Hong Kong will host its first pyrotechnic drone show on December 28 to boost the panda-themed economy. The 10-minute show, with 1,000 drones, will take place at 8:15 p.m. in the West Kowloon Cultural District as part of the “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition.
Organized by AllRightsReserved, this drone show will prove to be the grand finale of the exhibition that has portrayed 2,500 pandas across various tourist locations. With these drones, panda- themed visuals will be seen, and it will clearly depict the uniqueness of the city of Hong Kong. According to AllRightsReserved, “This show will have 1,000 drones performing different panda images and creating designs with Hong Kong characteristics”.
The show will differ from all the previous drone performances by the use of pyrotechnics. The aerial performances will be equipped with fireworks that will illuminate the skies with seven different scenes, out of which three have been identified to use pyrotechnic effects-the waterfall and flashing lights included. The sequences will take up 20 to 50 seconds each. The show includes a special highlight-a 3D panda with characters drawn from “Panda Friends and Family Hong Kong”-the city’s six pandas’ inspiration.
It’s free to visit, though the organisers did say that they will let everyone know when the best vantage points and crowd management would be done.
The “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition has put up 2,500 panda sculptures since early last month around various major tourist spots including Avenue of Stars at Tsim Sha Tsui, Ngong Ping 360, and Ocean Park. On December 25 and 26, the last venue will be at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sai Ying Pun. Throughout the exhibition, 1,000 panda sculptures and 10 special-edition figures were auctioned for HK$923,700 (US$118,800) to support conservation efforts at Ocean Park. The panda economy experienced a significant boost following the birth of twin panda cubs Ying Ying and Le Le in August. Another panda pair, An An and Ke Ke, also arrived in Hong Kong in September as a gift from Beijing.
This comes after a setback earlier in the year, when the planned National Day fireworks and drone display was partially canceled due to “ionospheric scintillation,” a phenomenon that disrupts GPS signals.
The highly anticipated event is likely to attract a huge crowd and will demonstrate Hong Kong’s innovative approach to entertainment as well as its commitment to conservation efforts.
