Drone Shows for Music Festivals.

Spectacular night time drone shows have become more common at outdoor events and make a safer more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fireworks displays. Music festival organisers are increasingly looking to add something special to their events and commissioning a drone show may achieve this.  

The night time drone show is still a relative novelty and a rarity at music festivals but this may change soon as technology advances and increased competition makes the drone show more cost effective. As a relatively new phenomenon they can still produce a wow factor that can enhance the festival-goer experience making them a serious consideration for organisers in the near future. 

Why a Drone Show? 
A well-executed drone show presents endless possibilities for organisers depending on the number of drones used. The ability to customise the display allows key notifications and announcements to be made or for sponsor branding to be used. Compared to fireworks drones do not produce noise, smoke or debris making them a more environmentally friendly option. Of course, a drone show is much safer and does not require the expertise of a pyrotechnics specialist. A well programmed drone show can be just as immersive and spectacular as a fireworks display and they are highly shareable on social media potentially increasing festival-goer engagement. 

Regulations. 
The regulations for flying drones vary from country to country and organisers will need to appraise themselves of any prevailing rules before commissioning a drone show. In the UK drones are regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who are responsible for issuing Operational Authorisation which must be obtained by operators. Any proposed drone show must comply with their requirements which include making a safety case, detailing pilot qualifications and providing adequate insurance. Operators must coordinate any show with local air traffic control as well as adhering to regulations which dictate maximum altitude, safe distances from people and property and complying with designated no-fly zones. 

Process for Getting Started. 
Drone shows are performed by trained licensed operators and festival organisers will need to conduct due diligence on any proposed drone show operating company. Once commissioned the drone operating company will coordinate with festival organisers to produce the creative concept or theme and put together a show script and timing plan. Operators will be responsible for conducting all appropriate safety assessments for the proposed show. The drones are carefully prepared for flight time and connectivity in conjunction with flight control software. Operators will usually prefer to conduct practice sessions prior to the live festival dates to ensure that all drones are performing reliably and that any programmed flight control software is delivering the desired planned effect. 

Other Considerations. 
The costs of commissioning a drone show are not cheap and can start at around $20.000 for a 100 drone show going up to $200,000 for a 300 drone show for example. However, these costs can be comparable to a traditional fireworks display but advances in technology and increased competition will probably drive down the price of drone show in the future. Festival organisers may want to consider contingency plans in the eventually of high winds and adverse weather which can lead to the cancellation of a drone show. 

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by young shanahan

<< Back to articles