Jacksonville is about to trade its usual skyline for something a lot more choreographed. Next Friday and Saturday, the DroneArt Show is set to launch more than 1,000 synchronized drones over Tailgaters Parking across from EverBank Stadium, pairing the aerial display with a candlelit, live-music performance. General admission tickets start in the mid-$30s, and a VIP picnic option is priced around $105.
Event details and where to go
According to the DroneArt Show, performances are scheduled for next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening roughly two hours beforehand and a total running time of about 65 minutes. The event lists “1000+ Drones” and gives the venue as Tailgaters Parking at 225 Talleyrand Ave, with picnic-style seating and on-site concessions.
What to expect in the sky
As reported by The Florida Times-Union, organizers say they obtained special clearance from the FAA to stage the display and that the drone fleet will be preprogrammed to move in time with a live string quartet. The paper notes that the drones can climb as high as 400 feet and that roughly 45 minutes of the roughly hour-long show will feature drones in the air; organizers say the production was designed by Nova Sky Stories.
Tickets, parking and safety
Tickets and seating are being handled through Fever, which lists picnic-area general admission and a VIP picnic option that includes a personal blanket and fast-track entry. Fever also notes that kids under 3 are free and that late entry may not be permitted, so organizers recommend arriving early for parking and check-in.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium policies ordinarily ban drones over the stadium and adjacent lots around events, according to EverBank Stadium, which helps explain why the FAA authorization is a key part of this production.
A growing trend
The DroneArt concept has toured widely, drawing large crowds in multiple cities and pairing classical repertoire with choreographed drone visuals, according to DroneArt Show. Organizers are billing the Jacksonville performances as the city’s first large-scale drone concert and a new kind of evening out for families and crowds alike…