A spokesperson for Vivid announced the cancellation of the 7:30 p.m. Star-Bound show, as well as the 9:30 p.m. performance, along with all shows scheduled for today and tomorrow. This decision was made to facilitate a comprehensive technical and safety evaluation.
Organizers attributed the disruptions to “unforeseen technical difficulties” that occurred during the earlier show.
“The 7:30 p.m. Vivid Sydney ‘Star-Bound’ drone show on Monday was cancelled because of unexpected technical issues at the performance’s onset. We apologize for any disappointment and inconvenience this may have caused to attendees,” the spokesperson stated.
“Our specialist operators detected a technical problem and opted to halt the show safely, adhering to standard safety procedures.”
“Ensuring public safety remains our top priority, and a thorough assessment is currently in progress with the specialist operators and relevant government agencies to determine the next steps,” they added.
SKYMAGIC, the company responsible for the drone show, explained that 89 drones ended up in the waters of Cockle Bay due to an “unexpected change in the radio frequency (RF) environment occurring post take-off.”
“This anomaly caused a number of drones in the fleet to enact failsafe landing procedures in response to compromised positional accuracy.”
“The pilot team encountering the issue immediately performed a stop command rendering the fleet stationary in the air, enabling time to safely assess the issue.
“Once stability had been evaluated, the team then activated the return to home protocol bringing the unaffected drones to a safe landing,” SKYMAGIC said in a statement.
The festival, which kicked off on Sunday night, showcases light installations, music performances, food and other experiences.
Sunday night’s 7.30pm edition of the drone show had to be cancelled due to rain, but the 9.30pm edition went ahead without a hitch.
