The chaos that erupted over Sydney Harbour this week, when a fleet of drones plunged into the water during a light display, has sent shockwaves through the UK’s event planning industry. For those of us who remember the Grenfell Tower inferno and the Manchester Arena bombing, this is a stark reminder that public safety can never be taken for granted. As workers and families gather for summer festivals and local council events, the question now is whether Britain’s licensing rules are fit for the age of aerial technology.
The Sydney incident, which left several people injured and prompted an immediate suspension of all drone shows in New South Wales, has prompted an urgent review by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. But for event planners on the ground, the real issue is the gap between fast-moving tech and slow-moving regulations.
Take Dave Morrison, a stagehand from Birmingham who has worked drone shows for three years. He told me the industry is a Wild West. “There are no mandatory qualifications for drone pilots in entertainment,” he said. “Anyone can buy a licence online and call themselves a specialist. But a drone show is not the same as filming a wedding. You’re flying over thousands of people. One glitch and you’ve got a 2kg weight dropping from 100 feet.”
His concern is not unfounded. Last year, a drone malfunction at a Leeds music festival sent a machine crashing into an empty grandstand. No one was hurt, but the incident was brushed under the carpet. The UK currently has no specific licensing category for drone light displays. Instead, they fall under general drone operation rules, which were designed for hobbyists and photographers, not mass entertainment.
The new Labour government, which has promised to put “working people first”, must now decide whether to fast-track a dedicated regulatory framework. The Home Office has confirmed it is “monitoring the situation in Australia closely”. But for union leaders, talk is cheap. The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU) has called for an immediate moratorium on all drone shows until a full safety audit is completed.
“We are not Luddites,” said BECTU’s head of safety, Margaret O’Brien. “But we want to ensure that the race to create dazzling spectacles does not sacrifice the safety of the workers who set them up and the families who watch them. We have seen what happens when regulation lags behind innovation. It ends in tragedy.”
The cost implications are also significant. Smaller event planners fear that tighter rules could price them out of the market, handing a monopoly to corporate giants. But for campaigners like Sarah James, whose son was nearly hit by a falling drone at a fairground last summer, the priority is clear. “A cheap ticket is not worth a broken skull,” she said.
This is not just about drones. It is about the broader principle that when technology races ahead, the law must catch up. In the North of England, where councils are still reeling from cuts to public services, the idea of splashing money on drone shows while libraries close feels like a punch in the gut. But if done safely, these displays can bring communities together. The key is to ensure that the price of progress is not paid in blood.
As the Civil Aviation Authority launches its review, the clock is ticking. Summer is coming. And with it, the next big event. The question is whether officials will act before the next headline becomes a headline about a body count.
