Super Bowl Weekend Marks Epic Chapter in Drone Light Show History
BY Zacc Dukowitz
21 February 2024Mark it down in the history books—2024 is the year drone light shows went mainstream.
When historians look back, one of the turning points where drone light shows went from novelty act to go-to crowd pleaser could well be last Super Bowl weekend.
Over that weekend, companies across the globe put on some of the most epic drone light shows that have ever been done.
The shows took place in Las Vegas, Dubai, and Singapore—keep reading to learn more about each one.
Super Bowl Drone Light Show
- Company: Sky Elements
- Company HQ: North Richland Hills, TX
- Location: Las Vegas
- Number of drones: 1,0000
As fans left Allegiant Stadium after the big game last weekend they looked up to see the night sky filled with flying lights—the Sky Elements drone light show, in which drones were used to depict “the largest football game ever, showing players kicking, tackling, and passing the ball.”
The show also featured drones forming giant helmets, 400-foot-tall football players, and an end zone celebration, as well as the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
As huge football fans ourselves, we knew we wanted to fly an epic drone show for the Big Game. Our Vegas-based drone crew worked diligently through the day to bring this spectacle to life, and we couldn’t be prouder of the result.
– Preston Ward, Chief Pilot at Sky Elements
The drones took off from Resorts World, flying over The Strip in a show that made fans and passers by stop and take notice. According to Sky Elements, their team has performed the most drone shows of any company in Nevada.
Credit: Sky Elements
And Sky Elements wasn’t the only company to put on a drone light after the Super Bowl.
Boise-based SkyWorx also put on a light show in Vegas after the Super Bowl with 1,000 drones.
Sally French of the Drone Girl wrote about the show before it happened, reporting that it was paid for by the City of Newport Beach, CA as a marketing event being done to increase tourism to the city. In addition to the light show, the city aired a commercial promoting tourism to 60,000 hotel rooms in Vegas the night of the Super Bowl.
Celebration for the Opening of Zayed International Airport
- Company: SKYMAGIC
- Company HQ: London
- Location: Dubai
- Number of drones: 1,750
It took 17 pilots to pull off this massive, highly technical drone light show in Dubai for the opening of the Zayed International Airport, named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nhyan, the founding father of the UAE. (The airport was previously named the Abu Dhabi International Airport.)
The drone light show starts with the drones forming a giant hawk in the air, which morphs beautifully into a massive jet—an Airbus A380, to be exact—which proceeds to “land” on one of the airport’s runways.
SKYMAGIC, the company that did the Dubai drone light show, went above and beyond with the show by putting six drones in the air to record the event, then using that footage to create the video above for the opening ceremony.
Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration
- Company: Marina Bay Sands
- Company HQ: Singapore
- Location: Singapore
- Number of drones: 1,500
Also last weekend were a series of drone light shows put on to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. These shows featured an impressive 1,500 drones, which were used to tell The Legend of the Dragon Gate.
The show was ten minutes long, featuring lanterns and lotus flowers formed over the Marina Bay area, in Singapore. The highlight of the show by far was its two giant dragons, which extended over 130 feet across the sky, moving in sinuous patterns that formed a mesmerizing spectacle for those watching from the ground.
The Marina Bay show was produced through a partnership between Singapore Tourism Board, Marina Bay Sands, and UOB, a large banking corporation that operates primarily in Asia.
