Drone light shows are the fireworks of the future. Here's how they work

Whale drone at the coronation of King Charles III concert
(Image credit: Getty)

On Sunday evening, 22,000 people attended Windsor Castle, and a further 18 million tuned in to watch the coronation concert in honor of King Charles III. Stars such as Katy Perry, Take That, and Lionel Richie all took to the stage alongside a 300-strong choir made of NHS staff, servicemen, and refugees. Even Kermit and Miss Piggy made an appearance. 

The event was broadcast from 11 different locations around the UK, including the Eden Project in Cornwall and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester. At each location luminous drone displays could be seen, taking place as the night fell and the sky provided the perfect canvas. In total, more than 1,000 drones took the skies to form images; anything from bees to whales — even a watering can. Which got me thinking, how does a drone light show work?

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Hannah Rooke
Staff Writer

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. For the last 3 years Hannah has worked at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With 5 years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.