Working on behalf of Harris County and the NFL's Houston Texans, and alongside technical consultants WJHW, LD Systems installed a new Fulcrum Acoustic bowl audio system at NRG Stadium, or Houston Stadium as it was called for the 2026 World Cup. Up to 72,220 fans per game gathered for soccer’s most awaited tournament, where Houston Stadium hosted seven matches with nine international teams across June and early July.
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LD Systems integrated the venue’s original audio requirements stadium-wide in 2002 and has provided its technical maintenance and production support for every major event since. The new system is based on a large-scale deployment of weather-resistant Fulcrum loudspeakers, ensuring reliable operation whether the stadium’s roof is open or closed. All loudspeaker enclosures are now able to withstand potential exposure to environmental challenges in what has become the largest World Cup in history.
The main bowl (situated on the venue’s ‘super truss’), concourses, and support spaces utilize a total of 1,194 Fulcrum loudspeakers comprising AHC443 high-output horn-loaded arrays, CS218LWR dual 18-inch weather-resistant subwoofers, and various other models including CX1226-MT200, CX1226, CX1595, CX826-MT120, FH1566 and FH1595. The overall system weight has been reduced by 40% compared to the previous rig.
The LD Systems team, including project manager Michael Keefe and project engineer Anthony DiDonato, had six months to remove the old system and install the full, site-wide upgrade, yet bowl system tuning was completed in just six hours over a single day.
“We added eight subwoofer arrays (four per side) to enhance low-frequency performance, and the sonic results have exceeded expectation; we’ve actually had to turn them down,” said LD Systems sales engineer, Kevin Broussard. “The system now delivers clearer highs, much better vocal intelligibility, and a powerful low-end that you can physically feel, and feedback on the venue’s new sound capabilities has shifted dramatically.”
System amplification is provided by Powersoft Unica amplifiers serving the main seating bowl and concourse systems, and Crown DCI amplifiers are dedicated to clubs, back-of-house, and ancillary spaces. LD Systems has also installed a new control system and network backbone across the building. The primary mixing platform is a Yamaha Rivage PM5, and wireless audio is supported by Shure Axient wireless microphones.
The audio infrastructure is managed through a Q-SYS platform featuring Core 5200 processors operating in a redundant configuration for mission-critical system reliability, and the Core 610 processors service the suite-level audio systems.
“One of the biggest improvements during this entire upgrade was adding dedicated audio to over 260 suites," Broussard concluded. "Previously, the suites relied on spill from the bowl or delayed TV audio, which could lag by up to four seconds. Now, every suite has its own speaker system, control panel, and multiple selectable sources: bowl audio, TV audio, radio, postgame feeds, and Bluetooth.”
