Overview
- The combined drohnenshow and traditional fireworks ended without major incidents and drew applause from thousands of spectators on Friday, July 24.
- Organisers deployed a new safety concept that fired shells from 2.60‑metre high containers with roughly eight‑centimetre thick walls, moved the launch area toward the river, and added catch fences for smaller calibres.
- AO Multimedia & Drones staged two coordinated shows using up to 1,200 drones that displayed Düsseldorf‑themed imagery immediately before the evening fireworks.
- A bright, long‑lasting fireball was widely observed during the sequence and Dutch experts cited by media have tentatively identified it as the re‑entry and burn‑up of SpaceX Starlink 1541.
- The incident eased immediate worries about a repeat of last year’s stray‑firework injuries but intensified debate over the environmental cost of fireworks and the growing safety implications of orbital debris for large public events.