Between all the summer holidays including Juneteenth, Pride and Independence Day, there’s a good chance you saw some fireworks in America over the past month or two. If you were lucky, you saw a drone show. But if you think the U.S. is the biggest spender on drone shows, think again. The countries that currently spend the most money on drone shows might surprise you.

SPH Engineering, which builds drone show technology and is also behind the annual International Drone Show Competition, just put out a study that sheds light and which countries spend the most money on drone shows — and more specifically what types of groups are actually commissioning them.

Their report, called the “Drone Show Market Analysis,” was made in June 2024 in collaboration with market research group Duamentes Global Alliance based on data from 1,000 drone shows across 62 countries.

They found that, as of summer 2024, the global drone show market is worth $338.99 million — but it’s growing. The U.S. spends big money often, and that’s certainly true in terms of drone shows, with North America making up $84.15 million of the total global drone show figure. Europe follows with $66.19 million of the share, followed by the Asia Pacific region at $15.19 million.

Here’s what % of overall drone shows that each region accounts for:

• North America: 34% of all drone shows (in terms of raw # of performances)
• Europe: 16%
• Asia Pacific region: 12%
• China: 7%

SPH Engineering put that data — and more — together, in a handy infographic (which you can download in full here):

Where do customers spend the most money on drone shows?

In terms of dollar spent per show, the U.S. is far from the highest. In fact, it’s among the lowest.

Instead, the country that spends the most per show is China, where the average drone show costs $114,564. Also in the top three in terms of highest price per show? The Middle East/North Africa region, which spends on average $112,250 per show, and India which spends $91,700 per show.

In Europe, the average drone show costs $42,034. In the Latin America region, the average drone show costs just $25,550. That’s just 22% of what they’re spending over in China.

Why are drone shows so expensive in China?

Why are shows so much more expensive in China, the Middle East and India? In short, they’re larger and grander. In China, an average of 660 drones are used per show. And that’s just an average, suggesting that some drone shows have far more than that. For context, the record for largest drone show happened in Korea, where UVify put on an artistic drone show featuring 5,293 of its IFO drones.

In the U.S., drone shows just aren’t as big. That’s in part because the U.S. has a proliferation of drone show startups — in turn meaning shows that are smaller and more homemade in style. The average drone show in North America uses just 218 drones.

Heck, this drone light show kit can give you what you need to put on your own, personal drone show for just $10,000. In another example, the largest drone show I’ve seen in-person – a Star Wars drone show by Sky Elements — had just 500 drones. Sky Elements says their show prices start at $15,000 for smaller shows.

How drone show cost is determined

In general, the cost of a drone show is tied directly to how many drones are used. Sure, there are some other (relatively) minor costs like permitting, travel to the location, scouting, staff training and drone insurance. But those tend to be mostly fixed costs that see little to no change depending on how many drones are used.

The cost per individual light show drone can easily run between $1,000 and $2,000. Thus, a 660-drone show (that’s the average size of a drone show in China) could easily mean more than $600,000 worth of hardware in the sky, and potentially more than $1.3 million, based on those figures.

The good news? Drones are reusable, so that’s mostly a one-time upfront cost. That’s in contrast to fireworks, which are a one-time use. You really are basically just lighting money on fire with a fireworks show, as you’ll have to spend that money again to get ammo for the next show.

As companies are able to amortize the huge upfront costs, expect drone light shows to become more affordable over time. And already we’re already seeing proof of that. For example, the average cost per drone in a show in China is just $175, according to SPH data. No, that doesn’t mean that Chinese drone show companies are using cheap toy drones that cost that little. It’s just that Chinese drone show companies generally charge about that much to put on a show. So, you can expect an 1,000 drone show in China to cost $175,000.

Meanwhile, budget about $233 per drone, per show in the U.S. So, a massive, 1,000-drone show would cost over $230,000. But, you might only pay just over $20,000 for a smaller show with, say, 100 drones. That aligns with other reporting we’ve done on drone light show costs in the U.S. For example, one of the leaders in drone shows, Sky Elements, says their prices start at about $15,000 for the absolute smallest shows.

How much each region spends on drone shows, compared

Here are those figures rounded up, by region, sorted by average spending per show:

	Average cost of drone light show	Average # of drones per show	Average 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

What type of clients spend money on drone shows?

