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Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about wearing glasses with DJI Goggles. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
Thanks for the information so far regarding Avata 2 and flying indoors; I find it very helpful! My one concern is: how well would the goggles work if I wear glasses normally?
Ahead of buying the DJI Avata 2, glasses-wearers probably wonder if the two can work together. The answer is yes, you can wear glasses with DJI Goggles – kinda. The thing is, you don’t actually wear them.
Sally French, The Drone Girl, reviews the DJI Avata 2 wearing the DJI Goggles 3 and using the DJI RC Motion 3. (Photo by Sally French)
Adjustable diopters are the key
That’s because the DJI Goggles 2 and DJI Goggles 3 are designed to work with drones such as the Avata 2 — and they are designed with some features that make them friendly to folks with less-than perfect vision. Most notably, they include adjustable diopters, allowing you to change the focus of the screens without needing to wear your prescription glasses. The catch? Your prescription must fall within the supported range.
The DJI Goggles 2 diopter adjustment covers a range from -8.0 to +2.0. That means if your glasses fall somewhere in that range, you can ditch your glasses entirely and just dial in your correction directly using the built-in knobs.
The DJI Goggles 3 have a slightly smaller range of -6.0 D to +2.0 D.
Sally French, The Drone Girl, flies the Avata 2 drone with the DJI RC Motion 3 while wearing the DJI Goggles 3. (Photo by Sally French)
Can you wear glasses and the DJI Goggles 2 simultaneously?
However, if your prescription is outside that range, things get clunky.
You can try to wear them under your goggles, but often it depends on the style of frames you’re wearing (smaller and thinner frames are better). Even still, my glasses-wearing drone co-pilots tell me the fit isn’t always super comfortable — especially if your glasses are large, thick-framed or sit high on your nose bridge.
The DJI Goggles N3 don’t have diopters at all, but DJI does explicitly say they can be used with personal glasses. Again though, your mileage may vary in terms of actual fit.
Another solution: lens inserts
RHO-Lens inserts
One more potential option if your prescription falls outside that -8.0 to +2.0 range on the Goggles 2 (or -6.0 D to +2.0 D on the Goggles 3). Consider prescription lens inserts. Companies like RHO-Lens and VR Wave make custom prescription inserts designed specifically for DJI goggles. They’re more comfortable, reduce fogging and offer a cleaner viewing experience than wearing traditional glasses under the headset.
Though, they’re not necessary if you can just use the diopters on the DJI Goggles.
TL;DR: Are DJI Goggles glasses-friendly?
In short, DJI Goggles 2 and 3 are compatible with glasses-wearers, but they’re not optimized for actually wearing glasses. If you wear small, thin glasses, you’ll likely be fine. For a more comfortable experience — especially for longer flights — consider using the built-in diopter adjustment or investing in prescription lens inserts.
Whether you’re planning a proposal, a product launch, or a major concert, drone light shows are a cutting-edge way to make a visual statement. These synchronized aerial performances use fleets of LED-equipped drones to create stunning displays of light, color and animation in the sky. But before you get too excited, don’t forget to account for the actual drone light show cost.
So what exactly does it cost to book or build a drone light show? Here’s everything you need to know about drone light show pricing in 2025.
Everything you need to know about drone light show costs
Drone light show prices are primarily based on the number of drones used. Most companies charge between $200 to $300 per drone, and shows typically start at a minimum of 100 drones, bringing base costs to around $20,000 to $30,000.
Of course all sorts of other factors also come into play, like quality of animations, region, etc. But in general, here’s how much you can expect to spend on a drone show:
General drone show cost breakdown
Smaller shows (100 drones): $20,000 – $30,000
Medium shows (300 drones): $60,000 – $90,000
Large shows (500+ drones): $100,000 – $200,000+
These prices often include design, animation, FAA approvals and onsite operation — but setup, travel, or additional effects (like pyrotechnics, because yes, you can mount fireworks on drones) can often cost extra.
Average drone light show cost by region
I mentioned regional variations, and as it turns out, drone shows in some countries average much more expensive (and much more elaborate) than in others.
The 2024 Drone Show Market Analysis by SPH Engineering and Duamentes Global Alliance examined 1,000 shows in 62 countries. Here’s how regional pricing stacks up:
Region
Avg. Show Cost
Avg. Drones Used
Avg. Cost per Drone
China
$114,564
660
$175
Middle East/North Africa
$112,250
401
$316
India
$91,700
396
$330
United Kingdom
$90,570
257
$309
Asia Pacific
$58,440
307
$195
North America
$52,455
218
$233
Europe
$42,034
182
$227
Latin America
$25,550
115
$218
Now understand that these figures are based on how much is spent on drone shows. Notice that China spends the most on drone shows, but it also tends to put on larger, more elaborate shows (its average drone show includes 660 drones, versus just 115 drones used in the generally smaller drone shows in Latin America).
And often, price per drone does decrease slightly as shows get larger, as those fixed costs like travel and licensing tend to amortize better across drones. After all, China had the lowest average drone cost.
The July 4th, 2024 show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of Sky Elements)
The cost of drone shows in the U.S. tend to sit somewhere in the middle, averaging about $50,000 per show. In the U.S., drone shows are popular for July Fourth, at theme parks, during baseball games and more.
