Organizers of Australia’s internationally renowned Vivid Sydney festival have cancelled all remaining drone performances after a major technical malfunction caused dozens of drones to fall from the sky during a large-scale aerial display over Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

The decision follows an incident on Monday night during the drone show Star-Bound, when 83 drones unexpectedly plunged into the waters of Cockle Bay while six others landed on a nearby boardwalk after experiencing what organizers described as “unforeseen technical difficulties.”

No injuries were reported, and authorities confirmed that safety measures in place prevented the incident from posing a direct threat to spectators.

Following the malfunction, four scheduled drone performances on Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled while engineers and safety experts conducted an extensive technical review. On Saturday, festival organizers announced that all remaining drone shows planned for the next two weeks would also be scrapped.

In a statement, Vivid Sydney said the decision was made after a comprehensive assessment of the incident and in consultation with technical specialists and regulatory authorities.

“Providing certainty for visitors, residents and event attendees as Vivid Sydney continues over the coming weeks has also been an important consideration in making this decision,” organizers said.

To compensate for the cancellation of the drone displays, Vivid Sydney announced that enhanced fireworks shows would accompany the popular Laser Lightfall installation in Darling Harbour during the time slots originally allocated for drone performances.

“Public safety remains the absolute priority and all decisions have been guided by expert technical and regulatory advice,” the statement added.

The drone displays were operated by UK-based aerial entertainment company Skymagic, which has launched an investigation into the incident. According to preliminary findings, an unexpected disruption to the radio frequency environment occurred shortly after take-off, affecting the positional accuracy of part of the drone fleet.

Skymagic's Head of Operations and Production, Dyfan Rhys, said early evidence suggests the malfunction was not caused by malicious interference, although investigators continue to examine all possible scenarios.

“Early indications show there was no foul play present, but we are still investigating all possibilities,” Rhys said.

He explained that while operators were able to stabilize the majority of the drones in the air, a portion of the fleet encountered difficulties after reaching a geofence boundary—a virtual safety perimeter used to control drone movements.

The dramatic incident quickly attracted attention online, with videos showing multiple drones falling into the harbour circulating widely across social media platforms. Despite the alarming footage, officials stressed that no members of the public were endangered.

The cancellation represents a significant change to one of Vivid Sydney’s most popular attractions, which has drawn large crowds to Darling Harbour throughout the festival. Organizers, however, said they remain committed to delivering a safe and memorable experience through the event’s remaining light installations, projections, live performances, and enhanced fireworks displays.

Investigations into the technical failure are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with findings likely to influence future drone-based entertainment events in Australia and abroad. (ILKHA)

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