If you want a fresh way to feel the holiday spirit this year, it’s not just the mall lights or neighborhood displays you’ll be looking at. Holiday drone shows are sweeping across the US, offering families a high-tech reason to bundle up and head outdoors. And leading the charge is Sky Elements, a drone light show provider that’s planning more than 80 shows from early December through New Year’s Eve.
Sky Elements, which claims 16 Guinness World Records, says many of this season’s shows will employ synchronized fleets as large as 1,500 drones, delivering aerial spectacles that bring holiday cheer in a whole new way. Their drone shows are free to the public, and each is customized to reflect the community hosting it, says Rick Boss, the company’s CEO. The choreography promises holiday-themed imagery like Santa, Christmas trees, and more, all dancing overhead in carefully choreographed formations.
Among the standout performances: a 1,500-drone New Year’s Eve show in Austin, Texas, and at least nine additional events that will feature between 400 and 550 drones. Some of the bigger ones even integrate pyrotechnic drones — essentially “fireworks-on-drones.” That lets communities enjoy aerial pyrotechnics without the traditional downsides of fireworks like noise pollution, fire risk, or smoke
Chevrolet adds its own holiday glow with a 1,000-drone show
Along with the nationwide drone-show frenzy, Chevrolet is keeping its own holiday tradition alive. The automaker has launched its fifth annual Holiday Card to America campaign, beginning on Thanksgiving Day in San Diego and stretching across five cities. As part of the celebration, a caravan of Silverado EVs is traveling 2,987 miles, stopping in Dallas on Dec. 4, Nashville on Dec. 7, Atlanta on Dec. 9, and Detroit on Dec. 11.
Each stop features community festivities and — fittingly — a 1,000-drone light show. It’s a blend of nostalgia (Chevy’s holiday storytelling always leans cozy and sentimental) and next-gen technology, landing right in the center of this year’s drone-show wave.
Thinking of going? Here’s what to know
- Check the official city schedule so you don’t miss the show. Sky Elements’ drone show schedule can be found here.
- Arrive early; crowds form quickly for these short, tightly timed events.
- Stay alert, especially at crowded shows. Even though drones are considered safer than fireworks, they’re still machines in the sky, and previous incidents have proven that technical glitches can lead to real danger.
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