Casablanca’s Stade Mohammed V has undergone a full sound system renovation with HK Audio’s Cosmo family of loudspeakers. The upgrade project was completed in time for the stadium to play a key role as one of the main venues for the recent Africa Cup of Nations 25/26.
Located in the Maârif district of central Casablanca, Stade Mohammed V is Morocco’s oldest stadium and one of the most famous football arenas in Africa. Opened in 1955, the stadium has been rejuvenated, enhanced and renamed on multiple occasions.
The 67,000-seat venue is home to the nation’s two most followed clubs, Wydad Athletic Club and Raja Club Athletic, and also hosts international matches and large-scale international events. With Morocco winning the rights to host the Africa Cup of Nations 25/26, the stadium needed an audio upgrade to meet the technical requirements to host six group matches, one round of 16 game and the third place play off.
The upgrade project suddenly became a priority for the stadium when Morocco was chosen as a replacement host for the tournament. The event was originally meant to be hosted by Guinea, but the slow progress of the country’s hosting preparations meant the bidding process was reopened in late 2022. Morocco was named as the new hosts towards the end of 2023 leading to a rapid process of upgrading the six host venues to ensure they met the required standards.
This shortened preparation timeframe meant that there was only six weeks for the entire planning and installation process for the new sound system. To add to this challenge, the stadium itself is a difficult acoustic environment. Only one of the stands has a roof, restricting the positions where loudspeakers could be flown and meaning that it would require precise long-throw coverage over distances of up to 150 m while maintaining clarity, intelligibility and consistent SPL throughout the stadium.
The team from HK Audio worked with local partner Algam Maghreb, integrator Maghrebnet and consultant Melanie Ziska from Save Audio Solutions to deliver a system that could meet both the audio and timeframe requirements. To meet these needs, 166 HK Audio Cosmo series loudspeakers were deployed, powered by over 250 kW of Powersoft Unica amplification. Advanced digital workflow tools, including EASE 5 with Acousteer for system design and Armonia+ for amplifier configuration, enabled rapid yet precise implementation without compromising performance.