A drone show is a fleet of lit drones flown by one computer to draw pictures in the night sky, usually for 5 to 15 minutes. Find an announced public show near you by state and month, or price your own: show companies publish $150 to $400 a drone, so 200 drones cost about $30,000 to $80,000.
The list changes as you choose. It holds public shows that an organizer has announced on its own page, from today on; nothing you choose is saved or sent.
The finder needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser. Every show on our list is in the table below, by date.
28 public drone shows on our list from November 15, 2026
| Show | When | Where | Entry | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th Annual Christmas at The Grove | Mon, Nov 16, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Los Angeles, CAThe Grove, 189 The Grove Drive | Free | The Grove (Caruso)Source: The Grove, 25th Annual Christmas at The Grove event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Winter Lights | Fri, Nov 20, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Aurora, ILDowner Place and the Fox River banks, downtown Aurora | Free | City of AuroraSource: City of Aurora, Winter Lights page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Mile High Drone Shows | Nov 20 to Dec 31, 20267:00 PM, local timeEvery night | Denver, COLaunched just west of downtown; viewing at Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus | Free | Visit Denver (show hosted by MSU Denver)Show by Brightflight Drone ShowsSource: Visit Denver, Mile High Holidays drone shows page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Lighting of the Tree | Fri, Nov 20, 20267:00 PM, local time | Mobile, ALMardi Gras Park, 109 Government St | Free | City of MobileSource: City of Mobile, Lighting of the Tree 2026 event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Lights Before Christmas drone shows | Nov 20 to Nov 21, 2026Time: on the organizer's page6:00 PM Friday, 7:00 PM Saturday | Toledo, OHToledo Zoo & Aquarium | TicketZoo entry with a reservation: adults $32, children (2-11) and seniors (60+) $29, under 2 free | Toledo Zoo & AquariumSource: Toledo Zoo, Lights Before Christmas page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Town Tree Lighting | Sat, Nov 21, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Brookfield, WIThe Corners Shopping Center, Market Square | Not stated by the organizer | Town of BrookfieldSource: Town of Brookfield, Town Tree Lighting event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Show | When | Where | Entry | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th Annual Christmas at The Grove | Mon, Nov 16, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Los Angeles, CAThe Grove, 189 The Grove Drive | Free | The Grove (Caruso)Source: The Grove, 25th Annual Christmas at The Grove event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Winter Lights | Fri, Nov 20, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Aurora, ILDowner Place and the Fox River banks, downtown Aurora | Free | City of AuroraSource: City of Aurora, Winter Lights page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Mile High Drone Shows | Nov 20 to Dec 31, 20267:00 PM, local timeEvery night | Denver, COLaunched just west of downtown; viewing at Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus | Free | Visit Denver (show hosted by MSU Denver)Show by Brightflight Drone ShowsSource: Visit Denver, Mile High Holidays drone shows page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Lighting of the Tree | Fri, Nov 20, 20267:00 PM, local time | Mobile, ALMardi Gras Park, 109 Government St | Free | City of MobileSource: City of Mobile, Lighting of the Tree 2026 event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Lights Before Christmas drone shows | Nov 20 to Nov 21, 2026Time: on the organizer's page6:00 PM Friday, 7:00 PM Saturday | Toledo, OHToledo Zoo & Aquarium | TicketZoo entry with a reservation: adults $32, children (2-11) and seniors (60+) $29, under 2 free | Toledo Zoo & AquariumSource: Toledo Zoo, Lights Before Christmas page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Town Tree Lighting | Sat, Nov 21, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Brookfield, WIThe Corners Shopping Center, Market Square | Not stated by the organizer | Town of BrookfieldSource: Town of Brookfield, Town Tree Lighting event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Holiday Lights and Flight Fest | Sat, Nov 21, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Lilburn, GALilburn City Park, 340 Main Street | Not stated by the organizer | City of LilburnSource: City of Lilburn, Holiday Lights and Flight Fest page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights: Drone Show & Fireworks Celebration | Nov 21, Nov 28 and Dec 12, 20267:00 PM, local timeWith fireworks | Natchitoches, LACane River Lake | TicketDowntown Riverbank armband: $20 admission after 1 PM, ages 6 and under free | Natchitoches Christmas FestivalSource: Natchitoches Christmas Festival, 2026 Festival of Lights schedule page, read November 15, 2026; entry: Natchitoches Christmas Festival, tickets page, read November 15, 2026 |
