All Remaining Drone Shows Cancelled at Vivid Sydney 2026 After Malfunction

A technical malfunction caused 83 drones to fall into Darling Harbour during the "Star-Bound" performance on Monday night.

Incident Details

On Monday, May 25, 2026, at 7:30 PM, a drone performance titled "Star-Bound" took place at Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour. The show involved 1,000 drones. During the performance, 83 drones fell into the water and six landed on boardwalks and a bridge. The 9:30 PM show that evening was also cancelled.

No injuries were reported.

Official Statements

SkyMagic, the UK-based operator of the drone show, stated that the incident was caused by an "unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment after take-off." The company described this as an anomaly not encountered during previous site visits and rehearsals.

According to SkyMagic, the change in radio frequency compromised the positional accuracy of the drones, triggering failsafe landing procedures. The pilot team issued a stop command and activated return-to-home protocols for unaffected drones. SkyMagic stated that no drones escaped the safety boundary and that there were no safety concerns for spectators.

Vivid Sydney and Destination NSW stated that public safety was the highest priority. Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones said that "safety protocols worked as planned" and that the exclusion zone ensured drones fell within the designated area. Jones stated that deliberate interference was ruled out in initial assessments but was considered as a possibility.

Cancellation and Replacement

• Performances scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled pending a technical and safety review.
• On Saturday, Vivid Sydney confirmed the cancellation of all remaining drone shows for the remainder of the festival, which runs until June 13.
• A total of 22 drone shows over 11 nights had been planned.
• Fireworks displays will replace drone shows at previously scheduled times.

Investigation

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been notified and is gathering information regarding the incident.

Drone Recovery

Efforts to retrieve the fallen drones are underway. The retrieval process is being coordinated with SkyMagic, the NSW Environment Protection Authority, and relevant stakeholders. Environmental considerations are being assessed, and visibility conditions may affect the timing of recovery operations.

Expert Commentary

Graham Doig, director of UNSW’s drone program, suggested that weather factors such as humidity, rain, and cloud could have created interference. He noted that in urban environments, signals can bounce off buildings and Wi-Fi interference may occur.

Athman Bouguettaya, a drone communications expert at the University of Sydney, stated that signals are encrypted to prevent intentional interference but emphasized the need for resilience in large-scale drone swarms, such as duplicate base stations.

Nigel Brown, CEO of Drone Sky Shows, explained that drones are programmed with flight paths and monitored via a master computer. A geo-fence restricts drones from entering audience areas; if breached, the drone attempts to return home or shuts off engines to fall vertically.

Background

The 2026 Vivid Sydney drone show was advertised as Australia's "most extensive" event of its kind. The 2025 drone shows had been cancelled due to crowd safety concerns.

Similar drone malfunctions have occurred at other events:

• July 2023: Over 400 drones fell into Melbourne's Yarra River during a Matildas-themed show due to wind conditions. An ATSB investigation found the pilot did not notice wind speeds exceeding the drones' rating.
• November 2022: Approximately 50 drones fell into a river during a show in Perth.

Other Festival Attractions

All other Vivid Sydney attractions will proceed as planned.