Nearly 90 drones fell during the 7:30 PM showing of Star-Bound on Monday, part of Vivid Sydney, an annual three-week festival. Out of these, 83 landed in Cockle Bay while six others fell onto a boardwalk and bridge. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Skymagic, the UK company responsible for the display, attributed the incident to an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment post-launch, which triggered failsafe landing procedures for some drones.
A startling video from Sydney showed dozens of drones crashing down during a popular winter light display at Darling Harbour. This incident reportedly occurred during Monday evening’s show as organisers highlighted technical difficulties with the drone performance.
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The pilots maintained the remaining drones in a stationary position before initiating a return-to-home protocol. Drones reaching the geofence boundary powered down and fell into the water. Skymagic confirmed that all drones remained within the safety perimeter of the show.
“Initial findings indicate no foul play was involved, though we are investigating all potential factors,” stated Dyfan Rhys, Skymagic’s head of operations and production.
Eyewitness Accounts
A Darling Harbour employee named Robert informed news outlet ABC, “The sound of them crashing onto the wharf was significant, even from approximately 10 to 20 metres away; you could hear them hit the cement marina.”
Witness Adam Love relayed to the Sydney Morning Herald that the drones seemed to enter a “test pattern” before descending. “They remained in formation for a long time. It appeared that behind the scenes, they were frantically trying to get them to reconnect,” he noted.
Shows Cancelled, Review Underway
Following the malfunction, Vivid Sydney cancelled Monday’s 9:30 PM show immediately. All performances scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday were also called off. Karen Jones, the chief executive of Destination NSW, confirmed that Sunday’s show would be contingent on a comprehensive safety review. She noted that the exclusion zone functioned as intended, ensuring drones fell into water or a designated safe area.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified and is collecting information. Efforts are currently underway to retrieve drones from the harbour to mitigate pollution from lithium-ion batteries. Industry estimates suggest the cost per drone ranges from $1,500 to $2,400, making the loss of around 80 units significant.
The Star-Bound display features 1,000 specialized drones spread over 11 nights. Vivid Sydney had previously skipped drone shows in 2025 due to crowd safety concerns. In 2023, over 400 drones fell into Melbourne’s Yarra River during a similar event, with wind conditions later identified as the cause.