| HolidayFest: Night of Lights | Wed, Nov 25, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Fort Wayne, INDowntown Fort Wayne | Not stated by the organizer | Downtown Fort WayneShow by Sky ElementsSource: Sky Elements, Where to See a Drone Light Show page, read November 15, 2026 |
| MI Bright Lights Drone Show Nights | Nov 25, Dec 2, Dec 9 and Dec 16, 20266:30 PM, local time | Milford, MICamp Dearborn, 1700 General Motors Rd | TicketDrone night ticket: $37.51 ($35.00 + $2.51 fee), the drive-through lights included | MI Bright LightsSource: MI Bright Lights, organizer ticket page (TicketSpice), read November 15, 2026 |
| Holly Jolly Brawley 2026 | Fri, Nov 27, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Charleston, WVCity Center at Slack Plaza | Free | City of CharlestonShow by Sky ElementsSource: Sky Elements, Where to See a Drone Light Show page, read November 15, 2026; entry: Charleston CVB, Holly Jolly Brawley event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Frankenmuth Christmas Experience Kickoff | Fri, Nov 27, 20267:30 PM, local time | Frankenmuth, MIDowntown Frankenmuth (635 S Main St) | Not stated by the organizer | Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce & CVBSource: Frankenmuth Chamber & CVB, Christmas Experience Kickoff event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| 14th Annual Festival of Lights, Opening Night | Fri, Nov 27, 20267:00 PM, local time | Manhattan, KSBlue Earth Plaza | FreeNo tickets needed | Manhattan Festival of LightsSource: Manhattan Festival of Lights, official site home page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Night of Lights | Mon, Nov 30, 2026approx. 7:05 PM, local time | Herriman, UTCrane Park Field, J. Lynn Crane Park | Not stated by the organizer | Herriman CitySource: Herriman City, Night of Lights page, read November 15, 2026 |
| The Energy Corridor District's Annual Tree Lighting | Thu, Dec 3, 20268:15 PM, local time | Houston, TXHyatt Regency Houston West, 13210 Katy Freeway | FreeNo tickets required; RSVP asked | The Energy Corridor DistrictSource: The Energy Corridor District, 2026 Tree Lighting Celebration page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Electric Safari: Centennial Drone Show | Dec 4, 2026 to Dec 23, 2026 and Dec 25, 2026 to Jan 1, 20277:30 PM, local timeEvery night, weather permitting; the zoo is closed December 24 | Colorado Springs, COCheyenne Mountain Zoo | TicketAdvance timed tickets: adults (12-64) $19.75 to $24.75, seniors (65+) $17.75 to $22.75, children (3-11) $15.75 to $20.75, ages 2 and under 75¢; zoo members free | Cheyenne Mountain ZooSource: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Electric Safari page, read November 15, 2026 |
| 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting | Sat, Dec 5, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Boynton Beach, FLCentennial Park & Amphitheater, 120 E. Ocean Avenue | Not stated by the organizer | City of Boynton BeachSource: City of Boynton Beach, Holidays in Boynton Beach page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Brightspeed's Merry + Bright Christmas Drone Light Show | Sat, Dec 5, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Pittsboro, NCMOSAIC at Chatham Park, 457 Freedom Parkway | FreeTickets are $0.00 on the organizer's page | MOSAIC at Chatham ParkShow by Air Vision Drone ShowSource: MOSAIC at Chatham Park, Eventeny event page posted by the organizer, read November 15, 2026 |
| 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting | Sat, Dec 5, 20267:40 PM, local time | Warren, MIWarren City Square, 1 City Square | Free | City of WarrenSource: City of Warren, 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Christmas Bricktacular: Festive drone show featuring LEGO Santa | Dec 5, Dec 12 and Dec 19 to Dec 30, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Winter Haven, FLLEGOLAND Florida Resort | TicketIncluded in park admission: from $69 a person, $129 a person at the front gate | LEGOLAND Florida ResortSource: LEGOLAND Florida, Holidays at LEGOLAND page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Dickens on Centre | Dec 11 to Dec 12, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Fernandina Beach, FLDowntown Fernandina Beach (Main Stage area) | FreeThe festival is free; a Fezziwig's Courtyard table with a view of the show is $255 for up to four, not required | Amelia Island Convention and Visitors BureauSource: Amelia Island CVB, Dickens on Centre Fezziwig's Courtyard 2026 ticket page, read November 15, 2026; entry: Amelia Island CVB, Dickens on Centre page, read November 15, 2026 |
