Drone shows for cities & institutions
A night the city remembers, and nothing to sweep up.
A drone show gives a city a public moment without fireworks' smoke, debris or fire risk: a story about the place, flown under aviation approval beside the crowd, silent enough for the neighbours. We flew Amsterdam New Year's Eve for the Gemeente, 1,000 drones over Central Park and 50 years of the Van Gogh Museum.
Social Sacrifice, Venice
Studio DRIFT · Ocean Space · Church of San Lorenzo, Venice · 100 drones
Public safety & permits
Approved airspace, a crowd that stays where it is
A city event answers to the public, the police and the aviation authority at once. We work with all three. Every show flies under an approval for that site and slot, with a safety zone the public does not enter and a pilot who can hold or land the fleet at any moment. We have flown 1,000 drones over Central Park in New York and 600 over the IJ for Amsterdam New Year's Eve.
Bring us in when the event permit is being drafted. Airspace approval takes time; it rarely takes a no.
Silent, no debris
The fireworks alternative that leaves nothing behind
Fireworks leave ash, smoke, litter and complaints. Drones leave nothing. They are low-noise once at operating height, they run on renewable energy, and the morning after there is nothing to sweep. Pets, patients and neighbours sleep. There is no fire risk in a dry season.
A drone show can also combine with fireworks or water screens where the tradition matters: fewer shells, more story. The Gemeente Amsterdam chose drones for New Year's Eve; the city had never seen it before.
Civic storytelling
A story about this place, for the people who live here
A city show should be about the city. Its history, its skyline, its people, the thing it is celebrating. We built Franchise Freedom with Studio DRIFT, the first independently orchestrated drone performance, and flew it over Central Park and at Art Basel Miami. We told 50 years of the Van Gogh Museum over Amsterdam. For KWF we flew a lantern walk into a national television broadcast.
Tender-ready: we can provide the safety case, the risk assessment, insurance details, the airspace approval and a storyboard your council can vote on.
What it takes
Lead time, site, permits, cost
No fixed price list exists. Most shows fall between 100 and 1,000+ drones. The four factors below decide the rest. Read how drone show cost works.
- Lead time
- About a month for a known site; longer in controlled airspace or where the council needs to approve the design. For a New Year's Eve or an anniversary, start when the event budget is set.
- Site
- A take-off area the public cannot reach, a viewing area with a clear line to the sky, and a plan for where people stand. Parks, waterfronts and squares with a river or a lake in front work best.
- Permits
- We file the airspace approval and coordinate with the aviation authority, the municipality, police and emergency services. We attach what a tender or a council needs: safety case, insurance, risk assessment.
- What drives cost
- Number of drones, show length, location and permits, and animation complexity. Most civic shows fall between 100 and 1,000+ drones. How cost works.
Shows we flew for cities and institutions
All showsSocial Sacrifice, Venice
Studio DRIFT · Ocean Space · Church of San Lorenzo, Venice · 100 drones
Franchise Freedom in New York Central Park
DRIFT · New York - USA · 1,000 drones
Amsterdam New Years Eve
Gemeente Amsterdam · Amsterdam, The Netherlands · 600 drones
Van Gogh Museum 50 years
Van Gogh Museum · Amsterdam, The Netherlands · 200 drones
Franchise Freedom Art Basel Miami
DRIFT · Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami · 400 drones
KWF’s annual lantern walk
KWF · Netherlands · 200 drones
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Is a drone show safer than fireworks for a public event?
It removes the fire, the debris and the smoke. Drones do not fly over the public; a safety zone keeps them beside the crowd, and the pilot can hold or land the fleet at any moment. Every show flies under an aviation-authority approval for that exact site and time.
Do drones make noise or pollute?
The drones are low-noise once they reach their operating height and cause no air pollution. We run the system on renewable energy. Nothing falls from the sky and nothing is left on the ground, which is why cities use them as a substitute for fireworks.
Can you fly in a city centre or near an airport?
Often, with the right exemption. Clear airspace is required and we cannot fly very near airways or airports without approval, but we have flown over Manhattan, over the IJ in Amsterdam and over the Croisette in Cannes. The technical crew inspects any site first.
Can the show be about our city?
It should be. We are storytellers who use drones: the show has a narrative arc, and for a city that arc is its history, its skyline and what it is celebrating. We storyboard with your team and confirm with a video render before the fleet leaves the depot.
Can you support a public tender?
Yes. We provide the safety case, the risk assessment, insurance details, the airspace approval plan and a storyboard, in a form your council or procurement team can assess. Ask for the documents early; they are the long lead item.
What if we need a different kind of show?
Then say so and we will introduce you to our partners at Sky Elements. We fly the shows that have to land: the New Year's Eve a city remembers, the anniversary that makes the news. For every other show, they are the right call.
Not you? Drone shows for
Let’s collaborate
Give your city a night it talks about.
Tell us the occasion, the site and the date. Within a day you'll hear whether a drone show is the right call, what permits and lead time it needs, and what we'd fly.