So who is actually spending all that money on drone shows? Turns out, it’s governments — and local and city governments, at that. According to the SPH Engineering study, 18% of all drone show customers are city governments. Commercial businesses are the second largest drone show customer, making up 15% of clients. Rounding out the top 3 is a tie between the sports sector and art festivals, both of which make up 9% of all clients.

They’re also popping up at resorts, theme parks and trade shows, though the trend is hardly new. Today, the free Disney Dreams That Soar drone show at Disney Springs is wowing audiences, but Disney Springs first put on a drone show way back during the 2016 winter holiday season. And in 2018, CES — which is the world’s largest electronics trade show — worked with Intel to put on a drone show at the Bellagio in Vegas.

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Drone shows around the world can be fascinating. In South Korea, UVify set the record for most drones flown simultaneously. In the Middle East, drone shows are a massive spectacle, averaging a whopping 401 drones per show. But what about American drone show companies?

As it turns out, the U.S. dominates in terms of sheer number of drone shows by country. North America accounts for 34% of all the world’s drone shows. In fact, there were more than 1,000 drone shows documented across North America over the past year (and most of those coming out of the U.S.). That’s according to the Drone Show Market Analysis, which is a report put out in June 2024 from SPH Engineering made in collaboration with market research group Duamentes Global Alliance.

That’s due in large part to the fact that there simply are so many American drone show companies. Chalk it up to American entrepreneurial spirit, a relatively-flexible regulatory environment, or a fairly robust amount of available business capital. Whether one or all of those things, the American drone light show business is thriving.

North American drone shows occur at all sorts of big public sporting events, concerts and festivals. My first drone show was a Star Wars drone show after an Oakland A’s baseball game. They also exist at major rodeos, county fairs and theme parks.

So with that, here’s your ultimate guide to American drone companies that put on light shows:

The biggest drone show companies in the U.S.

What are the biggest drone show companies in the U.S.? According to the SPH Engineering June 2024 report, there are about three dozen drone light show companies in the U.S. These are the biggest names:

Sky Elements

Sky Elements is the biggest drone show company in the U.S. Based out of Texas, they put on shows nationwide. That included the Serena Williams gender reveal drone show, the Houston Rodeo, countless MLB games and a post-Super Bowl drone show on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sky Elements has participated in fun, media events too, which continue to build its brand. For example, Sky Elements sent 1,000 drones into the sky for an America’s Got Talent audition, upon which Simon Cowell pushed the Golden Buzzer.

Sky Elements also nabbed a Guinness World Record when it put on 40 drone shows in a single weekend (that was during the 2023 Fourth of July weekend). The award-winning company nabbed multiple spots in the SPH Engineering International Drone Show Competition. According to SPH Engineering, Sky Elements holds a 22.2% market share among U.S. drone show companies.

Pixis Drones

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Pixis Drones is America’s second-largest drone show company, with an estimated 10.9% market share. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, it also has satellite offices in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, and NYC.

Its clients are mostly corporate clients, ranging from corporate names like Edward Jones and Deloitte, to fun entertainment, leisure, food and travel brands like Hasbro, Fox, Marriott, McDonald’s and Netflix.

Skyworx

Skyworx is not only an American drone show company, but they explicitly use American drones as their preferred aircraft. Skyworx uses custom-built by Texas-based aircraft maker Verge Aero. They’re basically custom versions of the Aero-X1 and Aero-X7.

Verge Aero perhaps most famously put on the drone show for President-Elect Biden’s victory celebration in November 2020.

Verge Aero recently launched a new software tool called Verge Aero Composer. The software has the potential to make the drone show industry more accessible by allowing individuals to create their own drone shows without actually having any technical experience.

Theme park drone shows

Theme parks seem to be the biggest driver in propelling drone show technology forward. Just this summer, Orlando was home to two competing drone shows. Universal Studios Orlando put on CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular which features 600 drones flying to iconic movie soundtracks such as “Harry Potter” and “Ghostbusters.” Though you need a Universal ticket to watch it, the full sensory experience makes use of other features in the theme park. That includes dancing water fountains on the lagoon in the center, fireworks, and projection mapping on the buildings around the lagoon.

But just across the city from Universal Orlando plays the nightly Disney World drone show called “Disney Dreams That Soar.” Perhaps because this one is free to watch (it’s held at Disney Springs, the free outdoor shopping mall on Disney property), it’s been drawing unprecedented crowds.

And though those are two of the biggest U.S. theme parks, other smaller parks have also been crushing the drone light shows, including Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.

