Forget ballrooms and bad coffee. PS Drone Fest (officially Palm Springs Drone Fest) was something else entirely. Held in sunny Palm Springs, California, PS Drone Fest felt more like the Comic-Con of drones than your typical drone industry conference. Sure, it was relatively small this year—but the energy was electric, and the potential for growth is massive.

“For me, it was the ability to bring the entertainment part of drone playing, the fun part of drone flying,” said Skip Fredricks, the Emmy-nominated director and drone cinematography pioneer who orchestrated much of the event. “That’s what made it so special.”

Watch my vlog of the event below:

And read on for even more inside this fun-filled weekend…

A playground for drone fans

Palm Springs Drone Fest was not your typical drone conference. There were no cavernous ballrooms, no endless keynotes. Instead, attendees wandered from inflatable drone soccer arenas to a gym with an drone light show setup and outside to the stadium for a drone air show. It felt less like a trade show and more like a festival — a convergence of art, sport and technology that brought together pilots, performers, kids, engineers and educators.

It was the ultimate playground for drone fans. Whether you were a professional pilot, a total newbie or a wide-eyed kid clutching a controller for the first time, there was something to light your spark.

Drone Soccer: a sport and a gateway

That sense of fun was palpable throughout the weekend, but nowhere more so than during the drone soccer tournament — a STEM-first sport where quadcopters encased in plastic spheres smash into each other while racing to score goals. Though the sport has been growing in popularity in Europe and Asia, this was the first time many in the crowd had seen it in person — including myself.

Among those who stood out in the drone soccer area was Makayla Galler, captain of the U.S. National Drone Soccer Team. Dominated primarily by young racers, drone soccer — largely youth-led —wasn’t just entertainment; it was outreach. This was how we get the next generation stoked about drones.

A hands-on haven

Unlike some of the more traditional, buttoned-up drone conferences — where you’re parked in a ballroom for hours and your only movement is during a coffee break — Palm Springs Drone Fest was kinetic in every sense of the word. You could touch the tech. Fly the drones. Talk to the people who built them. It felt alive.

I mostly felt this in the rocket drone demos, where a bunch of kids (and hey, me!) could fly tiny drones. For many of them, it was their first time flying a drone. I’m always down to fly drones anytime!

Kids (and myself) got the chance to even put on an indoor drone light show.

The location in Palm Springs: a drone pilot’s dream

The location didn’t hurt, either. Palm Springs brought blue skies, perfect temperatures and a vibrant off-hours scene. On Thursday night before Palm Springs Drone Fest began, I wandered through Palm Springs VillageFest, a buzzing street fair with food vendors, art and local charm. Friday morning was for mini hikes to check out the Desert X art installations. Desert X is an open-air art exhibit that dotted the nearby landscape with surreal, large-scale works — among them, a mirrored gas station that blurred the lines between environment and illusion, not unlike the drones themselves.

The VIP resort was an Airstream glampground, which might be the most on-brand drone pilot lodging I’ve ever seen.

The main event of PS Drone Fest: a drone air show like no other

But the pièce de résistance at PS Drone Fest? The concept of a drone air show.

As someone who has attended EAA AirVenture before — and attends San Francisco’s Fleet Week in my own city religiously — this was a revelation. Yes, there was the outdoor nighttime drone show from SkyWorx, which dazzled as expected. But the air show format brought it to the next level.

We’re talking orb racing that felt like Star Wars pod racing reimagined, FPV freestyle, a Promo Drone demo with live graphics, a DJ performance paired with an electric violin, and yes, even a Jedi lightsaver stunt routine.

Fredricks, the maestro behind this spectacle, orchestrated a symphony of drone culture that fused sport, art, education and pure showmanship.

PS Drone Fest: what’s next?

Palm Springs Drone Fest was unlike any drone event I’ve attended — and I’ve been to a lot of drone events. It was playful, innovative and deeply community-driven.

Big names in the drone industry came out to be a part of it. That included Vic Moss, one of the most respected names in aerial photography and co-founder of the Drone Service Providers Alliance. There was Sharon Rossmark, founder of Women and Drones. Desiree Ekstein, known in the industry as Drone Diva Desi, was there too. The list goes on. For hobbyists and professionals alike, it was a rare opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the industry’s most influential figures — not in a lecture hall, but out in the sun, remote in hand.

This could be the beginning of something huge. Think: the Comic-Con of drones, a fan-driven, high-energy celebration of all things unmanned and awesome. PS Drone Fest showcased a new way to think about how drones are introduced, celebrated and shared with the public. As the technology matures and interest broadens, this kind of format — immersive, inclusive and visually spectacular — may well become the new standard for drone events.

In the days ahead, TheDroneGirl.com will publish exclusive interviews and video features from other key figures in attendance at PS Drone Fest, including Fiona Lake, the Australian agricultural drone advocate, and Tony Reid, a drone pilot and educator who’s helping define what drone education looks like for the next generation.

I’m already counting down to next year.

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