In June 2026 Dynamo staged a private technology demonstration in the lobby of UEFA‘s headquarters on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, commissioned by a sports marketing agency. Three hire formats were shown: a 1.5 m P1.8 LED sphere, an 86-inch interactive Holobox and a transparent mesh LED poster. This case study covers what each product is, what we built for the demonstration and how to choose between them.
Key takeaways
- A 1,500 mm (1.5 m) diameter P1.8 LED sphere with a 2,513 × 1,256 pixel surface showed the official 2026 Champions League final match ball rotating in the lobby of UEFA’s headquarters.
- An 86-inch Holobox ran a Dynamo-built interactive activation: a camera detected passers-by, the unit asked Champions League quiz questions, then emailed each player a video of their own avatar lifting the trophy.
- The 86-inch Holobox has a built-in microphone, speakers, Windows PC and HDMI input, so it can run a self-contained application without extra kit on the floor.
- The sphere stands 1,779 mm tall overall on a castored trolley base with a 990 mm footprint, so it is positioned in a lobby rather than assembled there.
- Pick the format by the experience: an object to look at (the sphere), an activity to take part in (the Holobox) or content that keeps the view through the display (the transparent mesh LED poster).
Project facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Lobby of UEFA’s headquarters, Lake Geneva, Switzerland |
| Commissioned by | A sports marketing agency |
| Date | June 2026 |
| Format | Private technology demonstration |
| Product 1 | 1,500 mm diameter LED sphere, P1.8 (1.875 mm) pixel pitch, 2,513 × 1,256 px |
| Product 2 | 86-inch Holobox with a camera-driven interactive activation built by Dynamo |
| Product 3 | Transparent mesh LED poster |
| Sphere content | The official match ball of the 2026 Champions League final in Budapest, rotating |
| Holobox content | Champions League quiz with a personalised trophy-lift avatar video |
| Outcome | Further commissions from the same relationship |
What is an LED sphere?
An LED sphere is a ball-shaped LED display built from curved modules, so content wraps around the whole surface instead of sitting on a flat panel. Dynamo’s hire LED sphere is 1,500 mm (1.5 m) in diameter, runs at a P1.8 (1.875 mm) pixel pitch and stands on a castored trolley base, which makes it a hire product rather than a permanent build. You will also see the format called a spherical LED display or an LED ball screen; the product is the same.
In plain terms: it is a video screen shaped like a sphere. Show a football on it and people walk round it to see the other side.
The brief
The agency wanted the people it brought to UEFA to see LED formats they had not met before, working, in a real space. That meant no renders and no showreel. Each product had to arrive, switch on and run content that made sense for the room.
We proposed three formats that each answer a different question a sports marketing team asks:
- How do we show a product, such as a match ball, from every angle? The sphere.
- How do we get a fan to stop, take part and leave with something to share? The Holobox.
- How do we put LED into a finished building without covering the architecture? The transparent mesh LED poster.
The 1.5 m LED sphere
The sphere carried a rotating model of the official match ball of the 2026 Champions League final, placed in front of the carved multilingual welcome wall in the UEFA lobby. A football belongs on a sphere, so the unusual shape had an obvious reason to be there.
Pixel pitch, resolution and module build
The sphere runs at a P1.8 pixel pitch, specified as 1.875 mm, which is fine enough to hold detail at arm’s length. Resolution is 2,513 × 1,256 px across the full surface, taken from the sphere’s CAD drawing. The surface is built from 144 curved LED modules in three profiles (48 each of Module-C, Module-D and Module-E) plus a single bottom circle module that closes the sphere at the base. Because every module is a defined shape, the sphere is a repeatable hire product, not a one-off sculpture.
Size and footprint
The sphere itself is 1,500 mm in diameter. On its trolley base the overall height is 1,779 mm, the base footprint is 990 mm and the ground clearance under the sphere is 279 mm. Plan the position around the whole assembly, not the diameter alone. The castors make positioning easy, but they do not replace an access check on the route in.
Why it suits sports marketing
A match ball, a trophy, a globe or a brand mark all read naturally on a sphere. For a launch, a fan zone or a hospitality lounge it gives a product a physical presence that a flat screen cannot. Where the brief is mostly text or conventional 16:9 video, a flat hire screen is the better tool; the sphere earns its place when the shape adds meaning.
We have also supplied the LED for a three-sided LED wall in a Champions League advert and a virtual production LED screen for a sports broadcast shoot.
The 86-inch Holobox: an activation, not a display
A Holobox is a cabinet-style display that shows a figure or object floating in an illuminated space. On its own it is a display. The version we took to UEFA was an activation, because we built an interactive layer on top of it.
What the interactive layer did
A camera on the Holobox detected people walking past and the unit interacted with them. It asked Champions League quiz questions, then generated an avatar of the person lifting the trophy. Each player received an email with a link to download their own video. The whole loop, from detection to download link, was designed and built by Dynamo for this demonstration.
