity theatre housing the revolutionary ABBA Voyage show featuring digital avatars of the band, which opened in London in May 2022. Additional examples of award-winning designs for bespoke permanent venues are the Han Show Theatre and Dai Show Theatre in China. Ground-breaking work for the Dai Show Theatre comprised the architectural design of the building as well as the interior, set and stage design for the acrobatic water show, making STUFISH the first-ever practice delivering all architectural and show elements for a theatre. Further architectural projects include an entrance canopy for the One Za’abeel complex in Dubai, UAE and The Garage, an incubator that provides a new start up district to Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Recent examples of STUFISH’s high-profile one-off events include, The Coronation Concert in honour of King Charles III which was watched by over 12.3million people worldwide and The Bafta winning Platinum Jubilee Party at the Palace to celebrate the Queen’s reign. Other shows and tours include Adele’s Las Vegas Residency at the Colosseum ‘Weekends with Adele’, Beyoncé Renaissance Tour, Stormzy’s Heavy is the Head, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road, Rolling Stones’ No Filter and SIXTY, Beyoncé and Jay Z’s On The Run II, Take That’s Greatest Hits Live, U2:UV at the Las Vegas Sphere, BLACKPINK at Coachella, Beyoncé at Coachella, Madonna ‘The Celebration Tour’, Adele’s Munich residency, Feid’s North American tour and Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 tour. Stage designs in the metaverse include Pentakill’s The Lost Chapter virtual concert seen by 55million fans worldwide. Exhibition design includes the acclaimed and biggest-selling music exhibition of all time at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum ‘Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains’. STUFISH also designed opening and closing ceremonies and national events such as the opening ceremony for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (2023), the 5th AIMAG Opening Ceremony in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2017), ‘The Mother of the Nation’ (2016), UAE 40th Anniversary Show ‘Spirit of the Union’ in Abu Dhabi (2011), the Asian Games (2010), and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics (2008), as well as many sets for TV shows of which the National Television Awards (2018-2024) and the Joy Awards (2022-2025) are recent examples. In addition to their design work for tours and architectural projects, STUFISH has also created art installations including LEAP The Kaleidoscope, a tech-inspired installation for the 2022 LEAP One Eye On the Stars conference in Saudi Arabia and the Vision Tunnel 2030 at Cityscape Global in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
About 1826
1826 is a global experience agency with offices in Los Angeles, London, and New York, specializing in the creation of immersive, high-impact events and brand experiences. With a multidisciplinary approach that combines agency strategy, studio production, and full-scale live event execution, 1826 is at the forefront of experiential storytelling, seamlessly integrating technology, design, and performance to captivate audiences worldwide. Their expertise spans live entertainment, global brand activations, and large-scale event productions, working with some of the world's most recognized artists, sports organizations, and corporate brands. From concerts and festivals to high-profile sports events like Formula 1, 1826 consistently pushes the boundaries of live experiences, transforming concepts into visually stunning, emotionally engaging, and culturally relevant spectacles. With a proven track record in crafting immersive environments that leave a lasting impact, 1826 continues to redefine how audiences interact with music, sports, fashion, and entertainment on a global scale.