Vivid Sydney has cancelled four drone performances after 83 drones plunged into Darling Harbour during a show on Monday evening. The incident occurred at 7.30pm during the Star-Bound display, with six additional drones landing on a boardwalk. No injuries were reported.
Organisers blamed 'unforeseen technical difficulties' for the malfunction. Skymagic, the UK-based operator, said an 'unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment occurring after take-off' compromised the drones' positional accuracy. Head of operations Dyfan Rhys stated early indications show no foul play, but investigations continue.
Rhys explained that the pilot team locked the main fleet stationary, but affected drones hit the geofence boundary and shut down to preserve safety. Destination New South Wales chief executive Karen Jones apologised to spectators and said a full safety assessment is underway. She could not guarantee Sunday's scheduled show would go ahead.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified and is gathering information. The Star-Bound show, featuring 1,000 drones, was cancelled last year due to crowd control concerns. A similar incident in Melbourne in 2023 saw over 400 drones fall into the Yarra River due to wind conditions.
