'Catastrophic failure' after drones malfunction at Vivid Sydney show
The Vivid Sydney festival's drone show has been cancelled following a technical malfunction that caused 89 drones to fall into the harbour. The incident occurred during the performance, leading to concerns about public safety. Organizers are currently assessing the situation and have cancelled subsequent shows until further notice.
- ▪A technical malfunction caused 89 drones to fall into Cockle Bay during the Vivid Sydney festival's drone show.
- ▪The operator, SkyMagic, reported that a change in radio frequency triggered failsafe landing procedures for the drones.
- ▪No injuries were reported, and the drones did not land outside the designated exclusion zone.
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Vivid Sydney drone shows cancelled for now after malfunction saw 89 drones fall into the harbourBy Jean KennedyTopic:Arts EventsTue 26 May 2026 at 7:42amTue 26 May 2026 at 7:42amTue 26 May 2026 at 7:42amLoading...In short:Vivid Sydney festival's drone show has been cancelled for now after a technical malfunction on Monday night.The drone show's operator says a change in radio frequency caused 89 drones to fall into the harbour around Cockle Bay.What's next?A Vivid Sydney spokesperson says Tuesday and Wednesday's drone shows will not go ahead, with no decision yet made for Sunday's show.abc.net.au/news/technical-issues-force-cancellation-vivid-drone-show-monday/106721200Link copiedShareShare articleVivid Sydney festival's drone show has been cancelled for now after a technical malfunction…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).