Manchester City and Etihad Airways Transform Fan Interaction with Immersive Augmented Reality Experience Showcasing Thrilling Virtual Race Through Yas Marina Circuit and Highlighting Global Travel Destinations

Published on December 5, 2025

Manchester City and Etihad Airways have taken fan engagement to new heights with their innovative augmented reality experience, offering a thrilling virtual race through the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This groundbreaking initiative combines cutting-edge technology with the excitement of sports, providing fans with an immersive experience that not only showcases key moments from Manchester City’s season but also highlights Etihad Airways’ expanding travel destinations. By blending augmented reality with player tracking data, the campaign allows fans to interact with their favorite players in a unique and dynamic way, setting a new standard for sports and travel marketing.

Manchester City and Etihad Airways Revolutionize Fan Engagement with “Lights Out” Augmented Reality Experience Ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

In an innovative partnership, Manchester City and Etihad Airways have launched a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) feature called “Lights Out,” merging sports and cutting-edge technology. Set against the backdrop of the upcoming Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, this immersive experience brings fans closer to the action with a thrilling virtual race through the Yas Marina Circuit. The dynamic video content features Manchester City players Erling Haaland, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Nico O’Reilly, offering a unique interaction that highlights not only key moments from the football season but also showcases Etihad Airways’ expanding list of destinations.

The new “Lights Out” campaign builds upon the success of Etihad and Manchester City’s earlier initiative, “Beyond Borders,” further advancing the intersection of sports, technology, and entertainment. The feature takes fans on a virtual journey, merging augmented reality with real-time player tracking data. This allows viewers to experience the players racing through a highly detailed digital rendition of the Yas Marina Circuit, adding an entirely new level of interaction to the campaign.

Through this collaboration, the campaign showcases more than just football highlights. It integrates Etihad Airways’ latest travel destinations such as Krabi, Hanoi, and Sumatra, providing viewers with an exciting visual experience while also promoting the airline’s global network expansion. As Haaland performs his signature robot celebration and Aït-Nouri races through the iconic Hanoi Train Street, these interactive elements draw viewers deeper into the virtual world, offering them a chance to engage with the players and the campaign in ways never before possible.

The inclusion of augmented reality elevates this initiative to a level rarely seen in sports marketing, as it allows fans to experience key moments of Manchester City’s season like never before. From thrilling goals to iconic player actions, the virtual race brings them to life in a way that’s both entertaining and cutting-edge.

Manchester City Football Club, founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton and officially becoming Manchester City FC in 1894, has long been a force in the football world. Its headquarters, located on the Etihad Campus, is home to some of the most advanced sports facilities in the world, including the Etihad Stadium, which boasts a seating capacity of 53,500. The club’s state-of-the-art City Football Academy is a hub of excellence, supporting both the men’s and women’s teams as well as the club’s academy.

Known for its commitment to excellence on and off the pitch, Manchester City is not just one of the most valuable football clubs in the Premier League, but also a key driver of innovation in fan engagement. The club has continuously strived to enhance the overall fan experience, ensuring that its stadium and campus are not just sports venues but year-round destinations for entertainment and leisure.

Sustainability and social responsibility are core tenets of the club’s operations. Manchester City works diligently to embed practices of equality, diversity, and inclusion within its team culture and business operations, ensuring that these values permeate all aspects of the club. With a strong focus on fan interaction, this new AR experience highlights the club’s commitment to delivering memorable, innovative experiences for its global fanbase.

As the “Lights Out” campaign continues to unfold, Manchester City and Etihad Airways are setting a new standard for what fan engagement can look like in the future. The blend of AR, interactive elements, and the promotion of new travel destinations makes this campaign a shining example of how technology can be leveraged to connect sports with global audiences in meaningful ways. Fans now have the opportunity to experience the action from a whole new perspective, immersing themselves in both the world of football and the ever-expanding global network of Etihad Airways.

Manchester City and Etihad Airways have launched an innovative augmented reality experience, offering fans an immersive virtual race through the Yas Marina Circuit. This dynamic campaign combines thrilling sports moments with a showcase of Etihad’s expanding global destinations.

This collaboration serves as a blueprint for future sports and travel marketing initiatives, showcasing the power of partnership between two global giants. With the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just around the corner, this thrilling campaign promises to provide fans with one of the most immersive sports experiences yet—combining football, technology, and international travel into an unforgettable virtual journey.