About 90 drones plunged into Darling Harbour during a Vivid Sydney show on Monday evening, leading to the cancellation of four performances. The incident occurred during the 7.30pm Star-Bound display, with 83 drones falling into Cockle Bay and six landing on a boardwalk. No injuries were reported.
Organisers blamed “unforeseen technical difficulties,” with Skymagic, the UK-based operator, citing an “unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment occurring after take-off” that compromised positional accuracy. Head of operations Dyfan Rhys said early indications showed no foul play, but investigations continue.
Rhys explained that while the pilot team locked the main fleet stationary, affected drones hit the geofence boundary and shut down to preserve safety. Four shows on Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled as a precaution while a full technical and safety review is conducted.
Destination New South Wales chief executive Karen Jones apologised to spectators, saying: “We apologise for the disappointment, and also for inconvenience caused to all attendees.” She added that a full safety assessment is under way, and the next scheduled drone show on Sunday night may not proceed depending on the review’s outcome.
Vivid Sydney stated that “public safety and security remain the absolute priority” and thanked the public for their patience. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified and is gathering information. The drone show, featuring 1,000 purpose-built drones, was cancelled last year due to crowd control concerns but returned this year as Australia’s “most extensive” such event.
