Drone light shows are a modern-day spectacle and they are fast gaining in popularity. Today, it is pretty common to see drone shows being used as a form of brand engagement. From product launches to sporting events, organisations are turning to drone shows to capture the audience's attention while effectively communicating their story and message. Most of these shows, however, are what we in the industry call a one-time drone show. They are created specifically for a certain event and are rarely used more than once.
Similar to one-time shows, these drone shows are created specifically for a certain event, however, the key difference here is that the show or shows are run multiple times over the course of the event. The event could take place over a period of days, weeks or even months. This entails that the setup of the infrastructure to conduct the drone shows must be made in a semi-permanent manner allowing the drone show system to run smoothly over long periods.
Good examples of short-duration events using recurring drone shows would be music and cultural festivals that usually last a few days to a few weeks with drone shows running on a nightly basis for the duration of the event. Examples of longer-duration events using recurring drone shows would be trade shows and conferences that usually last from a few weeks to a few months.
In the videos below, we see examples of both indoor and outdoor recurring drone shows.
An indoor recurring drone show at Zodiac de Musical in Breda, the Netherlands.
Zodiac de Musical in Breda, the Netherlands, featured an indoor recurring drone show as part of multiple acts that portrayed the role humans can play in preserving our beautiful planet. The musical ran for six months and featured close to a hundred indoor drones. The drone show was created and operated by Dronisos.
An outdoor recurring drone show that ran thrice a night at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The recently concluded World Expo in Dubai featured both indoor and outdoor recurring drone shows that ran multiple times a day for the duration of the six-month event. The drone shows were created and operated by Dronisos.
Permanent drone shows are a type of recurring drone show where the duration ranges from a year to several years, making them a more or less permanent installation. Permanent infrastructure needs to be put in place to facilitate the operation of the drone shows over many years. The most popular permanent drone show installations are found at theme parks where the shows run for multiple seasons over several years.
The Puy du Fou theme park in France has the distinction of being the first theme park in the world to use drones as part of its nightly entertainment. Many theme parks around the world have since followed suit, including the Dollywood theme park in the US and Disneyland Paris in France amongst others.
Dollywood — Sweet Summer Nights 3D Drone & Fireworks Show.
Every summer, hundreds of drones dance across the night sky to tell a unique Dollywood story.
The award winning Disney D-Light show at Disneyland Paris.
Disney D-Light, featuring a dazzling drone display, was created in collaboration with Dronisos to celebrate Disneyland Paris’ 30th Anniversary. This unique experience is presented daily.
As these shows run for extended periods of time, the planning, the setup and the execution require special attention. Recurring and permanent drone shows can either be operated by the drone entertainment provider or by a trained local team. In the case of the latter, the local team needs to undergo special training on the drone show system as well as on general maintenance and upkeep of the system. A special technical support team and hotline are also usually put in place by the drone show provider for the local team to fall back on in case required. An annual maintenance contract that includes periodic visits by the drone entertainment company is usually written into the contracts of recurring and permanent drone shows that are being operated by a locally trained team.
Having a locally trained team operate longer-duration drone shows is usually the preferred option for events and venues as it not only makes more sense economically but also allows more flexibility with an in-house team that understands the subtilities of the venue.
From theme parks to museums, from trade shows to cruise ships, venues and attractions are using recurring drone entertainment to tell their stories, dazzle their audiences and build brand engagement. Chances are you may have already witnessed a recurring/permanent drone show. Let us know in the comments if you have. In any case, the next time you do, you will know the difference between the types of drone shows and all that goes into setting up a recurring/permanent drone show.
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