For decades, New Year’s Eve celebrations have been defined by scale, noise and spectacle with fireworks as the undisputed headline act. But as 2025 turned into 2026, some of the world’s most high-profile countdowns made it clear that the balance is shifting.
From record-scale drone shows in the Middle East to projection-mapped city icons and tightly choreographed multimedia events, AV technology is no longer a supporting act. In many locations, it is now the main storytelling tool, with fireworks increasingly playing a complementary role.
Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah set the scale agenda
Few places illustrated this shift more clearly than the UAE. At the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi, organisers staged a 6,500-drone light show as part of a 20-minute performance synchronised to music and the midnight countdown. The show formed nine large-scale aerial scenes and was tightly integrated with an extended fireworks programme, underlining how drone choreography is now being treated as a core production layer rather than a novelty.
Neighbouring Ras Al Khaimah secured a Guinness World Records headline. Its New Year’s Eve show featured 2,300 drones, including 1,000 pyro-equipped units, forming a giant phoenix above the emirate’s coastline and earning a world record for the largest aerial display of a phoenix created by multirotor drones.
Together, the two shows reflect how the UAE is positioning itself as a proving ground for ultra-large-scale outdoor AV, where drones, software control systems and launch logistics are as critical as fireworks choreography.
Projection, lasers and narrative in London
In London, fireworks still dominated headlines, but the visual language of the show continues to evolve. Projection, laser effects and graphic elements were layered onto the familiar Thames-side display, reinforcing a broader trend: major cities are using AV tools to add narrative, branding and thematic structure to events that were once purely about spectacle.
Source: BBC
The London Eye once again became a giant digital display for people viewing the show through BBC coverage thanks to hologauze technology. Last year we took a deep dive into that how that was achieved in 2025 that you can read here.
Las Vegas and distributed spectacle
In Las Vegas, the arrival of 2026 underlined how New Year’s Eve celebrations are becoming increasingly AV-led. At the centre of the Strip’s midnight moment was Sphere, which once again served as the city’s official countdown to the new year. Custom content played across the Exosphere, the world’s largest LED display, counting down to midnight and featuring Orbi in bespoke 2026 graphics alongside a new artwork commission.
Sphere Entertainment
Around it, Las Vegas staged the 25th edition of America’s Party, combining an eight-minute rooftop fireworks display with a synchronised drone light show for the first time in the event’s history. Fireworks launched from 10 resort rooftops, while 600 LED drones formed animated imagery.
The Strip’s digital infrastructure also played a larger role than ever, with coordinated messages running across marquees and façade screens, while downtown’s Fremont Street Experience delivered its own countdown under the LED canopy. Together, the elements showed how fireworks remain part of the picture, but it is immersive displays, drones and large-format LED that now define Las Vegas’ New Year’s Eve experience.
Greece and Cyprus embrace quieter, tech-forward celebrations
While many global cities continue to showcase large fireworks and drone spectacles, others are deliberately scaling back noise and explosion-centric pyrotechnics in favour of more inclusive, visually driven experiences.
In Athens and Nicosia, the capitals of Greece and Cyprus respectively, New Year 2026 was marked by a conscious shift toward low-noise pyrotechnics, light installations and drone displays rather than the traditional loud arrival of large fireworks. The move is designed to make public celebrations more comfortable and accessible for children, pets and people sensitive to loud sounds - including the elderly, infants and individuals with autism or PTSD - while reducing environmental and noise impacts.
Source AFP
From explosions to experiences
New Year’s Eve is no longer only about volume and brightness; it is about experience design. Drones, projection mapping, lasers and immersive audio systems allow organisers to tell stories, express cultural identity and deliver repeatable, programmable shows that fireworks alone cannot.
For the AV industry, this represents a clear expansion of opportunity. Skills traditionally associated with permanent installations - content creation, show control, networking, synchronisation and systems integration - are increasingly central to some of the world’s most watched live events.
Top image credit: Shutterstock AI