ON THE SLY worked with Progress Productions and Done+Dusted Middle East to create the music and audio for the opening ceremony of the UAE President’s Cup Final, one of the most prestigious fixtures in the UAE football calendar.

Staged at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, the ceremony marked the return of fans to the stadium following pandemic restrictions, with a reduced-capacity crowd gathering for the country’s showpiece domestic final.

The centrepiece of the ceremony was a large-scale drone show delivered by SKYMAGIC, unfolding above the stadium as a visual journey through the history of football in the UAE and a tribute to the leadership and legacy of the nation’s Presidents.

ON THE SLY directed and composed the musical soundtrack for the ceremony, developing a score designed to support the aerial storytelling and synchronise precisely with the evolving drone formations. The soundtrack combined ceremonial tone with contemporary energy and incorporated an Arabic narrative voice, guiding the audience through the visual story unfolding in the night sky.

The ceremony set the stage for the final, using music and sound to build atmosphere across the stadium as the drone spectacle unfolded ahead of kick-off.

ON THE SLY returned the following year to create the soundtrack for the UAE President’s Cup Final 2022 opening ceremony, continuing the collaboration with the production team.

This project forms part of ON THE SLY’s work delivering music and sound direction for sporting ceremonies and large-scale opening shows around the world.