The unpredictability of fireworks — where and how each burst of dazzling light and crackling noise will occur — elicits a sense of wonder that captivates spectators.
“You almost feel in your chest what you’re seeing with your eyes,” said Kristen Lindquist, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies the psychological and neural basis of emotions, moods and feelings.
It is a tradition ingrained in the American psyche.
But as the country prepares for summer’s iconic holiday of barbecues and big booms next week, drone light shows have emerged in recent years as an alternative that addresses growing concerns about noise, safety and the environment.
Known for its biweekly fireworks displays during the summer, Navy Pier celebrated a gala in September with a 400-drone performance produced by Sky Elements. Rick Boss, president of the Texas-based company, said he only realized drone light shows could be a powerful storytelling medium when he saw a client tear up during one of his first events.
“Until you see one in person, you realize … it’s just a massive canvas that you’re painting on. It is just wonderful to see,” he said. “So that’s a big reason for it: Folks just looking for something different, something creative, something energetic to bring into their events … The drone shows allow them to do it quietly, allow them to (make) it environmentally friendly, and really gives a good ‘Wow’ moment.”
These aerial light shows use hundreds of individual drones equipped with color-changing LEDs and programmed to follow certain flight paths to create animations and images in the sky.
It’s now been a little over a decade since the first drone light show enthralled audiences at an open-air music festival along the Danube River in Austria.
“Twelve years is not that long ago,” Boss said. “We’ve had iPhones longer than we’ve had drone shows.”
While fireworks are far and away the choice for most July Forth celebrations, a few communities have made the switch for a variety of reasons, including poor air quality, trauma from gun violence like the mass shooting in Highland Park or high fire risks in Western states.
The industry has only taken off in the last three years, Boss noted. The market size for global drone light shows was valued at $1.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2031, according to Allied Market Research.
Last year in the United States alone, the consumer fireworks industry generated $2.2 billion in revenue and the professional fireworks display industry generated $500 million in revenue, according to the American Pyrotechnic Association. Experts expect the use of pyrotechnics this year will hit an “all-time high.”
“I would bet that the number of drone shows in Illinois has quadrupled in the past two years,” said Zack James, head of operations at Chicago Drone Light Shows and at Mad Bomber Fireworks. “It has quadrupled — but it’s still a fraction of what fireworks (are).”
Mad Bomber Fireworks has been selling pyrotechnics in the Chicago area for over three decades. The drone business became a “logical outgrowth” after members of the company attended a convention two years ago showcasing drones. They returned to Chicago and began experimenting with light shows.
“When we saw the technology, it was like, this is something else. There’s a huge opportunity for it,” James said.
Causes for concern
Lincoln Square residents have long disputed and been divided over unsanctioned pyrotechnic shows during the holiday — flashy displays that year after year draw crowds to the sprawling 22-acre Winnemac Park.
This year, the park’s advisory council will debut a celebratory event with plenty of entertainment, but no fireworks for neighbors “who want a safer, nature-friendly way to celebrate America’s birthday,” according to a news release.
Russ Klettke, who has lived across from the park for almost two decades, last year rented air quality monitors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to collect environmental data before, during and after July Fourth celebrations.
He rode his bike and strolled around the park in the early afternoon, a sensor attached to his backpack to make baseline measurements before pyrotechnics would be set off in the evening. He repeated the method between 7 and 11 p.m., capturing air quality readings as fireworks exploded at the park.
According to the World Health Organization, the short-term, 24-hour average concentration of particulate matter known as PM2.5 should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter. PM2.5, fine particles equal to or smaller than 2.5 micrometers, are 30 times smaller than the width of a strand of human hair, so tiny that they can enter the lungs and bloodstream and be deadly to humans.
Klettke recorded readings of PM2.5 ranging from 16 to 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air in the afternoon and 18 to 30 micrograms per cubic meter during and after the show. Klettke noted the data, while not peer-reviewed, demonstrates how fireworks affect the neighborhood.
Studies have shown that during and after holidays celebrated with fireworks, PM2.5 levels recorded in a given area are typically 2 to 10 times greater than on an average day. According to data from Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, Chicago’s PM2.5 levels from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. on the Fourth of July in 2021, 2022 and 2023 rose by an average of 168% compared with baseline measurements on July 1-3 and July 5-7 in those years.
Besides concerns regarding pollutants in the atmosphere, Klettke told the Tribune, many neighbors said their pets and young children have been distressed by the loud booms.
Consumer fireworks, other than sparklers and smoke bombs, are illegal across Illinois, carrying fines of up to $2,500. In the city, the use of fireworks or other explosives on Chicago Park District property is not allowed, although there is little enforcement.
Pyrotechnics — especially if handled by unlicensed amateurs — can cause severe or fatal injuries. In 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 11 fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 10,200 fireworks-related injuries, almost 75% of which occurred around the Fourth of July.
Klettke said the park council considered a drone show for this year’s “Winnemac Fourth for All” event, but the price was too high. The day will still end with a visual bang from Full Moon Jam, an artistic collective of fire performers.
