Overview
- The first of two drone productions, titled “Art in the Sky – Inspiriert von Düsseldorf,” lit the night over the Oberkasseler Rheinwiesen on Tuesday with about 1,000–1,200 drones and drew thousands of onlookers.
- Organisers said two drones triggered an automatic autolanding because of wind and proximity issues and were recovered undamaged, a safety measure AO Multimedia & Drones described as designed to avoid flying over people or water.
- Event hosts reported stronger attendance than in 2025, citing roughly 1.6 million visitors to Monday and about 2.1 million in the first five days, and they expressed optimism about reaching roughly four million by the festival’s end.
- The second drone show is scheduled for Friday at 22:15 with the traditional fireworks to follow at 22:30, and the city has announced bridge closures, an ÖPNV ‘sluice’ at Luegplatz and other route controls to steer heavy crowds.
- Public reaction was mostly positive for the drone art as a lower-emission complement to pyrotechnics, though calls to drop the fireworks resurfaced because of last year’s accident that injured 19 people.