Darling Harbour introduces free weekly drone shows

• There is a new weekly drone show in Darling Harbour with 7:30pm and 9:30pm sessions.
• The show lasts for 10-minutes and is themed towards spring.
• You can catch the show every Saturday night in spring during its trail run.

Sydney was once a city obsessed with fireworks, but now we’re following the rest of the world and moving towards drone shows.

Controversial? Sure. Drone shows have been contentious in the past. Vivid Sydney famously had to cancel their drone show this year after last year’s debacle led to safety concerns. And yet now we have a free drone show that’ll be happening each week – initially throughout September and then potentially throughout the year.

Kicking off at 7:30pm over at Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour, each of these free Sydney drone shows will be themed on spring. Aura Drone Shows will be behind the wheel in partnership with Placemaking NSW, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Square, King Street Wharf, New Sydney Waterfront, Novotel Darling Harbour, W Sydney, and Platinum Restaurant Group.

Having a conglomerate of partners might sound like it’d muddy the waters a bit too much – especially for a 10-minute drone show – but seeing Darling Harbour transform into a canvas of light has so far met huge acclaim for locals and visitors.

The drone show will light up the sky every Saturday in September, kept consistent with the same spring-themed display with all sorts of imagery: butterflies, roses, people riding bikes, hearts and more.

As per Darling Harbour’s Instagram video, the drone show has been successful so far. It’s been introduced this month as a trail, but there are plans to hopefully extend this and make it a permanent fixture for one of Sydney’s most tourist-heavy spots.

Crowds have been thick so far, so it’s recommended visitors arrive early and use public transport when needed. Cockle Bay Wharf is just a short walk from Town Hall station (about 10-15 minutes) and you can always pop up by any one of Darling Harbour’s 150 restaurants and bars for a pre- or post- show tipple.

The best views of the drone show will be at the top of the Cockle Bay Wharf precinct near L’Aqua restaurant and bar.

Cockle Bay Wharf Drone Show

Where: Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour
When: Every Saturday through September 2025