In the heart of Beijing’s Olympic Park, inside the iconic Beijing National Indoor Stadium, time has been turned back 65 million years. For The Long Gone Dinosaur, a monumental immersive show dedicated to the age of dinosaurs, Amadeus designed and installed a large-scale 3D sound system that transforms the stadium into a living, breathing prehistoric world.
Covering more than 10,000 square meters, the installation brings together forests, mountains, water, storms, and moving life-size dinosaurs, all supported by over 180 Amadeus loudspeakers. Conceived as a long-term cultural attraction, the show is designed to welcome audiences for the next 15 years.
As visitors move through the space, nine giant robotic dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brachiosaurus, and Triceratops, emerge, roam, and interact with their environment. The tallest, a 13-meter-high Brachiosaurus, towers above the audience, while a 150-meter-wide curved screen in 12K resolution surrounds the scene, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
Sound plays a central role in this experience. In a venue of this scale and reverberation, clarity and immersion were key challenges. Working closely with sound designers and engineers from leading French cultural institutions such as Théâtre National de Chaillot and La Gaîté Lyrique, Amadeus developed a spatial audio system based on Wave Field Synthesis, allowing sound to move naturally through the space, following action, weather, and narrative moments.
This project is the result of a rare combination of artistic vision, scientific research, and technical expertise. It perfectly reflects the French savoir-faire behind our technologies.
says Gaëtan Byk, Marketing Manager at Amadeus.
Amadeus worked closely with its Chinese distributor, Guangzhou SignKing ET Co., Ltd.
Besides the history of dinosaurs, the experience of seeing the show is also designed to help the public find their love of nature and the world itself,
said Wymen Wong, Executive Director of the Guangzhou SignKing ET Co., Ltd.
The sound design was created using HOLOPHONIX, Amadeus' spatial sound processor developed in collaboration with IRCAM-based STMS Lab. Original recordings, orchestral textures, and environmental effects—rain, wind, thunder, meteor impacts—were spatialized in three dimensions, turning sound into a storytelling tool as powerful as the visuals.
The sound reinforcement system is built around two main speaker arrays operating according to Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) principles. A suspended upper array comprises eight clusters of Amadeus DIVA XL loudspeakers with their dedicated subwoofers, while a ground-based lower array includes thirteen clusters of Amadeus DIVA XS, also reinforced in the low-frequency range.
Surround coverage is provided by four lateral DIVA XLclusters, complemented by an overhead system of 32 Amadeus UDX 15 point-source loudspeakers, enhancing vertical immersion.
Low-frequency effects (LFE) are handled by twelve Amadeus MAESTRO II subwoofers, specifically developed for the Beijing National Indoor Stadium. Each unit features dual 15-inch drivers in a push-pull configuration. Designed to deliver high sound pressure levels below 50 Hz, these high-efficiency subwoofers are powered by Lab Gruppen C88:4 amplifiers in bridge mode, providing exceptional power and impact at venue scale.
Together, these elements form a coherent, high-power sound architecture, capable of enveloping thousands of spectators with clarity, scale, and emotion.
Produced by He LiDeand He Qin Xiaomei, renowned creators of major Chinese cultural spectacles, The Long Gone Dinosaur reflects China’s growing investment in immersive cultural experiences.
The Long Gone Dinosaur is a very important project in China, the Chinese government is boosting the cultural industry by supporting exhibits and shows like The Long Gone Dinosaur. So many companies are making huge investments in the cultural industry. Just a few decades ago it was difficult to even see a movie in China, but now there are many entertainment choices everywhere. This show brings a focus on creation and innovation, using high technology, all while selecting companies from around the world to work with such as Amadeus from France. We accomplish so much working together,
says Mr. HE LiDe.
The project broke eight Guinness World Records, highlighting the scale and ambition of its scenography and technology.
For Amadeus, The Long Gone Dinosaur is more than a technical achievement. It is a demonstration of how immersive sound can bring stories to life, inviting audiences not just to watch, but to step inside the sound itself.
