Vivid Sydney has decided to cancel the remainder of its drone shows after experiencing “technical difficulties” that caused drones to crash into the harbor, leading to a halt in multiple performances this week.
In a statement, Vivid Sydney announced, “After the unexpected technical issue during Monday night’s ‘Star-Bound’ drone show, we have decided not to proceed with the remaining drone performances scheduled for this year’s festival.”
To fill the gap left by the canceled drone displays, fireworks will now be featured alongside the Laser Lightfall experience at Darling Harbour during the originally planned drone show times.
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Additionally, Vivid Sydney confirmed that efforts are underway to retrieve the drones that fell into the harbor during the incident on Monday night.
The disruption occurred when nearly 90 drones unexpectedly descended into the water during the 7:30 pm Star-Bound show, which led to the performance being stopped.
There was chaos on Monday night when nearly 90 drones fell into the harbour during the 7.30pm Star-Bound show, which was subsequently called off.
The 9.30pm event was cancelled, as were several other performances this week to allow for a “full technical and safety review”.
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SKYMAGIC, the operator leading the drone show, previously said the incident was caused by “an unforeseen change in the radio frequency (RF) environment occurring after take-off”.
It has now confirmed it is working closely with the relevant authorities to identify the external interference that caused the failsafe response at Monday evening’s drone show.
“This process requires further technical, operational data and local assessment,” it said in a statement.
A retrieval process is now underway to recover the 89 drones that dropped into the harbour. Nine
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Vivid Sydney understands the news will be disappointing for some visitors but said providing certainty for attendees and ensuring public safety remain its highest priorities.
The annual festival kicked off last weekend with an array of light installations, music performances, food and other experiences around the city.
It also saw the return of the drone show, which was such a hit in 2024 that it was cancelled in 2025 due to safety concerns.
There were snags from the start though, with the first performance on Sunday night having to be cancelled due to rain.
The 9.30pm show went smoothly, only for the Monday night shows to be plagued with technical issues.
Vivid Sydney is slated to run until June 13.
