The sun is shining, the palm trees are swaying and the drones are ready to dazzle! I’ve traded my usual San Francisco Fog for some SoCal Sunshine! Yes, I’m writing to you from Palm Springs, as I’m here for Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025.
There may have been a fun little pre-party last night, but Palm Springs Drone Fest officially kicks off today. It runs from March 21 to 23, 2025, at Palm Springs High School in California. Things begin today at 4 p.m. local time, when the trade show opens and drone soccer begins. Everyone (not just the pros!) is welcome to play then, so you can bet I will be among them! Believe it or not, I’ve never played drone soccer before.
This first-of-its-kind celebration of all things drones is shaping up to be the ultimate event for drone enthusiasts, pilots and industry leaders alike. It might just be the best drone event of 2025 (at least it is thus far!).
I’ll be on the ground covering all the action live on my Instagram stories (@TheDroneGirl), so be sure to follow along for real-time footage, behind-the-scenes moments, and interviews with some of the biggest names in the drone world. Plus, don’t miss coverage from other fantastic creators like @Dr. LaQuata Sumter, @fionalakeaus and @dronedivadesi, who will also be sharing their perspectives from the event.
Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025: what I’m most excited about
One of the major highlights I’m looking forward to? The drone light show paired with live music and performances! International violinist Esther Anaya will bring a live performance to the drone show, blending music and drone artistry like never before.
Yes, it’ll include lightsaber performances as part of the show using “Star Wars”-inspired Jedi stunt performers.
That’s part of the opening ceremony, which is set for 6 p.m. at Palm Springs High School Stadium. That ceremony will include airing of the PS Drone Film Fest entries and a lot of hype. Then, the drone show itself will go on at about 7:30 p.m. as the ceremony’s finale.
Can’t make it in person? The epic show will also be live-streamed on NBC.
Though that’s the Friday opening night event, if you can only go one day (though there are multi-day-tickets), you might actually get the most bang for your buck tomorrow, that’s Saturday, March 22. Doors open bright and early at 8 a.m., with the Drone Soccer tournament launching at 9 a.m. in the main gym.
Then, there will be drone racing in the stadium, a trade show, a drone store, food trucks, the official drone film festival, breakout sessions and more. I’ve covered Palm Springs Drone Fest fairly extensively in the past, so check out my guide to Palm Springs Drone Fest to see what else to expect.
Drone festivals of this scale are rare. While the drone industry has seen many educational conferences and business-focused events, a large-scale celebration for pure drone joy has been missing. Well, until now.
In the past, events like Interdrone in Vegas have folded, and COVID-19 slowed the momentum for in-person drone meetups. But finally, Palm Springs Drone Fest fills the gap with a community-driven event that celebrates everything from FPV racing to cinematic photography.
“I wanted to do (an event) that brought back the excitement of FPV drone racing and cinema and the fun of it,” said PS Drone Fest founder Skip Fredricks in an episode of the Real People Real Life Podcast. “I wanted to do an event about drones and the fun of it. Not making it so business-to-business, but more business-to-consumer.
Watch him give a preview of the weekend ahead in that podcast episode here:
And the setting? Palm Springs is perfect. Known for its resorts and as the home of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, it’s an incredible spot for what could soon be the premier drone festival of the year.
Get tickets to Palm Springs Drone Fest now
Yes, tickets are still available!
The one-day pass is just $33.85 after fees, including access to breakout sessions, the Drone Film Festival, trade show and tournament viewing. Get that one if you’re just coming in tomorrow. For you SoCal people in LA, San Diego and Orange County, it’s totally do-able as a day trip!
If you’re coming to just the event tonight, you can get a ticket for just $12.51! That’s $10, plus $2.51 in fees.
See all the ticket options on the Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025 Eventbrite page.
Follow along and stay tuned for more
Whether you’re here in person or living vicariously through social media, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Follow along for updates throughout the weekend, and if you can’t catch everything live, don’t worry. I’ll be circling back next week (and in the weeks to come) with a full recap of the best moments, jaw-dropping drone shows, and top takeaways from Palm Springs Drone Fest. I’m excited about those workshops where I’ll share what I’ve learned!
And of course since I’ll be there, let’s meet up in person. Come say hi if you see me! See you in the desert!
Got more questions? You’ll likely find answers on the PS Drone Fest website.
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