Swiss Drone perform the first drone-formation light show in Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy has a ban on drone flights over citizens’ homes so organisers of the event had to get clearance with the air force

Today, the Christmas market in Differdange, Luxembourg, will get a very unique light show right before the start of the Christmas holidays. The Swiss company Swiss Drone Show AG will perform the first drone-formation light show in the Grand Duchy. The flying devices will light up with LED lights and form Christmas-themed shapes over the market.

One of the biggest obstacles city authorities and the company had to overcome was the Luxembourgish ban on drone flights over citizens’ homes. They have been trying to get the go-ahead from the air force for five months now and the show is finally set for this Friday.

50 drones will take off from the park near Château de Differdange and fly at an altitude of 150 metres, while the public is gathered at the Christmas market. The show will start at 7:30 and will last around ten minutes. The only thing that can ruin the show now is unfavourable weather conditions, as rain, snow or strong gusts of wind can ground the drones.

The oldest Christmas market in Luxembourg

The Differdange Christmas Market is the oldest in Luxembourg, with its first edition being dating back to 1977. This year, the market opened on 3 December and it will last until the 21 December. Although many Christmas markets across Europe were closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Luxembourg has managed to avoid a spike in cases until recently.

This meant that Christmas markets stayed open, although unvaccinated people could not attend.

The Christmas market in Differdange, Source: City of Differdange on Facebook

The Christmas market in Differdange had several unique features this year, like a free merry go round for children, an ice rink and an exhibition of photographs titled ‘Back to Normal’. Visitors had the chance to vote for the photograph that spoke the most to them on what ‘normal’ actually means.