Hardware in the box
The 86-inch unit has a built-in microphone, built-in speakers, a built-in Windows PC and an HDMI input. That means it can run a self-contained interactive application, or take a feed from an external playback source, without extra kit on the floor.
Why it matters for brand activations
Most activation content is watched. This was played. Guests answered questions, saw an avatar of themselves on screen and received a video to keep. For a sports marketing agency, that is the difference between something guests watch and something they take away. It is the same principle behind the interactive rental LED wall activation we delivered in London, where the screen scored a live dance challenge.
We also stock a smaller hologram box display for counter-top and retail use. It is a separate product; the 86-inch Holobox is the walk-up, full-figure version.
The transparent mesh LED poster: LED you can see through
A transparent mesh LED poster is a slim LED panel in a poster format that shows content while letting you see the space behind it. The point of showing one at UEFA was simple: transparent LED puts content into a finished interior without a black rectangle covering the architecture.
Where it fits
Glass-fronted receptions, hospitality boxes, retail windows and exhibition stands all benefit from LED that does not block the view. If the client loves the building, this is how you add content without hiding it. Our transparent LED guide explains the trade-off between transparency and resolution, and the flexible LED mesh curtain is the larger, curtain-scale relative of the same idea, not a substitute for the poster.
Delivering a demonstration abroad
Dynamo travelled from London to Switzerland with all three products. The sphere sits on a castored trolley base, so it is positioned in a lobby rather than assembled there, and the Holobox runs its interactive application on the built-in PC.
Our advice to anyone planning the same: test everything at base, ship it configured and keep the on-site work to positioning, power and signal.
The result
The agency got three working products in front of its guests, each with content that fitted the room: the Champions League final ball on the sphere and a Champions League quiz on the Holobox. In a football federation’s lobby, generic demo loops would have looked like a trade show.
The demonstration was a paid commission and it led to further commissions from the same relationship.
From the field
I have set up a lot of flat LED walls in a lot of lobbies. What struck me at UEFA was how different a sphere is to stand next to. The content was a rotating match ball, nothing more, but the shape did the work.
My other note is on the Holobox. The hardware is impressive on its own, but it was the interactive layer that gave people a reason to stop. If you are hiring one for an activation, budget the time to build something people can play, not just watch.
LED sphere hire, Holobox and transparent mesh LED poster: frequently asked questions
How does LED sphere hire work?
The sphere is a self-contained unit on a castored trolley base, so it is positioned in the venue, not assembled there. Check the 1,779 mm overall height and 990 mm base footprint against doors and lifts on the route in. Content is prepared for the sphere’s 2,513 × 1,256 px surface. Tell us the venue, dates and content and we will confirm what is practical in writing.
What size is the LED sphere available for hire?
The sphere is 1,500 mm in diameter. Mounted on its castored trolley base the overall height is 1,779 mm, the base footprint is 990 mm and there is 279 mm of ground clearance beneath the sphere. It runs at a P1.8 (1.875 mm) pixel pitch, which is fine enough for close viewing in a lobby or on a stand.
What content works on an LED sphere?
Anything with a natural spherical form works immediately: a match ball, a globe, a planet, a product with a round profile. Brand marks and colour washes also read well as the sphere turns. Content is mapped to the sphere’s 2,513 × 1,256 pixel surface, so flat 16:9 video needs re-mapping before it will look right on a curved display.
What is a Holobox and how does it work at an event?
A Holobox is a cabinet-style display that presents a figure or object as if it is floating inside an illuminated box. The 86-inch unit we hire has a built-in microphone, speakers, Windows PC and an HDMI input, so it can run a self-contained application or take an external feed. At UEFA we added a camera-driven quiz that created a personalised trophy-lift video for each player.
Can the interactive activation be customised for our brand?
The UEFA activation was custom development by Dynamo for that demonstration, not something every Holobox hire includes by default. Its structure was detection of passers-by, quiz questions, an avatar of the player lifting the trophy and an emailed download link. Tell us what you want your activation to do and we will confirm in writing what we can build for it.
Do you hire these products outside the UK?
Yes. The UEFA demonstration took place in Switzerland, with Dynamo travelling from London with all three products. The sphere travels on its castored trolley base and the Holobox carries its application on the built-in PC, so both are practical to take to an overseas venue alongside the transparent mesh LED poster.
Planning a similar activation
Pick the format by the experience you want guests to have, not by the hardware. For a launch, a fan zone or a hospitality space, the UEFA demonstration is a working example of an LED sphere, an interactive Holobox and transparent LED that respects the building.
Tell us the venue, the dates and what you want guests to do, and we will come back with a written specification and price for an LED sphere hire, a Holobox activation or a transparent mesh LED poster. Get a quote or call us on +44 (0)203 489 9878.
Written by: Daniel Reynolds, Managing Director, Dynamo LED Displays