How much does a drone show cost in the U.S.?

Drone shows vary in cost, generally contingent upon how many drones are used. Other factors at play include travel, scope of putting on the show (e.g. complicated permitting) and whether or not custom designs are needed.

That said, many drone show companies price their drone shows per drone. Find that figure, and you can get a sense of what you can afford. For example, SkyWorx charges $200 to $400 per drone used in a show. According to SPH’s report, the average drone show in the U.S. comes out to $233 per drone.

In North America, drone shows average 218 aircraft per show, according to the June 2024 SPH report. So, you can expect a SkyWorx show featuring 218 drones to cost a minimum of $43,600, but potentially nearly $90,000.

Meanwhile a 218 aircraft show at $233 per drone (the average based on SPH data) would come out to $52,455 per drone show.

Keep in mind that some drone show companies have a minimum budget, meaning they’ll only do big shows. For example, Pixis Drones — which tends to have big, corporate clients — inherently commands bigger budgets on the outset. This isn’t the company to put on a small show for your wedding. The minimum price tag on their inquiry form is $30,000.

Sky Elements is one of those companies that puts on so many shows, that it’s also willing to do smaller scale shows. Sky Elements drone show prices start at $15,000 for smaller, stock shows — which might work well for an extravagant wedding or even Serena Williams-style baby shower. Of course, prices get much higher for larger, more intricate performances or those with custom designs.

How to pick the best drone show company

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We named the biggest drone show companies, but with roughly three dozen American drone show companies and counting, there are plenty to choose from. And ideally, you’ll find one that fits your budget.

When selecting the right drone show company, consider these key factors:

• Show design: Assess the company’s ability to create unique and customized drone light shows aligned with your event’s theme. Though, understand that custom designs generally entail greater cost.
• Inclusive packages: Look for companies that provide comprehensive packages including design, permits, and on-site support. Don’t get caught off-guard by potential hidden fees, like permitting fees.
• Experience and qualifications: Review the company’s portfolio and the scale of previous shows they’ve produced.
• Team qualifications: Ensure the company employs experienced pilots, engineers, and creative directors. With drone shows, a pilot who has a Remote Pilot Certificate is not enough. You want people with experience in IT, design, project management and other skills.
• FAA certification: That said, holding that Remote Pilot Certificate is required of at least one person on the onsite team. Verify that the company and its pilots hold the necessary FAA licenses and permits. Here’s the database to search Part 107-certified pilots. And ensure, the company is cleared to fly in the airspace of your event, assuming it’s in regulated airspace.
• Compliance with local regulations: Besides federal rules, ensure the company is aware of and adheres to all local regulations and airspace restrictions.
• Safety protocols: Inquire about their safety procedures, including emergency plans and insurance coverage.
• Insurance coverage: Verify that the company carries adequate insurance to protect you and your event. Though the FAA doesn’t require drone insurance specifically to fly, a drone light show over a big event should have liability insurance. The company you hire should have comprehensive insurance coverage, including aviation, general liability, workers comp and maybe even automotive insurance. That protects you, them and audience members.
• Industry awards and recognition: Though not always an indicator of a great company, awards at least can indicate a company’s reputation and expertise. The annual International Drone Show Competition from SPH Engineering is one of the biggest competitions to follow.

What will drone shows be like going forward?

The big extra dose of pizzaz to expect in drone shows going forward? Drone shows with fireworks. Earlier this year, Sky Elements received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to be able to attach fireworks to drones. While Sky Elements was the first to receive such a landmark approval, expect more to join now that the precedent has been set.

American drone shows soar as other American drone companies struggle

The American drone show industry is experiencing a meteoric rise, capturing the imagination of audiences and corporate clients alike. Yet, this burgeoning success stands in stark contrast to the challenges faced by U.S. drone manufacturers.

Especially when it comes to American consumer drone companies, the industry has faced intense competition from overseas. Competition is particularly from China, where production costs are significantly lower. That’s led to legislation seeking to give American drone companies a leg up, including the Countering CCP Drones Act, which would outright ban Chinese-made drones. Other proposed legislation has sought to give American drone makers a leg up, such as the Drones for First Responders (DFR) Act. That proposal would add a tariff on Chinese drones, but then grant funding to American drone users to shop from American drone companies.

