Vivid Sydney’s drone show has been suspended indefinitely after dozens of drones fell from the sky during a performance at Darling Harbour, prompting multiple cancellations and an investigation.
Organisers confirmed Monday night’s 7.30pm “Star-Bound” show was halted due to “unforeseen technical difficulties”, with the later 9.30pm performance also cancelled.
Tuesday and Wednesday’s shows have since been scrapped while authorities assess the incident.
“We apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience caused to attendees,” a Vivid Sydney spokesperson said.
“The specialist operators identified a technical issue and made the decision to safely discontinue the show in line with standard safety protocols.”
Drone operator SKYMAGIC said 89 drones fell into the water after an “unforeseen change in the radio frequency (RF) environment” disrupted the system and triggered automatic failsafe landings.
“The pilot team encountering the issue immediately performed a stop command rendering the fleet stationary in the air,” the company said.
SKYMAGIC insisted “no vehicle escaped the safety boundary” and said all safety procedures were followed.
However, Darling Harbour employee Robert told ABC Local Radio the incident appeared to be a “catastrophic failure”.
“Drones can go wrong, but for them to severely go haywire … was a big concern,” he said.
“They kept falling, including, from reports, entering the crowd, as well as I witnessed myself, crashing into the marina and almost hitting some marina workers.”
Authorities are now assessing whether drone shows scheduled from May 31 onwards will proceed.
This year’s Vivid Sydney program featured its biggest drone schedule to date, with 22 performances planned across 11 nights.
Vivid Sydney have also confirmed that a press conference will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art later today to provide an update on the show and technical issues behind the incident.
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