| City of Early 75th Anniversary Celebration | Sat, Dec 12, 2026Time: on the organizer's page | Early, TXHolly Jolly Tree Trail | Not stated by the organizer | City of EarlyShow by Sky ElementsSource: City of Early, news flash on the 75th Anniversary Celebration, read November 15, 2026 |
| Deck the Slopes: Holiday Party + Drone Show | Sat, Dec 19, 2026approx. 5:45 PM, local time | Winter Park, COWinter Park Resort, 85 Parsenn Road | Free | Winter Park ResortSource: Winter Park Resort, Deck the Slopes Weekend 3 page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Gatlinburg New Year's Eve Celebration and Ball Drop | Thu, Dec 31, 2026approx. 11:50 PM, local time | Gatlinburg, TNDowntown Gatlinburg; drones above the Gatlinburg Convention Center | Free | Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors BureauSource: Gatlinburg CVB, New Year's Eve Celebration and Ball Drop event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| New Year's Eve at Waterside Place | Thu, Dec 31, 2026midnight, local time | Lakewood Ranch, FLWaterside Place, 7500 Island Cove Terrace | Not stated by the organizer | Lakewood RanchSource: Lakewood Ranch, New Year's Eve event page, read November 15, 2026 |
| New Year's Eve Annual Drone Show | Thu, Dec 31, 20266:00 PM, local time | Provincetown, MAProvincetown Harbor at MacMillan Pier | Not stated by the organizer | Provincetown Office of TourismSource: Provincetown Office of Tourism, Events calendar, read November 15, 2026 |
| New Year's Eve Grape Drop | Thu, Dec 31, 20269:00 PM, local time | Temecula, CACivic Center Quad | Not stated by the organizer | City of TemeculaSource: City of Temecula, Holiday Fun page, read November 15, 2026 |
| Alameda County Fair: Drone Show & Fireworks Spectacular | Jun 18 and Jul 3, 2027Time: on the organizer's pageFireworks nights; the show also follows the grandstand concerts on other fair nights, never July 4; the 2027 fair days are not out yet | Pleasanton, CAMichelob Ultra Grandstand, Alameda County Fairgrounds | TicketIncluded in fair admission: $17.60 (ages 13-61) and $14.30 (6-12, 62+) in advance, $19.80 and $16.50 at the fair | Alameda County FairSource: Alameda County Fair, Drone Show & Fireworks Spectacular page, read November 15, 2026; entry: Alameda County Fair, official box office ticket page, read November 15, 2026 |
Each show and its entry price were read on its organizer's page on November 15, 2026, and we check the list monthly. Dates, times and prices change: look at the organizer's page before you go. A show not on the list may still be on: many are announced only a few weeks ahead.
Show companies publish $150 to $400 a drone, and their starting prices for a small show run from $15,000 to $20,000; the number of drones sets most of the price.
The estimate changes as you choose. It is a range from the prices show companies publish and what cities paid, not a quote; nothing you choose is saved or sent.
The calculator needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser. The table below gives the published price for 100 to 500 drones and what cities paid.
Before any choice: what 100 to 500 drones cost at published prices
| Size | At $150 to $400 a drone | City contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 100 drones | $15,000 to $40,000 | Irvine $38,000 (2025) |
| 200 drones | $30,000 to $80,000 | No signed contract on our list |
| 300 drones | $45,000 to $120,000 | Flagstaff $95,000 (2025) |
| 400 drones | $60,000 to $160,000 | Greenacres $110,000 for 2 shows (2025); Flagstaff $122,500 (2026) |
| 500 drones | $75,000 to $200,000 | No signed contract on our list |
From $15,000
FAA authorization and up to 4 custom animations included.
Open Sky Drone Light Shows, Services page, read November 15, 2026
Smaller shows from $20,000
Its FAQ also gives $15,000 for smaller stock shows; medium shows near $40,000, large shows above $100,000, all-inclusive.
Sky Elements, Drone Show Pricing Guide and Drone Light Show FAQ, read November 15, 2026
Typically from $20,000
American-made drones, FAA-licensed pilots and formations timed to a custom soundtrack.
Pyrotecnico, Drone Light Shows page, read November 15, 2026
From $50,000
Most shows $100,000 to $200,000, permits, travel and crew included.
