Drone spectacle in Shenzhen breaks two world records
The 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, celebrated in the last days of September 2024, was marked by a spectacular show over Shenzhen. More than 10,000 drones filled the sky, earning the Chinese two world records.
Exactly 10,197 – that’s the number of unmanned aerial vehicles that appeared over Shenzhen, a city with a population of over 12 million, for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They broke a record set just a few weeks earlier, on 3 September 2024. This earlier record, also set in China, commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture, where "only" 7,598 drones were used.
Record-breaking drone show in Shenzhen
The Shenzhen show set a world record for the largest number of drones simultaneously in the air (using a single computer) and for the largest number of drones creating an aerial image. Additionally, unmanned aerial vehicles set a second-world record.
Numerous recordings of the show quickly spread on social media. On platforms such as X, thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles lit up the sky over Shenzhen, forming various patterns—including scenes inspired by martial arts.
How exactly was such a complicated show carried out? Small sports drones were used, integrated with multicoloured LED lighting. Thanks to this – just like in larger TV screens or small smartphones – the drones formed the image "pixel by pixel." The drones were controlled by a single computer, supported by artificial intelligence, to ensure each flying object was in the right place at the right time.
