Vivid Sydney has cancelled all remaining drone performances scheduled for this year’s festival after a technical malfunction caused dozens of drones to fall into Sydney Harbour earlier this week.
In a statement, festival organisers said the decision followed an “unforeseen technical issue” during the Star-Bound drone show on Monday night.
“Following Monday night’s unforeseen technical issue at the Vivid Sydney ‘Star-Bound’ drone performance, Vivid Sydney can confirm the remaining drone shows scheduled for this year’s festival will not proceed,” the statement said.
The festival announced that fireworks displays will replace the cancelled drone performances and will accompany the Laser Lightfall experience at Darling Harbour during the previously scheduled show times.
Organisers also confirmed that efforts are underway to recover the drones that crashed into the harbour during Monday’s performance.
The incident occurred during the 7.30pm Star-Bound show when nearly 90 drones suddenly fell from the sky, forcing the event to be abandoned. A second performance scheduled for 9.30pm was also cancelled, along with several other drone shows planned throughout the week, to allow for a comprehensive technical and safety review.
Drone operator SKYMAGIC previously said the malfunction was triggered by an unexpected change in the radio frequency (RF) environment after take-off. The company has now stated that it is working closely with authorities to determine the source of the external interference that activated the drones’ safety response system.
“This process requires further technical, operational data and local assessment,” SKYMAGIC said.
Vivid Sydney acknowledged that the cancellation would disappoint many visitors but stressed that public safety and providing certainty for festival-goers remain its highest priorities.
The annual event began last weekend, featuring large-scale light installations, live music, food experiences and cultural attractions across Sydney. The drone show returned this year after proving highly popular in 2024, although it was not held in 2025 due to safety concerns.
The drone program faced challenges from the outset, with the first scheduled performance on Sunday night cancelled because of rain. While the later Sunday show went ahead successfully, Monday’s events were disrupted by the technical failure.
Vivid Sydney is scheduled to continue until June 13.