Drone Stories, The Cost of the Story, read November 15, 2026
Per drone $150 to $400
A common show flies 200 to 400 drones; booking more shows or more days lowers the price per drone.
Glyphix Drone Shows, Drone Show FAQs, read November 15, 2026
Few drone show companies print a price at all; most quote after a call about the date, the place and the design. A small show of about 100 drones lands near those starting prices: Orland, California, was quoted $17,500 by Open Sky and $20,000 by Sky Elements for 100 drones in 2024, and Irvine paid Sky Elements $38,000 for a 100-drone July 4 show with a custom design in 2025.
Sky Elements prices its shows mainly on the number of drones; Open Sky names three variables: the drones, the place and date, and how custom the design is. A common show flies 200 to 400 drones (Glyphix); a small event can need as few as 50 (Sky Elements), and Drone Stories prefers at least 100.
Irvine's 100-drone show came to $380 a drone; Greenacres, Florida, paid Sky Elements $110,000 for two 400-drone shows in 2025, about $138 a drone a show. Glyphix says booking more shows or more days lowers the price per drone, and Skyworx offered Grand Lake, Colorado, 10% off each show when a town books several in one year.
July 4 and New Year's Eve are often the most expensive nights to book (Sky Elements). Town staff in Apex, North Carolina, wrote that fireworks and drone show prices rose across the country in 2026, the 250th anniversary year.
Most shows run 5 to 15 minutes, set by battery flight time (Sky Elements); Open Sky's drones fly up to 13 minutes, and Glyphix's shows average 9 to 12. A longer show needs more drones or two shows chained together (Glyphix): Flagstaff, Arizona, paid Open Sky $95,000 for 300 drones and 23 to 25 minutes in 2025.
Starting prices carry stock animations with a few custom ones: Open Sky's packages include up to 4 custom animations. Sky Elements prices detailed logos, 3D designs and QR codes case by case. West Monroe, Louisiana's contract with Aerial Illuminations for July 4, 2026 includes 80 to 100 hours of custom animation, and changes after the final mapping cost a $3,000 reanimation fee.
A crowded city can add road closures, city permits and paid launch space; Sky Elements names New York City.
Most U.S. quotes include them. Sky Elements' contract with Irvine covers shipping, travel, lodging, meals, animation, air permitting and custom music, though local permits other than the FAA's were the city's to get; Open Sky's proposal to Orland includes permits, travel, freight, lodging and meals. Skyworx asked Grand Lake for three hotel rooms for three nights and the launch site.
A second launch the same night costs $2,500 to $10,000 at Open Sky. A media package of photos and video was quoted at $2,500 (Open Sky and Grizzly Entertainment) and $7,800 (Sky Elements) in Orland's 2024 staff report.
Open Sky's package from $15,000 includes the FAA flight authorization, a check of the launch site, a standard show design with up to 4 custom animations and a programmed soundtrack. Sky Elements sells its shows all-inclusive, from creative development to insurance, and Drone Stories says permits, travel, freight and crew days are part of its number. If you're thinking of putting on a show, ask each company what its package leaves out: a media package, a second launch, local permits and hotel rooms are the usual extras in the quotes on our list.
The city contracts on our list asked for a deposit of 40% (Apex; Aerial Illuminations in West Monroe), 50% (Greenacres, Flagstaff, and Skyworx in Grand Lake) or 55% (Irvine) at signing. Sky Elements' contract with Irvine adds a 3.5% fee for card payments, and its cancellation fee is 50% of the price more than 30 days before the show, 75% inside 30 days and 100% inside 72 hours. Read the weather clause too: it says what happens when wind or rain stops the show.
Each drone in a show carries a bright LED light and flies its own preprogrammed path; one central computer keeps the whole fleet in time and a safe distance apart, so together the drones draw pictures, words and 3D shapes in the night sky.
What happens from booking to the last light, from the show companies' own pages:
The show company animates each picture for the fleet and sets the show to a soundtrack. Planning takes a few weeks to several months; Sky Elements once put a show together in three days, and Glyphix says most clients plan several months ahead.
Bern, Switzerland: the old town's clock tower in drones, 2026
The show company gets the FAA waiver that lets one pilot fly many drones, and the airspace approvals for the launch site (the FAA rules are below).
The FAA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The crew lays the drones out on the launch site, a few hours to a full day before the show; teardown takes one to several hours (Sky Elements).
The drones take off together, fly the program and land back on the site. A show typically runs 9 to 10 minutes, limited by battery flight time, and a second show can follow about 30 minutes later (Sky Elements; Glyphix gives the same turnaround).
