It’s hard to imagine a festive night without some celebratory fireworks. 

But if recent trends are to be believed, this could soon change.

With the use of technology, newer devices have emerged as alternatives to fireworks, which appear to be devoid of the drawbacks that accompany the latter. Drones, in particular, are being used during several events for light shows.

A case in point is the opening ceremony of this year’s Tokyo Olympics, or the Over the Top NYE event at Reunion Tower in Dallas which plans to combine both fireworks and drones at midnight.

Ollie Howitt, the creative coordinator at SkyMagic, which used a fleet of 300 drones to create a display for the mayor of London’s new year celebration last year, told The Guardian that demand had significantly increased, and got pushed further up because of the pandemic. 

“We do think it’s going to be something that’s ever-evolving, as opposed to it being a short-lived sort of fad that people have suddenly got interested in,” she said.

Robert Neff, a partner and general manager at Mercia Marina, agreed and said, “There’s a big movement against fireworks.”

He shared that there were multiple reasons behind the drone display at the marina, including, but not limited to, the impact of fireworks on animals. 

Howitt also said drones had benefits over fireworks,“They’re no emission, they’re reusable, there’s no fallout or any debris or that kind of thing. So in that sense they are a very good, sustainable option.”

However, drones also come with certain challenges. 

“Suggestions are that drones have less of an impact on the environment, but we have grave concerns about electrical demand and use of lithium batteries which are known not to be all that ‘green’,” a spokesperson from the British Fireworks Association said, reported The Guardian.

“Firework use impact on the environment has been shown to be minor and very short-lived and recent studies have suggested that there is likely to be more pollution from a couple of cars driving to an event than caused by fireworks at an event.”

A spokesperson at Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said that drones did impact animals too.

“Drones are not without their own negative issues such as spooking horses and livestock or colliding with birds, and can cause disturbance to animals and members of the public. It’s therefore important for their effects to be fully considered and measures taken to minimise the chance of accidents,” they said.

A mix of both drones and fireworks could be an option to consider, and one may not have to replace the other, some believe. 

Howitt noted that fireworks provide the sound sensation while drones offer visual aesthetics. 

“We find fireworks work really well in tandem with drones. But we don’t really see it as one replacing the other at all. We sort of feel as if it’s just another tool in the chest for how you sort of animate the sky and what you want to do with the show that you’re putting on,” she told The Guardian.