Drone shows around EMEA took the spotlight to celebrate the arrival of 2023. Inavate shines a light on the record breakers, the touching tributes and the clever concoctions that started the new year in style.
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Starting off with a record breaking display, Ras Al Khaimah welcomed the new year with a Guinness World Record breaking drone show, snatching the record for the largest number of operated multi-rotors/drones with a simultaneous fireworks display, putting 671 drones into the sky during the jaw-dropping fireworks show, a number which dwarfed the previous record of 458 drones in the air.
The 12-minute show covered a stretch of more than 4.7km with a height of 1,100 metres. The drones spelled out a happy new year message before transitioning to the logo of RAKashida.
London, United Kingdom
2022 was a year of monumental change in the United Kingdom, with political turmoil and the death of Queen Elizabeth II, London’s new year celebrations paid tribute to the late Queen with a touching tribute drone show.
Over the skies of Horse Guards Parade, London, a fleet of drones took the form of a rotating crown as the voice of the late Queen echoed. Transitioning from the crown to the Queen’s royal cypher, to a depiction of the Queen’s portrait before finally morphing into a portrait of King Charles III. In keeping with the new King’s passion for environmentalism, the drones finally shifted into a rotating Earth, as the country looks to the future after a tumultuous year.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Not to be outdone, Amsterdam joined the party with a combined done/firework display, sending up 600 drones by the Adam Tower to ring in the new year.
The drones formed impressive, evolving shapes, amplifying the fireworks display with new years messages and the flag of Amsterdam.
Marina Bay, Singapore
Ahead of the EMEA celebrations, the new year party kicked off several hours earlier in Singapore, boasting a world-class fireworks display in addition to an exciting drone show.
Drones created a waving Singaporean flag in the skies above Marina Bay, creating dancing lights in the sky and various shapes to enhance the already impressive fireworks display.
Dallas, USA
Last though certainly not least, the USA raised a glass to the new year with its own drone celebration above the Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas, creating aerial recreations of the Reunion Tower’s famous observation deck as the drones danced across the southern skies.
Drones have found themselves a home in new year celebrations, though there is no indication that drone shows will overtake fireworks displays as we move into 2023. The drone show has cemented itself as a key part of major public events, and it seems like the best of both worlds, with fireworks and drones together, is the spectacle that we will be seeing more of in the years ahead.