Drone shows are a high-impact way to rally fans, build anticipation and tell team stories.
By Cindy McGlynn
WHEN THE stadium lights go down, sports fans expect to be entertained. Increasingly, the action isn’t just on the field: it’s high above it, where hundreds of drones transform the night sky. These spectacles are very new, but are already giving sports teams fresh ways to entertain crowds and tell their stories.
“It’s really still in its infancy,” says Jeff Clarmo, chief operating officer of Pixel Sky Animations, a national producer of Canadian drone shows. “I’d say there’s not two people out of 100 that have seen a drone show live.”
Clarmo would know: after a 25-year career in fireworks, he launched Canada’s first commercial drone show company in 2020 and was nearly retired when Pixel Sky recruited him.
A FEW GOOD DRONES
For sports organizations, novelty is part of the appeal. Drone shows can be breathtaking, with hundreds of synchronized drones painting vivid images in the sky. Clarmo says a typical outdoor show uses about 200 drones, though Pixel Sky produced a much larger display at the 2024 Grey Cup Festival in Vancouver, where 1,000 drones animated the sky. Large US companies often compete on drone count, but Clarmo says Canadian organizations tend to take a different approach. “Special events don’t have a lot of money, especially in Canada,” he says. “So we take the budgets and think outside the box.”
That means using drones to create more than a colourful spectacle. Their ability to move lets event organizers tell stories and create interactive moments that engage fans.
Clarmo describes shows built around iconic players and legendary plays, with playful touches like an animated bicycle kick during a soccer tournament. A season opener might feature a waving mascot or an overhead countdown that gets thousands chanting before kickoff.
“We could say, ‘Welcome to your 2026 Hamilton Tiger-Cats,’ and have the whole crowd doing the team chant,” Clarmo says. “It builds excitement and emotion for the audience.”
LIVE AND LET FLY
Clarmo says the production process starts well before game day, when the client and the drone production company meet to develop a storyboard. At Pixel Sky, each scene is refined and approved before the show is programmed. Narration and music selections (from a producer’s library or specially licensed for an event) can take the experience further.
“I think it’s up to the drone show supplier to ask questions that get clients thinking about who they are and what they’re trying to achieve,” Clarmo says. “We have to show them what’s possible.”
THE FAST AND THE FLURRIOUS
Choosing the right supplier, he adds, is about more than finding a company that owns drones. Experience producing live events is key. “Live events are difficult,” Clarmo says. “They have rain, unexpected delays, maybe a speaker who talks too long. Having a company that knows showbiz is also very important.”
That live-event expertise is what transforms a drone show from a technical display into a memorable experience that fans associate with the team long after the final whistle.
PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST
Book at least eight weeks ahead. That gives suppliers time for permits, design and logistics.
Budget around $25,000. Typical cost for a 200-drone outdoor show running 12 to 15 minutes.
Double-check insurance. Drone operators should carry $5-10 million in liability insurance.
Make room for the magic. Drones can’t fly over spectators so stadiums with fields, and parks or waterfronts work well.
Prep for setup. The drone company will send four to seven people on-site about three hours before showtime.
Plan for weather. Light rain is manageable, but heavy rain or winds above 35 km/h can cause delays.
Think about sound. Most stadiums have sound systems; if not, arrange one. Music dramatically enhances the experience.
Get creative. Think beyond logos and mascots to include fan traditions or your team’s origin story to create memorable fan moments.
Photos: Pixel Sky Animations
Published October 2026