A show over the Ashland County Airport, Ohio, in a long exposure
As few as 50 drones for a small event, 200 to 400 for most shows, thousands for the largest: Sky Elements says its 11,000-drone show in Blue Ridge, Texas, in September 2026 was the largest drone show ever flown in America.
Shows fly up to 400 ft above the ground, the Part 107 ceiling; Sky Elements says asking the FAA to go higher can take up to 90 days.
Show drones are small quadcopters with full-spectrum LED lights, not camera drones; Pyrotecnico flies American-made aircraft. Pyro drones, which carry fireworks effects into the sky, are a separate show that Sky Elements offers, and some companies fly small indoor shows too.
Drone shows have become a popular form of entertainment: cities, towns and their visitors bureaus put on most public shows, and campuses, brands, festivals and couples book their own, with hundreds of drones to create a name, a logo or a whole story in the sky.
July 4, New Year's Eve, tree lightings and festivals of lights. Most public shows on our list are put on by a city, a visitors bureau or a downtown group; zoos, resorts, festivals, a shopping center and a county fair put on the others. Cities book drone shows for July 4 months ahead, and what they paid is in the calculator above.
Baltimore's harbor, New Year's 2024
Pyrotecnico lists education among the events it works, beside sports, festivals, theme parks and weddings. In Denver, the nightly holiday shows are hosted by Metropolitan State University of Denver and watched from the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus.
Kansas State's Wildcat over Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas
Drone Stories lists festivals and concerts; Pyrotecnico lists sports, festivals, touring shows, residencies and theme parks. On our list, LEGOLAND Florida's holiday drone show features a LEGO Santa, and the Toledo and Cheyenne Mountain zoos add drone shows to their holiday lights.
A custom greeting at the Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque
Corporate companies needing a product launch or a logo in the sky book custom designs. For a drone product launch, the most complex image is most often the logo, a call to action or a scene that shows off the product, Sky Elements says, and a show can include company logos, 3D shapes and even a QR code.
A brand can also sponsor a public show: Brightspeed's Merry + Bright Christmas Drone Light Show in Pittsboro, North Carolina, is one on our list.
If you're looking to add a show to a wedding, Drone Stories prices it like any other show: for one wedding it flew 200 drones in a 12-minute show for 160 guests, and its shows start at $50,000. Pyrotecnico lists weddings among its events too.
Shows can be customized: a custom message, branding and a show set to music are the examples Glyphix gives, and Sky Elements expects drone light shows to keep growing more popular and less costly as the technology improves.
Set the number of drones and the minutes for a price range from published prices and what cities paid.
Price a showWhether you're looking for a show for a town, a campus or a wedding, a show company needs the date, the place, the size and the design; most organizers plan several months ahead, and the FAA waiver alone can take up to 90 days.
Glyphix says a show can come together in a few weeks, though most are planned several months ahead; Sky Elements gives a few weeks to several months, depending on how complex the show is. July 4 and New Year's Eve are often the most expensive nights to book (Sky Elements).
The drones need plenty of space and a safe distance from the audience. How much depends on the number of drones, the wind, how high they fly and the land or buildings around (Glyphix); Sky Elements names parks, stadiums and waterfronts as show sites and sets several geofences around the show area. A crowded city can add road closures and permits.
The price of a drone light show depends on the number of drones, the length, the place and its permits, and how complex the animation is (Drone Stories). The show is synchronized to music: Open Sky's packages include a programmed soundtrack, and Pyrotecnico times its formations to a custom one.
Make sure the show flies under an FAA waiver of 14 CFR 107.35 and that you hire an insured drone show company: Glyphix and Pyrotecnico carry comprehensive insurance, and Pyrotecnico issues certificates of insurance on request. Ask whether the drones are insured against any damage that may occur, and what the contract says about weather.
The crew lays the drones out on site a few hours to a full day before the show, depending on the number of drones and the complexity of the show (Sky Elements). If strong wind, heavy rain or lightning comes, the show is postponed or canceled.
A drone show flies under Part 107 with an FAA waiver: Part 107 lets one pilot fly only one drone at a time, so every show company needs a waiver of 14 CFR 107.35 before it can fly a fleet.
Not without a waiver. Part 107 lets a person fly or watch over one drone at a time; a show company flies hundreds under an FAA certificate of waiver of that rule.
