Filming and photographing events at BK Arena: what organisers need to know

The Rwanda Convention Bureau describes BK Arena as the first 10,000-seat arena in Kigali. It has four levels with a total space of about 20,000 square metres, eight VIP suites with private entrances, a commercial and sponsor foyer, and dedicated press and media facilities that include a press conference room. The bureau lists indoor sport, concerts, festivals, fashion shows, product launches, executive retreats and corporate meetings among its uses.¹

The arena stands next to Amahoro National Stadium and was inaugurated on 9 August 2019, as a multi-purpose venue for indoor games, meetings, conferences, exhibitions and concerts.² It was originally called Kigali Arena and was rebranded BK Arena in May 2022 under a naming-rights agreement with Bank of Kigali.³

Covering events at BK Arena is closer to covering a stadium than a conference. Distances are large, lighting changes quickly, crowds move and noise is high. Rights over the images may also belong to someone other than the organiser. This guide covers what to plan. For general shot planning, see our event photography shot list.

At many arena events, the organiser who hires your crew does not control all filming rights.

• Sport: leagues and federations usually license broadcast rights. The Basketball Africa League, for example, announced a multi-year agreement with the Rwanda Development Board in 2023 to play games at BK Arena each season, including the playoffs and finals in 2024, 2026 and 2028.⁴ FIBA's media rules state that non-rights holders, including news outlets and photographers, cannot broadcast live footage or highlights from its events, although they can interview players and coaches in mixed zones and attend press conferences.⁵ Ask the rights holder for its media rules for your event.
• Concerts: artists and their management may limit when photographers can shoot, or reserve filming for their own crew. Any recorded music used in your video also needs a licence.
• Corporate events: the client normally controls rights, but sponsors or performers may have their own terms.

Ask for these terms in writing before the event, and brief every camera operator on what they may and may not film.

Agree positions with the venue and the event's production company during a site visit. Do not assume any position, power supply or rigging point is available until the venue has confirmed it.

• Main camera: a fixed, raised position facing the stage or court, with power and a clear view over the crowd.
• Photographers: a pit or front zone for stage events, or agreed courtside positions for sport, if the rights holder allows it.
• Roaming crew: access routes to the floor, stands, VIP areas and backstage, matched to badges.
• Press room: ask the venue whether the press and media facilities can be used for press conferences and as a base for editors.¹
• Sound: a feed from the front-of-house desk. In a large, noisy hall, on-camera sound is rarely usable for speeches or music.

Confirm badge levels for each crew member and keep a printed list at the accreditation desk.

International events at the arena often attract foreign journalists. They need media accreditation from the Rwanda Media Commission, applied for through IremboGov. As checked in October 2026, the fee is $30 for Rwandan correspondents of foreign media and EAC journalists and $100 for other foreign journalists, with a stated processing time of three days.⁶ This is separate from the event's own badges, so tell visiting media about both when you send the invitation.

Arena lighting is designed for the audience in the room, not for cameras. Concert lighting can change colour and brightness every few seconds. Some LED lighting and screens can also cause flicker or banding on camera.

• Ask the lighting designer for a short test during rehearsal, with your cameras running.
• Use long, fast lenses for the stage or court, and wide lenses for crowd shots from the upper levels.
• Ask whether screens, haze or lasers will be used, and where.
• Plan establishing shots of the full arena early, before doors open and again when it is full.

In our own practice, we schedule a walk-through at rehearsal time. It is often the only moment when the lighting, staging and seating can be seen together before the audience arrives.

With thousands of people in one room, individual consent for wide shots is not practical. You still have duties to the audience. Rwanda's law on the protection of personal data and privacy (Law No 058/2021 of 13/10/2021) treats clear and unambiguous consent to the collection and processing of personal data as a core principle, and names the National Cyber Security Authority as the supervisory authority.⁷

• Display clear notices at entrances and on tickets that the event will be filmed and photographed.
• Ask permission before close-ups of identifiable people, especially for use in advertising.
• Take particular care at family events and youth sports. Avoid close-ups of children without a parent's agreement, and do not publish their names.
• Respect people who signal that they do not want to be filmed.
• Check the edit for anyone shown in a distressing or embarrassing moment, such as an injury or a fall.

Copy this checklist into your event plan.

• Written terms from any rights holder: league, federation, artist or sponsor.
• List of what each crew member may and may not film.
• Site visit with the venue and production company.
• Fixed camera position with power and a clear sightline, confirmed by the venue.
• Photographer zones agreed for stage or court.
• Badge levels and access routes for every crew member.
• Use of the press room or media facilities agreed for interviews and editing.
• Audio feed from the front-of-house desk.
• Lighting test at rehearsal with cameras running.
• Filming notices at entrances and on tickets.
• Plan for children in the audience.
• Music licences for any recorded music in your video.
• Internet connection and data backup for same-day posts.
• Foreign journalists told about RMC accreditation through IremboGov.
• Delivery dates for photos, highlights and full recordings.

Arena events often peak late in the evening, and audiences expect to see photos and clips the same night. Agree a short list of priority images: the full arena, the main moment on stage or court, VIP guests and sponsors. Put an editor in a quiet space with a reliable connection.

Approvals matter. If an artist or rights holder must approve images, find out how and how quickly, before the event. A strong photo that cannot be published until next week has lost much of its value.

After the event, deliver the full gallery and a longer recap within agreed dates, and share sponsor images promptly so partners can post while interest is high.