Assessment of pitch floodlighting and glare condition in the Main Stadium of Gelora Bung Karno, Indonesia

•Discusses the measurement of floodlighting and glare in the Main Stadium of GBK, Indonesia.•Measurement follows FIFA guideline and applies high dynamic range images technique.•Average horizontal illuminance on the pitch was 1300 lx, lower than the criterion.•Illuminance uniformity on the pitch was poor, no risk of glare is found from the floodlights.•Additional floodlight rows and careful aiming of each floodlight are recommended. Lighting for pitch area of a football stadium is an important aspect to consider in the design and operation phase. Despite the provided guidelines and regulations, actual conditions of lighting and visual comfort in stadiums are seldom reported. This article discusses the measurement of pitch floodlighting and glare condition in a stadium, taking the Main Stadium of Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) in Jakarta, Indonesia as a case study. The objectives are to determine the existing conditions of actual lighting performance and glare rating on and around the pitch area. A series of measurement following the FIFA guideline and other novel techniques in lighting technology such as applying high dynamic range (HDR) photograph images were conducted. The average horizontal illuminance on the pitch was measured 1300 lx, much lower than the minimum criterion of 3500 lx. Uniformity on the pitch for horizontal, vertical, and 30° tilted illuminance was also much smaller than the required minimum values. Based on luminance maps of the HDR images, no risk of glare is estimated on and around the pitch. The existing floodlights at the tribune’s roof are recommended to be replaced and added. To assess the proposed design concept, a total of 592 units of LED floodlights, each having 500 W, 55000 lm, and 17° beam angle, were introduced in simulation models. The floodlights were proposed to be installed in typical arrays consisting of four horizontal rows. The resulting horizontal illuminance variables and glare ratings at all points have been shown to satisfy the recommended criteria.