WaiverA person may not manipulate flight controls or act as a remote pilot in command or visual observer in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.14 CFR 107.35; the FAA can waive it under 107.205(e)
This is the rule every drone light show needs waived.
Allowed with lights. Part 107 allows night flying when the pilot has passed the current test or training and each drone has anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles; the FAA lists flying at night without it among the waivers it grants.
LightsThe small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles that has a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.14 CFR 107.29(a)(2); the FAA can waive it under 107.205(b)
Civil twilight, outside Alaska the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, takes the same lights (107.29(b)).
Not over people unless they take part in the flight, sit under a cover or in a stopped vehicle, or the drone meets an FAA category for flight over people. Show companies keep a set distance between the drones and the audience.
Keep clearThat human being is directly participating in the operation of the small unmanned aircraft14 CFR 107.39(a), the first of three exceptions; the FAA can waive the rule under 107.205(g)
The FAA's waiver page counts any flight over any part of a person as over people, and hovering or circling above a crowd at a concert, parade or festival as sustained flight over an open-air assembly.
400 ft and 3 miles. No higher than 400 ft above the ground (higher only within 400 ft of a structure), at most 87 knots (100 mph), with at least 3 statute miles of visibility, 500 ft below and 2,000 ft sideways from clouds.
LimitsThe minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles.14 CFR 107.51(c); all of 107.51, (a) to (d), can be waived under 107.205(i)
A show that wants to fly higher than 400 ft asks the FAA for a waiver of this rule.
Seen with the eye. The pilot or a visual observer must be able to see the drones without binoculars, and know where they are and how they move.
In sightWith vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight …14 CFR 107.31; the FAA can waive it under 107.205(c)
Unaided vision: glasses and contact lenses count, binoculars do not.
Up to 90 days. A Part 107 waiver is asked for in the FAA's Aviation Integrated Safety (AIS) Services; the FAA tries to decide within 90 days, and cancels a request whose questions go unanswered for 30 days.
Plan aheadThe Administrator may issue a certificate of waiver authorizing a deviation from any regulation specified in § 107.205 if the Administrator finds that a proposed small UAS operation can safely be conducted under the terms of that certificate of waiver.14 CFR 107.200(a); FAA, Part 107 Waivers
The FAA grants a waiver only when the applicant shows how the show will be flown safely; a night waiver needs its own risk plan, or the FAA may limit it to daylight. Airspace approvals near airports stay in FAADroneZone.
Leave it at home. The FAA can close the air around an aerial demonstration or a major sporting event with a temporary flight restriction (TFR) published in a NOTAM; inside it nobody may fly except as the NOTAM allows.
No-flyWhen a NOTAM has been issued in accordance with this section, no person may operate an aircraft or device, or engage in any activity within the designated airspace area, except in accordance with the authorizations, terms, and conditions of the temporary flight restriction published in the NOTAM14 CFR 91.145(d)
For an aerial demonstration the closed area is normally 5 nautical miles around the site (91.145(e)).
Check the spot first: no-fly zones, temporary flight restrictions, airspace, the 400 ft ceiling and daylight, in one answer.
Can I fly here?Show companies plan for things going wrong: geofences keep each drone inside the show area, the audience stands a set distance away, and backup drones wait to fill a gap; strong wind, heavy rain or lightning stop a show.
Sky Elements keeps a safe distance between the drones and the audience, sets several geofences around the show area, and builds in redundant communication and backup drones: if something goes wrong with one drone, a backup takes its place and the show goes on. Pyrotecnico flies with FAA-licensed pilots and geofencing.
Sky Elements' usual limits are winds over 20 mph sustained or gusts over 30 mph; Glyphix stops at winds over 25 mph, and Pyrotecnico flies in winds up to 25 mph.
Show drones cannot fly in heavy rain (Sky Elements); heavy rain or snow and lightning stop a Glyphix show, though its drones fly below freezing.
Shows follow the FAA's visibility and cloud rules: 3 statute miles of visibility, 500 ft below and 2,000 ft away from clouds (14 CFR 107.51).
When the weather is wrong, the show is postponed or canceled (Sky Elements). Check the organizer's page on the day before you set out.
Sky Elements carries insurance for its shows, and Greenacres' contract with it lists insurance with the FAA approvals and travel.
A light show carries no fire, so it can fly where fireworks are a fire risk, and far more quietly (Glyphix). Pyro drones are the exception: they carry fireworks effects.
