Are Drone Light Shows Replacing Fireworks Displays?

As the country gears up for Independence Day, more and more cities are ditching fireworks for drones.

Jack Daleo

Friday, June 30, 2023 at 05:38 PM ET

Verified

Patriotic drones dominate the skies in Blue Ash, Ohio, at a 2021 July 4 celebration. [Credit: Verge Aero]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. cities are increasingly replacing traditional fireworks displays with drone light shows for public celebrations.
Drone shows are preferred for being safer (reducing fire risk and injuries), more environmentally friendly, quieter, and offering greater creative potential in the sky.
However, drone light shows face significant drawbacks, including substantially higher costs, complex FAA regulatory requirements, and potential technical issues or weather restrictions.

See a mistake? Contact us.

That bombastic neighborhood Fourth of July fireworks display you saw last year may have been your last. Increasingly, cities and towns across the U.S. are ditching pyrotechnics in favor of a colorful alternative.

The first drone light show took place in 2012 in the skies of Linz, Austria, dazzling the crowd with what was, at the time, something out of science fiction. Since then, they’ve popped up just about everywhere, from America’s Got Talent to the Super Bowl.