South Hedland sky lit up by 500 drones to celebrate WA Day in the Pilbara

The skies of South Hedland were filled with 500 drones as part of a celebration recreating and telling stories from across the State.

The show was held on June 11 at Kevin Scott Oval as part of Celebrate WA’s WA Day Festival and featured featured live music and DJs as well as food trucks and roving entertainment.

In the evening the 500 drones took to the sky with a WA-themed musical score playing on screens and speakers across the oval to support the spectacular event.

The event happened just a week after the WA Day celebrations at Burswood Park in Perth which saw the drones light up the city sky while a slew of local bands performed including Eskimo Joe and Birds of Tokyo.

Celebrate WA chair Michael Anghie said the past two years demonstrated West Australians were resilient and adaptable.

“While the challenges are not over, we do believe we are headed towards a more positive future, and WA Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate this and we are delighted to be bringing the drones to Port Hedland,” he said.

“The drone light show is spectacular and is the largest seen in our state, allowing us to come together to celebrate in a way that is safe and accessible for all.”

WA Day was formally established in April 2012 following bipartisan political support in the Western Australian Parliament to make the change from Foundation Day.

Previous WA Day events have been held in Port Hedland including the 2019 State of the Arts Festival which featured the high octane rock and roll music of the Southern River Band.