Final preparations are underway for the Isle of Man’s first-ever official drone show, set to take place in Douglas this week.

Organised by Douglas City Council, the 15-minute display will begin at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 20, as part of celebrations for City Day - the anniversary of Douglas being officially granted city status.

The event will be staged by Star Symphony Drone Shows, which has offered to put on the display free of charge to mark the occasion.

The drones will take to the sky, choreographed to music, forming spectacular shapes over the promenade and heading out to sea.

A spectator area will be set up on Loch Promenade, with organisers saying the best viewing spots will be between the Bee Gees statue and Howard Street.

Road closures and safety measures

To accommodate the event, the Bottleneck car park will be closed from 6pm, and Victoria Street will be shut during the display.

A no pedestrian zone will also be in place around the Bottleneck car park for safety reasons, and the public is advised to stick to the designated viewing areas.

The Isle of Man Civil Aviation Administration has put a Restriction of Flying Regulation in place, meaning no other drones or aircraft will be allowed to fly below 1,000 feet within 1,000 metres of the Bottleneck car park between 7.20pm and 8pm.

Community support and sponsorship

The event is being supported by the Department for Enterprise, which is covering ancillary costs, while ELS Group Ltd is providing the sound system free of charge.

Justin McMullin and Ricky Rooney, joint owners of ELS Group, said: ‘We’re beyond excited to co-sponsor the Isle of Man’s first-ever drone show alongside Douglas City Council!

‘As a proud Manx sound and lighting rental company, we’ve been bringing events to life for 15 years, and this was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.’