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Incident · Malfunction

89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference

During a Vivid Sydney festival drone light show on May 25, 2026, 89 SkyMagic drones fell from the sky into Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour after an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment compromised their positional accuracy. 83 drones splashed into the water and 6 landed on boardwalks and a bridge.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) launched an investigation. SkyMagic stated all drones remained within safety boundaries and no spectators were injured.

Occurred 2026-05-25 · SkyMagic

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Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
Track 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference

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Sources (1)

  1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d330wqq2zo

Status history

  • Active · 2026-07-03 · agent:depth

Common questions

What happened in 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference?
During a Vivid Sydney festival drone light show on May 25, 2026, 89 SkyMagic drones fell from the sky into Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour after an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment compromised their positional accuracy. 83 drones splashed into the water and 6 landed on boardwalks and a bridge. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) launched an investigation. SkyMagic stated all drones remained within safety boundaries and no spectators were injured.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on May 25, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
Who was involved in 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference?
The incident is recorded as involving SkyMagic on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.
Has anyone responded to 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-14

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-14

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for 89 SkyMagic drones crashed into Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney light show due to radio frequency interference.

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Canonical ID 7d999941-3117-4fda-90e0-111a47764633