At the show, watch from the area the organizer names, keep to the public side of any fence around the launch site, and keep your own drone on the ground.
A drone show costs about what a medium to large fireworks show does, Sky Elements says, and city figures agree: contracts and quotes for 100 to 250 drones on our list ran $17,500 to $40,000, city fireworks contracts $10,850 to $35,000.
| Topic | Drone show | Fireworks |
|---|---|---|
| Published price | $150 to $400 a drone; small shows from $15,000 to $20,000 (Open Sky, Sky Elements, Pyrotecnico) | $500 to $1,000 a minute for a main event, $1,000 to $2,000 a minute for a pyromusical (Premier Pyrotechnics) |
| A 12-minute show | 200 drones: $30,000 to $80,000 | Main event: $6,000 to $12,000; pyromusical: $12,000 to $24,000 |
| What cities paid | Irvine $38,000 for 100 drones (2025); Apex $40,000 for 250 (2026); Flagstaff $95,000 for 300 and 23 to 25 minutes (2025) | Bisbee $10,850 (2025); Winnebago $19,420 for 24 to 25 minutes (2026); Dalton $35,000 (2025) |
| Length | 5 to 15 minutes, most 9 to 12 | Community displays 10 to 20 minutes (Premier Pyrotechnics) |
| What you see | Pictures, logos, words and 3D shapes that move, even a QR code | Bursts of color, light and smoke |
| Noise | Minimal noise (Sky Elements); the show is set to a soundtrack | Loud bangs |
| Fire | No flame, so it can fly where fireworks are a fire risk (Glyphix) | Sparks and burning debris; permit and fire department fees are often extra |
| Again the same night | The same drones fly again: a second launch $2,500 to $10,000 (Open Sky) | Each shell fires once |
Orland, California, set the two side by side in March 2024: staff expected $15,000 to $30,000 for a basic fireworks show, against quotes of $17,500 (Open Sky) and $20,000 (Sky Elements) for 100 drones. Berkeley staff estimated $160,000 in 2024 for a 25-minute, 200-drone show in place of the Marina fireworks. Premier Pyrotechnics prices fireworks in levels, from community displays of $2,000 to $7,000 to main events of typically $7,000 to $20,000 and pyromusicals of typically over $20,000, and names permit and barge fees as costs on top.
Drone fireworks usually means one of two things: a drone light show flown in place of fireworks, or a show where drones fly with a fireworks display or carry pyro effects themselves (pyro drones). Many shows combine the two (Glyphix): on our list, the Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights in Louisiana and the Alameda County Fair in California pair a drone show with fireworks.
Are drone shows better for the environment? The show companies say so: Sky Elements says its drones run on rechargeable batteries and make minimal noise and air pollution. A fireworks show burns its shells once and leaves smoke and debris near the site.
Most public drone shows fly on Independence Day and in the winter holidays; cities sign their July 4 contracts months ahead, and our list adds each show when its organizer announces it.
No public July 4, 2027 drone show is on our list yet: we add each one when its organizer announces it on its own page.
Already on the list for that July: the Alameda County Fair: Drone Show & Fireworks Spectacular in Pleasanton, California (fireworks nights; the show also follows the grandstand concerts on other fair nights, never July 4; the 2027 fair days are not out yet).
The dated July 4 contracts and quotes on our list went to city councils between November and May before the show, so most 4th of July drone shows are announced in spring. For America's 250th, Apex, North Carolina, booked 250 drones with custom patriotic images for its July 3, 2026 show at $40,000, and Flagstaff, Arizona, booked 400 drones for 20 to 25 minutes on July 4 at $122,500.
Tree lightings, festivals of lights, zoo light shows and holiday markets fly drone shows from late November; the finder above holds every one on our list. Some fly on many nights: Denver's Mile High Drone Shows, launched just west of downtown and watched from the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, fly every night from November 20 to December 31, 2026.
6 shows on our list fly on December 31, 2026. Times are local.
From the viewing area the organizer names: the show is designed to be seen from there, and the launch site is closed to the public. Come early for a free city show and check the organizer's page on the day for weather. If you're looking to take your own drone, leave it at home.
Mostly weather: winds over 20 to 25 mph, heavy rain or lightning (Sky Elements, Glyphix). The organizer posts a new date or a cancellation on its own page.
The rules behind a show, and the guides for flying for work.
