Drones, classical music mix in Huntington Beach show this weekend
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Those looking to experience some technology this weekend, after the tryptophan from Thanksgiving dinner has worn off, need look no further than Huntington Beach.
The Huntington Beach Sports Complex will be hosting a pair of Drone Art shows at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday designed to dazzle spectators with flyover patterns set to live classical music.
Presented by Fever, the show features a live string quartet playing “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky along with thousands of candles. Simultaneously, 500 drones will be flying in the sky, organized in shapes and patterns synced to the musical selections.
“This is a new medium of entertainment that we’re very excited about,” said Sofia Altuna, team lead for Fever Originals global. “It’s a new way to tell stories, with a technology that really impresses people. People love the idea of an outdoor show.”
Altuna said the production company wanted to make drones the highlight of experience, rather than just a component of the event. The 65-minute show, which debuted a year ago at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center and has since played around the world, started off with 20 minutes of drone time, but that has now been extended to 45 minutes.
“One of the things that we saw in the reviews was that people wanted more and more drone time,” Altuna said. “Drone time is not so easily given, given that drones have a battery life of about anywhere between eight to 15 minutes. So in order to have more drone time, you have to be really creative with how you utilize your drones.”
She said that Fever worked with drone technology partner Nova Sky Stories on extending the duration of the nighttime display. Different fleets of drones are alternated throughout the production, in order to achieve more continuous flying time.
Altuna said the show is suitable for people of all ages.
“One of the things that has been fascinating for me to watch is that when you see families, you can kind of tell that they’re introducing their kids to classical music for the first time,” she said. “But it’s very different to take your kids to a regular classical music concert that is beautiful, right, but is not necessarily sometimes for kids.
“Here … you can see that families really enjoy this opportunity to spend time as a family, and to introduce their kids to this type of music and this type of show.”
Doors open at 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday at the Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest St. Tickets range from $42.32 to $51.92 and can be purchased at thedroneartshow.com/huntington-beach. VIP tickets are sold out.
Guests with picnic area tickets are encouraged to bring blankets, pillows and chairs. Food and beverages will be available for purchase via food trucks at the event, but outside food and drinks are prohibited.
