The Pyromusical de la Merc is still something unique and special, but in two years the drone show ‘Shapes of Barcelona’ It has managed to captivate me in the same way. This week were the holidays in my city and once the two night shows were over I haven’t stopped thinking about how drones are going to end up replacing fireworks.
It won’t be this year or next, but except for festivities that want to maintain the nostalgic sense, everything makes me think that drone shows are here to stay.
The advantages of drones are quite evident. They are just as colorful but they neither give off the smell of gunpowder nor make noise.. The latter in itself is a compelling argument, as it is the reason why they are being banned in countries like Switzerland and even in different towns in Spain.
But let’s say we don’t care about that. Let’s say we are a party town and we like focus points and the masclet. Personally, the Pyromusical is a date that I have marked on the calendar. Since I was a teenager I’ve tried not to miss it, but the drone show offers me something different. More innovative and original.
The show produced by Flock Drone Arte It is much smaller than the Piromusical that closes the Merc festivals, but it has been growing. Last year there were 200 drones, this year there were 300 on the beach of Barceloneta.
In Spain we are still very far from what we get from China, where they are used to shows with more than 3,000 drones. And precisely for this reason I believe that drones are going to grow in popularity quickly in our country. What we are seeing here is just the beginning.
Drones allow all kinds of shapes and colors. In motion and with a three-dimensional effect
The sensations produced by a drone show are largely similar to those of fireworks. We were stunned looking at the sky, watching lights of different colors dance. A fusion of light and movement which is usually combined with music.
Lighting up the sky at night and seeing it from the beach is magical. Drones allow you to create all kinds of shapes and achieve a three-dimensional effect of depth that is more difficult with fireworks.
Drone safety is something that also affects the experience. Mainly because allows us to see the show from closer. We may have a small rocket close by, but the classic giant palm tree is from further away. With drones it is a closer feeling, which also makes it more spectacular.
Not everything is advantages. The nostalgia for the lack of fire and gunpowder is palpable and there is a big difference that I hope will improve over time: dynamism. The fireworks move in the sky very fast, the drones go little by little. In the future, in addition to more drones I would like drones to fly through the sky faster.
The narrative possibilities that drone shows provide go much further. In the case of La Merc, we had everything from the Sagrada Familia to the dragon of Parc Gell, passing through the characteristic Glries tower whose official name no one remembers but we all describe it for what it is.
Each city will have a personalized drone show. This is very good, because the novelty factor is easier to achieve. Many fireworks shows in the end looked alike, with drone shows there are new forms every time.
It is very easy to adapt representative figures of each city. A touch of personalization that is difficult to achieve with pyrotechnics.
Another limiting aspect at the moment is the technical characteristics of the drones themselves. Specifically to autonomy. The Drones usually have a maximum autonomy of about 20 minutesbut it’s better not to start running out of them ahead of time. This is why drone shows last less than fire shows, usually less than 15 minutes.
Over time the autonomy of the drones will improve and little by little they will eventually be equipped with a firecracker show. It should also be noted that in many drone shows some fall in a controlled manner before the end of the show, so the security perimeter is also important.
Just follow the money: Drone shows can be easily sponsored.
If we have something in Barcelona, it is exorbitant prices. That’s why any opportunity to monetize something is always welcome. If the Piromusical was sponsored by Rosala, the drone show suddenly showed the Cupra logo. But the truth is that it didn’t seem out of place. What was a red heart became the logo of the car manufacturer. He was there for a short time and was still striking. A quite natural way to integrate advertising, which will predictably lead to more brands willing to put it on the table so that there are more shows. If the wheel spins, the show continues.
New Year’s Eve, popular festivals… changing the number every year is trivial with drones.
And that the particular image of each show is not missing. With drones it is super easy to place the year number. That is why it is increasingly common to see drone shows to celebrate the end of the year. If we review the photos we have taken, it is easy to remember where each show occurred because we surely have a photo of when they formed the name.
What I have been able to see is a few hundred of them. They don’t yet have the spectacular nature of fireworks, but everything will work out. What does happen is that In a couple of editions they have already generated indelible memories in my memory and that of those close to me. And that can only mean that despite being hundreds of small flying robots, they are capable of evoking the magical nights of pyrotechnics.
Images | Flock Drone Art | Xataka
In Xataka | Fireworks are at the center of an increasingly heated controversy. We have substitutes: drones