Show companies publish $150 to $400 a drone (Glyphix) and starting prices of $15,000 (Open Sky) to $20,000 (Sky Elements, Pyrotecnico) for a small show; Drone Stories starts at $50,000. At those prices 100 drones cost $15,000 to $40,000, 200 drones $30,000 to $80,000 and 500 drones $75,000 to $200,000. The calculator above sets your size and length against what cities paid.
About $45,000 to $120,000 at the published $150 to $400 a drone. Flagstaff, Arizona, paid Open Sky $95,000 for 300 drones and a long show of 23 to 25 minutes in 2025, and Tigard, Oregon, staff estimated $105,000 to $120,000 for 300 drones with finer detail.
The length moves the price less than the number of drones does: most shows run 9 to 12 minutes anyway. A 10-minute show of 100 drones costs about $15,000 to $40,000 at published prices, 200 drones $30,000 to $80,000.
The Independence Day contracts on our list: Irvine, California, $38,000 for 100 drones (2025); Apex, North Carolina, $40,000 for 250 on July 3 (2026); West Monroe, Louisiana, $30,000 for 250 (2026); Flagstaff, Arizona, $95,000 for 300 (2025) and $122,500 for 400 (2026). July 4 is one of the most expensive nights to book (Sky Elements).
Usually not: Sky Elements prices its shows like a medium to large fireworks show. At published prices a 12-minute show of 200 drones costs $30,000 to $80,000, a 12-minute fireworks main event $6,000 to $12,000 and a pyromusical $12,000 to $24,000 (Premier Pyrotechnics). The drones can fly again the same night, and they can fly where fireworks are a fire risk (Glyphix).
$5,000 to $10,000 for a main-event display at Premier Pyrotechnics' $500 to $1,000 a minute, and $10,000 to $20,000 for a pyromusical fired to music at $1,000 to $2,000 a minute. Permit, fire department and barge fees are often extra.
Sky Elements says its 11,000-drone show in Blue Ridge, Texas, one of seven shows it flew there from September 27 to 29, 2026, was the largest drone show ever flown in America. The same week set Guinness World Records for the most drones flown in one week, 71,207, and the largest aerial display of a mythical creature, 10,183 drones.
Shows typically range from 5 to 15 minutes (Sky Elements), and Glyphix's average 9 to 12. Batteries set the limit: Open Sky's drones fly up to 13 minutes. A show of 20 minutes or more swaps in fresh drones or chains two shows together (Glyphix).
Pick your state and month in the finder at the top of this page: it lists public shows announced on the organizer's own page, with the date, the place, the organizer and the entry: free, the ticket price as the organizer prints it, or not stated. Shows are often announced only a few weeks ahead, so check your city's and your county fair's event pages too.
Many are. Of the 28 shows on our list, 12 are free to watch, 6 need a ticket, and for 10 the organizer's page does not say. The finder shows each show's entry as its organizer prints it.
The ticketed shows, with the prices their organizers print:
Mostly weather. Sky Elements' usual limits are winds over 20 mph sustained or gusts over 30 mph; Glyphix stops at winds over 25 mph, heavy rain or snow, and lightning. A show is then postponed or canceled, and the organizer says which on its own page.
No. Flying over the crowd breaks the rule on flying over people, and the FAA can close the air around an aerial demonstration with a temporary flight restriction (14 CFR 91.145). Check any spot with Can I fly here? before you fly.
Yes. Part 107 allows one drone per pilot, so a show company needs an FAA waiver of 14 CFR 107.35, and of any other rule its show breaks, plus airspace approval near an airport. The FAA tries to decide a waiver within 90 days.
Documents are named, not linked. Shows and their ticket prices were read on their organizers' pages, drone show prices on show companies' pages and in city records, all on November 15, 2026; they change, and we check the list of shows monthly.
Photos: NASA/Bill Ingalls (public domain). Wikimedia Commons: Warren LeMay (CC BY-SA 2.0), Hannah Clover (CC BY 4.0), Karlheinz Klingbeil (CC BY 4.0), Orville Wright Building by APK (CC BY 4.0), ZLEA (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Kansas State Drone Show by Dawson Wagner (CC BY 4.0). Flickr: Ashland Drone Show by Tom Hart (CC BY 4.0), Baltimore Drone Show by Patrick Denker (CC BY 4.0), Balloon Fiesta Drone Show by Jesse James (CC BY 4.0), Lakeland Drone Show by Kev Cook (CC BY 4.0) and bossco (CC BY-SA 2.0).