Drone shows in Italy: Venice and Capri

Venice: above the Arsenale, again and again

The Arsenale, where the Venice Biennale lives, is our most frequent stage in Italy. We have flown many shows above it: art performances, weddings and private events. Water on three sides, historic walls and an audience gathered on the quays make it one of the most beautiful places in the world to fly. Every show there is designed for the place: the lagoon becomes part of the image, because the water reflects every drone.

A private island in the lagoon

We also flew a show on a private island in the Venetian lagoon. An island has its own logic: complete privacy, the take-off field close to the water and the guests looking out over the lagoon, with the city in the distance.

Indoors, during the Biennale

Venice is also where the first indoor drone performance flew. For Social Sacrifice, an artwork by Studio DRIFT, 100 drones moved like a school of fish through the Church of San Lorenzo, at the opening of the Biennale, to music by Don Diablo. It was produced by Drone Stories and SKYMAGIC. Indoors there is no GPS and no margin for error: every drone has to know exactly where it is.

Lake Maggiore: LVMH above Isola Bella

For LVMH we flew a show above Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore: the island's baroque palace and terraced gardens below, the drones above, and the still water of the lake doubling every image. An island on a lake asks for the same care as one at sea: the crew and the drones arrive by boat, and the take-off field has to fit between the gardens and the water.

Capri: Franchise Freedom for amfAR and UNICEF

On Capri we flew Franchise Freedom by Studio DRIFT, the flock of starlings made of light, at the gala organised by amfAR on the island, to help raise money for UNICEF. Flying on an island means bringing everything by boat, finding a take-off field between the rocks and the sea, and planning around the wind that comes off the water in the evening.

Private stays private

Many of our weddings and private events are for people who do not want their celebration online. We never publish their names or images without consent. If you would like to see what we flew for them, we are happy to share references and footage in private.

What a drone show in Italy takes

Airspace approval. Every show needs an approval from ENAC, the Italian civil aviation authority, for the exact site, date and time window. In Venice the airport and the density of the city call for extra lead time. We handle the application.

The site. Quays, gardens, terraces over the sea or the courtyard of a palazzo: we need a take-off field and a safety zone between the drones and the guests. Our crew checks the site before we confirm.

The weather. Show drones fly in wind up to 40 km/h (25 mph) and handle a few drops of rain. On the coast and over the lagoon the evening wind decides a lot, so we plan a weather window and, where possible, a back-up slot.

Time. Count on about a month for a known site. In Venice, start earlier.

How many drones, and what it costs

For a wedding or a private event, 100 to 200 drones tell a full story; for a large public audience you need more. Read how many drones a show needs. Our shows start at $50,000; most land between $100,000 and $200,000. How drone show cost works.

Planning a show in Italy?

Tell us the place, the date and who will be watching. Within a day you hear whether it can fly there and what we would do with it. Get a proposal, or see our shows in Venice and our wedding and private event shows.