Flying machines writing messages in the air? Yes, the future of robotics is in Dubai and it’s free to watch every night. Thanks to the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and the series of fun activations and events that accompany it, Dubai residents can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in wonder at a daily drone show in Dubai.
The DSF Drones Light show is a cutting-edge production that’s back for the 28th season of DSF after it created a buzz last year. A swarm of drones assemble in various shapes and letters to create images and messages in the sky and it’s a jaw-dropping sight to behold. The drone show takes flight every night this month until January 29 at two locations: Bluewaters and The Beach, JBR.
Nightly performances at the waterfront destinations see fleets of these unmanned aerial robots take off from the ground in perfect synchronisation. Once mid-air, they zoom around to arrange themselves into stunning 3D shapes, patterns and words to tell a story. The result is a view that looks like a thousand fireflies are dancing to the tune of an invisible conductor tracing shapes in the air.
Pretty magical right? But it’s good old science, and two pilots, who do all the behind-the-scenes work, operating the 500 drones that put on this spell-binding drone show in Dubai.
These choreographed performances by the drones are set to original music composed specially and viewers will be provided with Augmented Reality (AR) headsets to fully immerse themselves. The shows depict two main stories and each show lasts for five minutes. One narrative tells the tale of a day in the life of a tourist, from landing at Dubai Airport to visiting landmark destinations across the city.
The second story will whisk audiences to the future and gives you a sneak peek of what Dubai could look like in the year 2040. The shows are absolutely free and happen at 7pm and 10pm every night. But it’s a smart call to arrive there earlier and nab a great viewing spot.
Besides the drone show, DSF festivities also include daily fireworks display that you can catch at pre-appointed spots in the city. Here’s the schedule:
- Until January 15, there’s a nightly fireworks show at Bluewaters and The Beach, JBR at 8:30pm.
- January 16 – 23 onwards, the fireworks show will set up home at Dubai Festival City Mall at 9pm every night.
- Head to The Pointe from January 24-29 to see colourful fireworks burst above the world’s largest fountain.