Shenzhen's dazzling drone show sets two world records

The 75th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China, celebrated in the last days of September 2024, was marked by a spectacular show over the city of Shenzhen. More than 10,000 drones lit up the sky, breaking two world records.

Precisely 10,197 unmanned aerial vehicles took to the sky over Shenzhen, a city with over 12 million residents, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. This broke the record set just a few weeks earlier on September 3, 2024. That previous record was also set in China during the 72nd anniversary of the Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Yanbian. At that event, "only" 7,598 drones were used.

The show in Shenzhen set a world record for the largest number of drones simultaneously in the air using one computer. Additionally, the drones set another record for the largest number of drones creating an aerial image.

Numerous recordings of the event quickly spread on social media. On platforms like X, viewers can watch how thousands of drones illuminate the sky over Shenzhen, creating various patterns, including scenes inspired by martial arts.

How was such a complex show executed? The show used small sports drones equipped with multicoloured LED lighting. This technology, similar to large television screens or small smartphones, allowed the drones to arrange the images "pixel by pixel." The drones were controlled by one computer, supported by artificial intelligence, which ensured that each flying object positioned itself in the correct location at the right time.