Vivid Sydney cancels all drone shows after 83 drones plunged into Darling Harbour

Vivid Sydney has cancelled all remaining drone shows after 83 drones fell into Darling Harbour on Monday night due to unforeseen technical difficulties. The incident, which occurred during a performance called Star-Bound, resulted in no reported injuries. As a precaution, several performances were initially cancelled while operators conducted a technical and safety review. Vivid confirmed the cancellation of all subsequent drone shows, stating public safety is the absolute priority and that fireworks displays will now replace them. The drone show operator, Skymagic, indicated an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment compromised the drones' positional accuracy.

During a Vivid Sydney light show in Darling Harbour, approximately 90 drones crashed into the water due to unforeseen technical difficulties. The incident occurred on Monday evening, local time, causing organizers to cancel several upcoming drone performances. Skymagic, the UK company responsible for the drone show, attributed the malfunction to a change in radio frequency that triggered failsafe landing procedures. While organizers apologized for the disruption, Skymagic stated that no drones fell outside safety boundaries. The drone operators canceled the show as a safety precaution.

Vivid Sydney has cancelled multiple performances of its "Star-Bound" drone show after approximately 90 drones plunged into Darling Harbour during a Monday evening event. Organizers cited "unforeseen technical difficulties" as the cause, with the drone operator, Skymagic, explaining an "unforeseen change in the radio frequency (RF) environment" triggered failsafe landing procedures. While no injuries were reported, the incident prompted the cancellation of shows on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow for a full technical and safety review. Destination NSW, which runs Vivid, confirmed that safety protocols worked as planned, ensuring drones fell within an exclusion zone. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified and is gathering information.