A technical malfunction caused 89 drones to fall into Sydney Harbour during a Vivid Sydney drone show on Monday night, leading to the cancellation of subsequent performances. The operator, SkyMagic, attributed the incident to an unforeseen change in radio frequency that triggered failsafe landing procedures.
Witnesses reported drones crashing into the water and marina wharf near Cockle Bay, with one observer describing it as a 'catastrophic failure'. Robert, a Darling Harbour worker, told the ABC he saw drones falling within metres of people and heard them smash onto the cement marina.
SkyMagic stated that no drones escaped the safety boundary of the show parameters and that no injuries were reported. Vivid Sydney confirmed that no drones landed outside the designated exclusion zone, and public safety was not compromised.
Vivid Sydney cancelled the drone shows scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday to allow for a full assessment. A decision on Sunday's show has not yet been made. Destination NSW head Karen Jones said the radio frequency interference was not deliberate, and further investigations are underway.
