Sky Elements shatters world record for longest drone animation with Christmas spectacle

It’s been a good and bad weekend for North Texas-based drone light show company Sky Elements. Yesterday we gave an update on a drone show put on by the company in Lake Eola, Florida, where footage shows multiple drones colliding out of control and falling into the lake and on land.

One boy ended up in the hospital after being struck by one of those out-of-control drones. According to CNN affiliate WESH, the injuries were so severe that the boy underwent open-heart surgery.

Read more about that story here.

But in other news — this time over in Texas — Sky Elements achieved a groundbreaking milestone on Dec. 20, 2024. They’ve broken all sorts of records, but this record is unique. Sky Elements shattered the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Animation Performed by UAVs or Drones.”

In collaboration with the City of North Richland Hills, the American drone show company Sky Elements flew 2,500 drones that told a darling Christmas story across the sky in a dazzling 30-minute display. And being such a long show, this one had a full story behind it involving penguins and a snowman.

This historic event marked Sky Elements’ 12th Guinness World Record. Michael Empric, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, was present to officially verify the accomplishment.

The event took place at the Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletics Complex. There, attendees watched the show from their cars, tuning in to 88.9 FM to experience the synchronized audio that complemented the visuals, evoking a modern-day drive-in movie experience.

Watch a condensed version of the 30-minute show here:

The previous record

The achievement surpassed the previous record of 26 minutes and 26 seconds, held by a Chinese drone company in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

That show happened a few years back and was put on by Shenzhen HighGreat Innovation Technology Development Co., a company that also makes light show drones. During that show, HighGreat actually broke what at the time was four new Guinness World Records, including the largest number of drones flying simultaneously (5,164), the largest light image (composed by 5,184 drones), the longest animation show performed by drones (26 minutes and 26 seconds), and the largest number of varied consecutive formations by a single fleet (88).

Why the new Sky Elements record matters: a shift in drone innovation

In recent months, conversations around drone records often centered on sheer size — how many drones could take flight in synchronized displays. While impressive, the frequent breaking of such records has begun to feel reminiscent of the early days of drone delivery, when novelty milestones like delivering pizzas, sandwiches or coffee dominated headlines.

The past weekend’s record-breaking drone show shift the focus to technological advancements, particularly in flight duration and animation complexity. Sky Elements’ latest record isn’t just a bigger number; it’s a leap forward in drone technology. Extending drone show times to 30 minutes requires advanced hardware, software and meticulous planning. In fact, this show rotated three fleets in and out, which enabled them to run a show that long.

This record underscores significant progress in both battery efficiency and drone reliability as well as drone show planning. All of those qualities are crucial factors for the future of drone applications beyond entertainment, such as search and rescue, agriculture, and logistics.

The technology behind the show

Sky Elements relies on UVify drones, which are made by American drone company UVify and manufactured in South Korea. The company’s are largely considered the best light show drones you can buy, known for their precision and performance. Uvify’s drones are engineered to excel in demanding environments, offering extended battery life, high-speed capabilities and robust durability. The drones cost about $1,500 each.

UVify also rolled out a new rental network that makes putting on ultra-massive systems possible, by way of what’s called the FAB (Fleet Augmentation by UVify) rental system. With it, UVify implements a revenue-share system where customers who use extra drones share show revenue with UVify in exchange for borrowing their drones.

Want to buy your own set of UVify IFO drones? Mention UVify promo code DGIFO to your UVify sales representative to receive a 5% discount plus an additional free battery and set of high-performance props per IFO. 

What to know about Sky Elements

This latest feat is just one of many in Sky Elements’ portfolio. Sky Elements is now a 12-time Guinness World Record holder, including another reason record-breaking drone show in Texas involving firework drones, plus a show at IAAPA 2024 that put 2,484 drones over the Orlando Convention Center to break the record for “Largest aerial display of a bird formed by multi-rotors/drones.”  The company was also a finalist on “America’s Got Talent.”

The company will likely face some setbacks after that Orlando drone show that went wrong

Still the company has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of drone entertainment, previously setting records for the largest drone show in the U.S. and creating displays for high-profile events like the MLB World Series, NFL games and movie premieres.