Ever since Ars Electronica introduced the world to SPAXELS in 2012 at the Futurelab in Linz, Austria, the world has been mesmerized by drone light shows. Soon thereafter, American technology giant Intel introduced the Shooting Star, a drone that would forever change aerial light shows. Intel’s 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony drone light show set a new precedent for the art form. Not only did Intel set a Guinness World Record with an unimaginable 1,218 drones flying at one time, but as part of a global event, they truly introduced the concept of a drone light show to the world.

Drone light shows quickly grew in popularity. New world records are constantly being set and the intricacy of the shows keeps rising. In the wake of the global COVID19 pandemic, drone light shows became more popular than ever. And though Intel’s Shooting Star is considered the gold standard, there are now many companies that create their own drones and software for these amazing shows.

One of the leading companies driving the drone light show industry is SPH Engineering based out of Riga, Latvia. SPH has performed drone light shows in more than 150 countries, with 45% of its clients located in North America. To encourage the growth of the drone light industry, and honor those committed to it, SPH initiated an international competition in 2020. Aptly called the International Drone Show, SPH announced the winners of the 2nd annual event on December 21, 2021.

SPH stated, “214 registered participants from 104 countries competed in one or more of six categories. Entries were evaluated by a jury panel composed of EU, North and Latin American, and Asian drone show professionals, 3D animators, and experienced entrepreneurs.” The competition categories were the best of 3D animation, integrated drone show, business promo video, and shows consisting of the use of 100, 1,000, or more than 1,000 drones in tandem. The winners for each category (in the same order) were Nacho Cruje (Spain), CELESTIAL (the UK), Grizzly Entertainment (Cyprus), Flock Drone Art (Spain), Taiwan Drone 100 (Taiwan), and Andrei Golenev (with the performance by Geoscan Drone Show from Russia).

Submissions were judged by a panel of 10 jury members scoring on a scale of 1-10 for creative and technical elements. Along with the 6 main categories, prizes for 4 other subcategories were awarded as well. Angelito D. Jadormeo, a winner of the 2020 competition, had the opportunity to return this year as a member of the jury panel. “The 2nd Competition is way better than the 1st I think because it has created more categories exhibiting a greater application for the drone show technology,” he said. Alexey Dobrovolskiy, CTO of SPH said, “The number of participating countries doubled in comparison to 2020 while the youngest participant this year was only 14 years old.”

In a press release, SPH stated, “The 2nd International Drone Show Competition was established to bring together the best representatives, their shows, animations, and business approaches to exchange knowledge about breakthrough sustainable technologies for outdoor light events. The goal is to keep building up a community of like-minded people passionate about drones and modern art.” Such competitions are the perfect way to celebrate this growing technology as we approach the 10 year anniversary of the first ever drone light show.