• Front-of-shirt sponsor celebrates return of European nights by lighting up the skies like never before with a Newcastle United magpie mascot, giant home shirts featuring the names of star players and the club badge

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Sela, the front-of-shirt sponsor of Newcastle United, lit up the sky above Newcastle upon Tyne last night with a spectacular football-themed drone show to celebrate the return of top-level European football to St. James’ Park after a 20-year break.

Newcastle United will play French champions, Paris Saint Germain, on Wednesday night and major live events and entertainment company, Sela, wanted to give fans a surprise to remember as part of the electric build-up to the game.

The eight-minute-long drone show saw Newcastle United’s iconic mascot – the magpie – soar across the skies before transitioning into the famous black and white team shirts adorned with the names of England defender Kieran Trippier, Brazilian international Bruno Guimarães and Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali.

After recreating the club emblem in the night sky, the drones formed to make a statement about Newcastle’s return to the biggest stage in club football, following their top four finish in the Premier League: “We’re Back”. The show concluded with Sela’s ‘Spectacular Everyday’ tagline that is seen around St James’ Park on matchdays.

Sela, who became a Primary Partner of Newcastle United in June, is in the business of creating spectacular experiences. It has welcomed more than 40 million visitors to the range of sports, leisure, culture, retail and hospitality events and destinations within its portfolio – from staging WWE in the Jeddah Superdome to operating the Via Riyadh luxury multipurpose venue.

The amazing drone show is all part of Sela’s promise to create special experiences for Newcastle United fans and the wider community through its partnership with the club.

Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President of Sela, said:

“We wanted to create a little surprise for fans to celebrate the return of the biggest nights in European football to St James’ Park.

“The fans, the club and the players deserve these special moments and I hope we’ve added to what will be an unforgettable occasion for everyone who loves Newcastle United and this city.

“Creating spectacular experiences is at the heart of what Sela does every day as a company and we’re looking forward to contributing to more memories over the course of this landmark season.”

Keith Gillespie, former Newcastle United star, said:

“There’s an incredible buzz around Newcastle right now, fuelled by the club’s success last season and now the return of European football with a huge game against Paris Saint Germain.

“It’s all very reminiscent of the late 1990s and those unforgettable nights against giants like Barcelona that I was fortunate enough to be involved in.

“Sela’s spectacular drone show really adds to this electric atmosphere and I know the fans will be thrilled by what they witnessed in the skies above the stadium.” 

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For further information:
Please contact sela@spectacle.partners
Image and video credits:

About Sela:

Founded in 1997 as Saudi Arabia’s first FIFA-recognised player representation company, Sela has grown to be a leading organisation specialising in the sport, entertainment, culture, leisure and hospitality industries. Across these sectors, the company conceives and delivers spectacular experiences and creates iconic destinations that millions of people enjoy each year. For more than 25 years, Sela has been proud to partner with some of the world’s best-known brands to offer event management services and curate experiential moments that build engagement and connect with audiences.

Within the sports marketing and commercial arena, Sela negotiated sponsorship deals for the majority of top-class Saudi Arabian football clubs and led the commercial and operational arm of the Saudi Premier League. The company has since expanded and has worked with major sports properties, including Formula E, SuperCoppa, the Spanish Super Cup, World Wrestling Entertainment, World Boxing Super Series, and the World Chess Championships.

As the company accelerates its growth and international expansion plans, Sela’s team of dedicated experts provide end-to-end solutions, from master planning to engineering; concept development, audio, video, visualisation; research and patenting; and creating and monetising a brands and IPs. The company has built and put together stunning destinations and events with highly experienced professionals who handle all aspects of operations and management to make the visitor experience unforgettable.

Sela’s experiences have welcomed more than 40 million visitors. Its experiential excellence includes Jeddah Superdome – the world’s largest geodesic dome; Boulevard Riyadh City – the biggest entertainment hub in Saudi Arabia; Boulevard World – with its 10 global zones; as well as Via Riyadh, the city's newest luxury multipurpose venue and the stunning Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina.

More information about Sela, its services and projects can be found at: https://sela.sa/.