CLEVELAND, Ohio – Fans and folks in downtown Cleveland for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home opener this month will have some postgame entertainment high in the sky: A 500-drone light show will illuminate the sky.
Skyworx Drone Shows, billed as the nation’s largest drone-show company, is putting on the show. It’s expected to light the skies above the Cuyahoga River and be visible from the front entrance of Rocket Arena and surrounding area.
The company says its newest technology produces visuals that are three times brighter than previous-generation drone lights. A computer program using GPS is used to synchronize drones in a variety of patterns in the sky.
The Cavaliers host the Milwaukee Bucks at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. The drone show will launch about 10 minutes after the game ends.
Last year, the Cavs used drones a few times, including on Oct. 17, 2024. That night, the Guardians defeated the New York Yankees, 7-5, in Progressive Field in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series while the Cavaliers were celebrating at a 30th anniversary party for Rocket Arena about a mile away in Ohio City.
Drones formed several images, including one of a bowtie, out of respect for the late Nick Gilbert. The son of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert had died in 2023 and was famous for wearing bowties. Fans walking across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge could view the shifting shapes of the drones after the baseball game.