SCG PARAPET | QMS SPORT

SCG parapet LED installation: 978 panels, 6 weeks, zero compromises

Client: QMS Sport

Location: Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park, NSW 2021

Scope: Design, manufacture, installation and certification of parapet LED signage

Scale: 978 panels across 8 parapet lengths, 4 major stands

Timeline: Under 6 weeks

The brief

QMS Sport is Australia's largest content provider of integrated digital media solutions, engaging millions of sports fans across venues and codes around the country. In 2018, they were contracted to upgrade the perimeter signage at the Sydney Cricket Ground — one of the most recognised sporting venues in the world — bringing it into the digital age.

They needed someone who could handle the whole job: design custom bracket systems for eight different parapet configurations, manufacture and pre-assemble the components, manage the installation across four major stands, and have everything certified and commissioned before the start of the Cricket season. All of this within a window of under six weeks, between the end of the AFL season and the first Test match.

That's where Concept Evolution came in.

The challenge

Installing 978 LED panels across 8 parapets sounds straightforward until you actually look at the SCG. Each parapet is different. The access conditions vary by stand. The existing structures were built at different times and aren't uniform. And every panel weighs 35kg, so the structural loads needed to be calculated carefully and certified by a qualified engineer.

There was no margin for rescheduling. Cricket fixtures are locked in months in advance and the ground needed to be ready.

A tight window between seasons

The installation window opened the moment AFL season fixtures cleared the SCG and closed the moment Cricket season began. That left the team less than six weeks to complete a job other contractors could allow 12 weeks for. Every phase, from initial site survey through to final commissioning, had to run in sequence without slippage.

Eight parapets, eight unique problems

A standard LED installation usually involves one structure type with a repeatable bracket design. At the SCG, each parapet had its own quirks: different heights, different surface conditions, different access limitations. Two stands required rope access. Others needed elevated work platforms and some required mobile scaffolding to ensure safe access.

Documentation and 3D design

The team started with thorough site inspections and a review of existing plans and drawings for each stand. Every parapet was modelled in 3D CAD individually. Custom brackets and mounting details were designed to suit the specific geometry and structural conditions of each location.

Photo-realistic renders of each solution were produced alongside engineering drawings, which went through a formal sign-off process before any fabrication started. This avoided surprises on site and meant the installation team knew exactly what they were doing before they arrived.

Engineering and safety sign-off

Concept Evolution's structural engineer was involved from the first site survey through to final inspection. All works were checked and certified against relevant Australian Standards.

The team also worked closely with SafeWork NSW and accredited height safety specialists during project planning. Access methodology for each stand was documented and reviewed before installation began. Given the scale of the project and the fact that some of the work involved rope access at height, getting this right wasn't optional.

Pre-fabrication at the Sydney workshop

To make the most of the time available on site, components were pre-fabricated and pre-assembled at Concept Evolution's Taren Point facility before being transported to the SCG. Custom installation tools were developed for each parapet to help with alignment and to reduce the time each technician spent working at height.

This kind of off-site preparation made a measurable difference to the pace of works on the ground.

The result

Installation works were completed in November 2018, within both the deadline and the budget.

Since then, spectators at the SCG have watched domestic and international cricket — including Test matches, ODIs, and Sheffield Shield fixtures, along with AFL, NRL and Rugby Union — all with the LED panels running 360 degrees around the ground and being seen by millions of viewers worldwide.

The Jane McGrath Day pink wash across the panels became one of the more memorable uses of the installation in its first season.

What this project demonstrates

Getting a job like this done on time takes more than just a crew of technicians. It takes a team that can design and document custom solutions, manage structural engineering, coordinate with multiple stakeholders, and execute installation works safely across varied and challenging access conditions — all while keeping to a schedule that doesn't move.

Concept Evolution has been doing exactly this kind of work since 2016. The SCG project sits alongside stadium installations at Giants Stadium (Sydney Olympic Park) and transport network projects across Auckland as evidence of what the team can deliver when the stakes are high and the timeline is tight.