In fact, I saw my first ever drone show at the end of a baseball game (shoutout Oakland A’s, which are no more). By the way, check out my saved Instagram stories for a behind-a-scenes look at the Oakland Athletics Star Wars Light Show.
Cost by drone light show company
Not every company charges the same per show. For example, Sky Elements is one of the top-tier drone show providers, offering custom animations with many awards and world records to its name (including multiple Guinness World Records ad a third place spot on America’s Got Talent Season 19).
A drone show using UVify IFO drones. (Photo courtesy of UVify)
Expect a show from an established company to generally cost more than, say, a small-town company that uses cookie-cutter drone show animations. And hey, a small, cookie-cutter show might be just fine, for say, an engagement where you just want a big engagement ring in drone form in the sky.
Here are some of the major drone companies in the U.S. and roughly how much they charge per show. Again, note that these are just estimates and final prices may vary based on your exact show features.
Sky Elements
Starting cost: $15,000 for basic shows
Typical cost: $30,000 – $200,000+
Known for: LA Dodgers, Star Wars Night with Oakland A’s, Grammy drone show
Location: Texas, USA
SkyWorx
Cost per drone: $200–$400
Show range: 100 to 1,000+ drones
Services: Full creative and technical support
Location: Idaho, USA
Verge Aero
Show cost: $50,000 – $200,000
Minimum drones: 100 (recommended 300+ for 3D shapes)
Known for: AGT: Extreme, Electric Daisy Carnival, Presidential events
Location: Texas, USA
What happened to Intel drone light shows?
100 Intel drones fly at night as part of an outdoor flying drone light show syncopated to a live orchestra.
While Intel was once a pioneer in drone light shows, it officially exited the industry and sold its technology to Nova Sky Stories. Intel’s legacy includes:
Disney Disney’s drone show dominance primarily occurs over at Disneyland Paris, where it regularly operates in-house drone shows like “Disney D-Light” and Marvel-themed spectacles. Though exact shows vary by season. Disney also has experimented with drone light show at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida a few times, both at Disney Springs (once during the 2016 holiday season and again during the summer of 2024). And in 2023 over in Hong Kong, Disney marked the opening night of its new World of Frozen themed area park via a drone show.
SKYMAGIC (Singapore): Handled New Year’s Eve London, Pokémon drone shows, Venice Biennale
Launching your own drone light show: DIY cost
If you’d rather run your own drone light shows, expect high upfront costs.
UVify charges roughly $1,585 per drone (though they won’t let you buy just one. Here’s a rough estimate of costs.
UVify IFO drones: $1,585 per drone
Starter fleet (50 drones): $79,250+
UVify provides turnkey packages, including hardware, software, support, and training. Mention code DGIFO for a 5% discount, a free battery, and upgraded props per drone.
Software & training
Many of the most popular drones on the market include their own software (as does UVify). However, other drone show software (or general animation software) can help fill in the gaps.
And then this is a fun thing. Increasingly more schools (ranging from middle school to college) offer drone light show courses. The best drone light show courses include ready-made curriculum and hardware kits with the drones and other tools you need to actually put on a drone show. You can find these through products such as the DroneBlocks Light Show Kit.
Custom drone show animations
Sally French, The Drone Girl, sees a drone show as part of the Epic Universe grand opening.
High-end drone show companies that want to level up their animations will need custom drone show animations. Some companies have their own in-house animators. But that can be expensive (and impractical) to have on full-time staff.
In many cases, it can make more sense to hire companies to support with light show animations, such as Wow Drone. Wow Drones team can work with drone light show companies to build out a customized show, from storyboards and mockups to the final animation with flight path files ready to upload into your drones.
And how’s this for a deal? When you book with Wow Drone, you can get 10% off your first order by using promo code SALLYFRENCH_WOW.
Additional costs that go with drone shows
Whether you as the client pays for these things — or the drone show company you hire includes them in their overall cost — here are some additional drone show costs to account for.
FAA waivers
Drone insurance: though not required in the U.S. under FAA rules, many event spaces require drone insurance. Check with the property owner before booking a drone show.
Safety staff and barriers
Permitting and site rental
Drone light shows vs. fireworks
(Photo courtesy of Sky Elements)
While fireworks remain cheaper — small-town displays can cost $2,000–$7,000 — drone shows offer creative flexibility and sustainability. Disney spends around $33,000 per fireworks show, comparable to some mid-range drone shows.
And of course, there are also the drone shows that literally include fireworks coming off the drones.
Why drones trump fireworks
No noise pollution
Safer for wildlife and dry environments (significantly less fire risk)
More creative storytelling (logos, text, 3D shapes)
Reusable equipment lowers cost over time
Many events are now blending fireworks and drones, like Disney’s Marvel drone shows in Paris.
Bringing a drone show to your event
Drone light shows are no longer just novelties — they’re centerpieces of proposals, sports events and brand activations. While costs remain high compared to traditional fireworks, the visual and environmental advantages are clear.
Estimated minimum drone show cost: $20,000
Most typical range: $50,000–$150,000
DIY possible but expensive: ~$2,000 per drone, minimum 50 drones
Big names: Sky Elements, Verge Aero, Nova Sky Stories, SkyWorx
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