But at least with light show companies, America is thriving — and the industry continues to grow. That’s due in large part to products that are making light shows more and more accessible. For example, the Drone Blocks light show drone kit turns light shows into a STEM classroom project. Meanwhile, the Drone Dojo light show kit allows you to program a single drone light show for less than $1,000 (and you can buy more drones to put on your own show.

Want to watch a drone show for yourself? I continuously update my drone show events schedule with the biggest and best drone light shows in North America.

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The global drone show industry is a rapidly growing field, with innovative drone light show companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. They’re breaking records for largest drone shows. They’re putting fireworks on physical drones. They’re drawing huge crowds.

So which drone light show companies are the biggest?

SPH Engineering, which builds drone show technology and is also behind the annual International Drone Show Competition, just put out a study that illuminates the biggest drone show companies worldwide. In their “Drone Show Market Analysis” made in collaboration with market research group Duamentes Global Alliance in June 2024, the teams analyzed data from 1,000 drone shows across 62 countries.

They then broke out the biggest drone light show companies by region. Here are those names:

North American drone light show companies

North America is, by many metrics, a leader in drone light shows. With more than 1,000 drone shows documented over the past year, it’s easy to come by a drone show. Just check out our drone show events schedule to find one near you — and it should be relatively easy to find one.

They’re abundant at MLB games and county fairs. And especially in summer 2024, theme parks leaned into drone shows. Most of the best theme park drone shows occurred in the U.S., including CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, the nighttime show at Universal Studios Orlando. Meanwhile, the nearby (and free-to-watch) Disney World drone show called “Disney Dreams That Soar” has been drawing unprecedented crowds.

With so much demand comes opportunities for dozens of North American drone light show companies to proliferate. That said, Sky Elements is the biggest. Perhaps not coincidentally, they’re the team that powered my first ever drone show, which was a Star Wars drone show after an Oakland A’s baseball game.

Sky Elements famously put on the drone light show for Serena Williams’ gender reveal party. It also holds a Guinness World Record by producing 40 drone shows in a single weekend, which it did during the 2023 Fourth of July weekend. These days, it’s getting fancy by mounting fireworks to its drones. The company holds multiple awards, and was even a winner in the SPH Engineering International Drone Show Competition.

Other big names in the North American drone show market including Pixis Drones and FireFly.

European drone light show companies

As of June 2024, estimations show there are roughly 50 European drone light show companies. But one dominates the space, with a market share of nearly half. According to the Drone Show Market Analysis, Dronisos makes up 48% of all European drone shows.

Dronisos, which is based in France, is perhaps most famous for working in conjunction with Disneyland Paris. That includes putting on their nightly Disney Electrical Sky Parade show, as well as one-off shows. One of the most notable shows was the July 14 Bastille Day drone show, which broke a Guinness World Record for “Largest aerial display of a fictional character formed by multirotors / drones.” With that, it made a spectacular, tricolor Mickey Mouse head made out of 1,571 drones. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, France also houses the most drone shows per year of any European country, according to the Drone Show Market Analysis.

Other notable names that are still fairly large include UMILES Group and Drone Show Europe.

Asia Pacific’s drone light show companies

Though there are far fewer drone show companies in Asia Pacific versus Europe, none has as dominant of a market share. The biggest drone show company in Asia Pacific is Red Cliff, which is based in Tokyo, Japan. But still, it only claims a 33% market share.

Another big name, DAON, is not far away with a 26% market share. MIRS Innovate is generally considered the third-largest drone show company in Asia Pacific.

Indian drone light show companies

There’s really just one Indian drone light show company to know, and that’s BotLab Dynamics. Based out of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the drone show company has a strong research background. The company uses all in-house products, and has spent more than seven years condugin swarm drone research and development.

Though BotLab Dynamics has little competition within the country of India, it’s still a force in the world. When it set the then-record of hosting India’s largest drone light show with 1,000 drones at Rashtrapati Bhawan (that was in January 2022), that made India the fourth nation in the world to host a drone show of such a large scale.

Middle Eastern and North African drone light show companies

Drone shows in the Middle East are huge — and fabulous. Averaging 401 drones per show, Middle Eastern drone shows tend to be an over-the-top spectacle. Unsurprisingly, the UAE (which is home to famously-flashy city Dubai) holds the title of most shows per year in the region.

There are about a dozen drone light show companies in the Middle East, and the biggest names are New Rise Technologies, Lumasky Drone Show and SKD.

