What was supposed to be a ‘revolutionary’ Christmas spectacle ended up turning into one of the most talked about flops of the weekend in the UK. In Ardingley, West Sussex, a show featuring 600 drones, promoted by Lumina Sky Theatre, left parents, children and grandparents scratching their heads with a performance deemed “messy”, “confusing” and “disappointing”. With tickets priced at over £94, about R$660, the event quickly took social media by storm, drawing criticism in posts on Facebook and TikTok.
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According to The Sun, about 5,500 people faced mud and long queues to watch the show, which was described as magical. But what was seen in the sky was an irregular array of lights, with patchy images. The grand finale, promised in the official release, never happened. The soundtrack continued to play alone while the crowd booed.
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Gemma Hahn, 42, told The Sun she spent more than £70 to take her two children to the event and found nothing but an “empty field” and an atmosphere devoid of any Christmas atmosphere. “We paid for Rudolph’s show, but it felt like a game of hangman,” he said. It also said that the drones failed to display expected words in the narration, leaving sections unreadable.
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Another participant, Jim Sale, paid £94 thinking she would enjoy a special night out with her family. She told the British newspaper, “I felt embarrassed. My children asked me what we were seeing. It was a waste of money and night.” Shelley Matthews compared the experience to the disastrous Fyre Festival, noting parallel performances described as “weird”, with women twirling fire and performers wearing wings, adding to the disorganized feeling of the event.
Christmas drone display fails in England; People complain
On social media, the tone was no different. On Facebook, Jonathan Barrett classified the show as a “feverish delirium” and stated that half of the predictions had completely failed. Videos posted on TikTok, showing drones flying in the dark amid aerial choreography, have also gone viral, accompanied by captions mocking the discrepancy between the promise of a big spectacle and what was delivered.
Throughout the night, the audience complained about the high prices of food – with a hamburger costing £14 – and the lack of additional performances. Instead of the advertised attractions, there was only a woman singing karaoke on stage, which added to the feeling of frustration.
Amid the pressure, the organization issued a statement to The Sun newspaper. Lumina Drones said the event experienced “technical difficulties” that prevented part of the equipment from working. According to the company, the team has already contacted French drone manufacturers to explain why some of them did not take off, despite there being no record of the system failing. “Proposals of this size are complex and can face unexpected events,” the spokesman said. The company promised to contact all ticket buyers via email and advised sending complaints directly to their email.