Drones plummet from the sky as Vivid Sydney halts display

Vivid Sydney has suspended its headline drone show for several nights after a technical malfunction during Monday evening’s performance sent multiple aircraft falling into Darling Harbour.

The disruption occurred during the festival’s 7.30pm “Star-Bound” display above Cockle Bay, with spectators reporting drones dropping out of formation and into the harbour shortly after the show began.

Social media videos from the waterfront appeared to show aircraft descending rapidly before the performance was halted.

Organisers cancelled the 7.30pm show, followed by the scheduled 9.30pm performance, and have since called off both drone displays on Tuesday and Wednesday while a technical and safety review is carried out.

A spokesperson for Vivid Sydney apologised to festivalgoers, saying specialist operators had identified an issue soon after the display began.

“Monday’s 7.30pm Vivid Sydney ‘Star-Bound’ drone show was cancelled due to unforeseen technical difficulties at the start of the performance. We apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience caused to attendees,” the spokesperson said.

“The specialist operators identified a technical issue and made the decision to safely discontinue the show in line with standard safety protocols. Public safety is always the number one priority and a full assessment is now underway with the specialist operators and relevant government agencies advising on next steps.”

Drone operator SkyMagic said an unexpected radio frequency issue affected positional accuracy, prompting a number of drones to activate failsafe landing procedures. The company said the aircraft remained within the show’s designated safety zone.

No injuries have been reported.

The annual festival, which opened on Friday, transforms Sydney with large-scale light installations, music performances, food events and public art.

This year marked the return of the drone display after it was absent from the 2025 festival. The show drew large crowds when it debuted in 2024, although organisers later shelved it amid the added complexity of safety planning.

Sunday evening’s opening 7.30pm drone performance was also cancelled because of rain, though the later show proceeded as scheduled.