Latin American drone light show companies

Drone shows haven’t super taken off in Latin America. There are only about a dozen drone show companies through the region, and the shows they put on are generally pretty small. They average a small 115 drones per show. Contrast that with the massive Asia Pacific shows that average 307 drones, or the Middle East show averaging 401 drones per show!

That said, the Latin American drone show companies showing the biggest potential include Aion, Magic and Pixel Drones.

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Las Vegas is famous for its residency shows, where popular artists like Adele and Celion Dion perform for a specified period of time. But how about a drone show residency? Over at Atomic Golf, there is one.

Atomic Golf, which is a golf entertainment venue that opened on March 22, 2024, is hosting free drone shows this summer into fall. The shows will run every Thursday between now through October 10, 2024.

Two shows will run every night (one at 9 p.m. and another again at 11 p.m.). That makes for 24 free drone shows on the Las Vegas Strip in total (the first set of shows debuted on Thursday, July 18.

And even if you’ve seen one show, you’ll need to come back. Much like other Las Vegas icons such as the Fountains of Bellagio or the Lake of Dreams interactive show at Wynn Las Vegas where the show is set to a different soundtrack with slightly different animations each time, the Atomic Golf drone show also varies.

Each show features slightly different designs. Some shows are on the smaller end, featuring just 200 light show drones. But the biggest, most epic shows will feature up to 1,000 drones.

Skyworx, which is based in Boise, Idaho, powers the drone shows. Considered one of the top three-largest drone companies in the U.S., SkyWorx uses another American drone company to supply their aircraft. Texas-based aircraft maker Verge Aero builds custom light show drones for SkyWorx (they’re basically modified versions of the Skyworx Aero-X1 and Aero-X7.

How to watch the Atomic Golf drone show for free

The Atomic Golf drone show is free to watch, as there’s no cover to get inside the venue. That said, you can reserve a bay for guaranteed seating.

The show happens at Atomic Golf, which sits next to The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower. Technically its address is 1850 S. Main Street, though it’s basically on the Las Vegas Strip, albeit at the far north end.

According to a company spokesperson, the best spot to watch the show is at a bay. Of course, it’ll cost you money to get that viewing spot. The walk-in pricing to play golf costs $60 per hour for up to 8 people. Though, reserving a bay is not required. Guests can also come watch the show, though it might be good form to support your local free drone shows by buying some food and drinks from the venue.

Then again — if you’d rather watch for free and not even go to Atomic Golf — the drone show is still visible from surrounding areas, including the Arts District. And since the hotel is located right next to the STRAT, it could be pretty epic to watch it from the observation tower. After all, it’s the tallest in the U.S. (I haven’t personally tried watching it there myself, though I’d love to.)

What is Atomic Golf?

Besides the site of a free drone show, Atomic Golf is primarily a venue for next-generation golf technology.”

There, you can play in an interactive, golf-inspired environment that spans four floors, including activities like a modernized putting game experience called “Putting District.” Meanwhile, a 212-yard range includes 103 hitting bays.

The drones take off just behind that playing field.

And that’s not all. You could easily spend a half-day (or more) here given the six full-service bars, the Tap Room and chef-curated food and beverage menus. Even if golf isn’t your thing, there’s other games to play including an ‘Astrocade,’ which is a sports and entertainment-viewing zone anchored by a 40-foot LED screen.

For what it’s worth, Atomic Golf is no stranger to putting on free (and epic) nighttime entertainment. It’s already hosted a nightly laser show. Consider them both items that you can add to your list of free things to do on the Las Vegas Strip.

“This is another evolution of our offerings to the public,” said Alex Christiansen, Creative Director at Atomic Golf. “A residency drone show perfectly complements our brand and enhances the Atomic Golf experience.”

Want to watch a drone show in 2024, albeit not in Vegas? Maybe you just want to catch this one and some others?! Dozens of other shows are happening around the country! Check out my guide to the best drone shows in 2024.

And maybe you’d curious about putting on your own drone light show. Whether your goal is to ultimately launch a drone business, or you’re just looking for an awesome hobby there are a couple great ways to learn. Kits make it easy to put together a show yourself. I recommend the Drone Light Show Course from Drone Dojo or the Drone Blocks light show drone kit.

Did this post inspire you to book a trip to Vegas? If so, please consider sparing just a piece of your travel budget and making a donation to The Drone Girl! My writing is powered by your generosity. Please consider making a donation to keep stories like these coming!

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