Costs depend on the complexity, number of drones used and the time of year, but prices generally range from $10,000 for small performances to $200,000 for larger, more intricate ones.
Boss said the price has continued dropping over the last three and a half years. “When we first started, an average drone show was more than double the cost that it is today,” he said.
While shows with drones might still be too expensive for smaller gatherings and neighborhood celebrations, bigger organizations, municipalities and park districts have invested in these displays.
Arnie Rivera, chief administrative and equity officer at Navy Pier, told the Tribune there are plans for three drone shows in 2024, one on Aug. 31 and two as part of their wintertime Light Up the Lake festivities, which feature large-scale displays with over 600,000 twinkling Christmas lights.
“Navy Pier will always be synonymous with magnificent fireworks displays and we are proud to have been named ‘the best place in the country to see summer fireworks’ for the second consecutive year by readers of USA Today,” an emailed statement read. “That said, following the excitement generated by two drone light shows in 2023, we are actively evaluating opportunities to incorporate more of these crowd-pleasing spectacles into our programming.”
In the statement, Rivera said research on the economic and cultural impact of the Navy Pier fireworks on the city indicates the displays are a significant driver of tourism.
That was certainly on display at Wednesday’s fireworks show when hundreds of tourists and residents of all ages gathered along the water at Navy Pier. The setting sun cast a golden light on downtown skyscrapers, the skyline glittering. Suddenly, the lively chatter stopped. A few yelps cut through the crowd as a blast of red light shot up from across the harbor.
“Oh!” the crowd exclaimed in unison as a bigger firework covered the sky in a green glow. People cheered, couples hugged and kids sat on their parents’ shoulders, enjoying the 10-minute show. A woman held her cellphone up, but she wasn’t taking photos — she was on a video call, sharing the display with others miles away.
The intensity crescendoed for the grand finale, more and larger fireworks making the crowd erupt in whistles and applause. “That was so good! The end! Oh, my God!” a little girl exclaimed to her mother once it was over. Most people hurriedly dispersed, oblivious to a cloud of smoke and dust hanging in the air where the show had happened minutes earlier.
According to Rivera, drone shows aren’t likely to replace fireworks.
“Despite rapid improvements in the efficiency of drone show technology, hosting as many drone shows per year as we currently do fireworks would, for the foreseeable future, be cost prohibitive,” he said.
In Peoria, the Park District hosted a drone display by Firefly Drone Shows as part of its annual Park-A-Palooza on the riverfront earlier this month and in 2023.
“As a park district, the environmental concerns tied to fireworks have been an ongoing conversation with us,” said Executive Director Emily Cahill. “So being able to use drones, which are battery-powered, and which leave no trace, was something that was absolutely a draw for us as well.”
Over 10,000 people, about twice as many as last summer, showed up to their recent event. “And that’s just the people that we could count,” Cahill said.
“Last year, it was such a massive hit with people because it was so unique,” she said. The event crowds doubled in a year as word of mouth spread about the first show’s success.
The receptiveness of attendees reflected the calm “vibe,” she said, that can be achieved with drones instead of fireworks, which is also why they had no incidents of children crying or being frightened.
But on the holiday, the city’s “Red, White and Boom!” fireworks show will still be held on the Peoria and East Peoria riverfronts. It is being touted by organizers as Illinois’ biggest fireworks display and could attract an estimated 200,000 people.
Enduring popularity
Part of the joy of watching fireworks is the anticipation.
“When you go to a fireworks show, you hear a big boom! And you don’t know exactly what’s going to come,” said Michael Young, a psychology professor at Kansas State University who researches judgment and decision-making. “And you’re waiting in anticipation for that surprise.”
During that fleeting wait, bated breath and a thumping heartbeat are symptoms of a process that happens in the brain. A part of the brain called the amygdala activates in response to stimuli like sudden noise and bright light, releasing stress hormones that prepare the body to fight or flight. But when the amygdala registers fear, whether it’s real or just a perception, the human mind can also interpret the symptoms of that rush as excitement.
“Fireworks have the qualities of being beautiful and big, but also a little scary because they’re loud and they involve fire. And the combination of those two things is maybe a little awe-inspiring,” said Linquist, the UNC professor. “We have these embodied experiences to stressors, and even though they might feel different, the physiology that is activated when you’re scared and when you’re excited is actually very similar.”
This is why fireworks can cause severe distress for people who have trauma from explosions and gun violence, like Army veterans or victims of gun violence. Their mind immediately connects the sounds and blasts of pyrotechnics with the negative experiences, activating stress and anxiety.
It’s a reality that hits especially close to home for residents of Highland Park, where seven people were killed and at least 48 injured when a shooter opened fire during a Fourth of July parade two years ago. The city has since adopted drone light shows as it moves away from using fireworks in Independence Day celebrations to avoid retraumatizing residents.
While that was the main reason behind the city’s decision, officials evaluated other concerns.
“Environmental sustainability is one of the city’s top priorities,” Ghida Neukirch, the city manager, told the Tribune. “In everything that we do, we really try to be mindful of the impacts to the environment.”
For instance, at the upcoming July Fourth parade, the city will give out beaded and silicone bracelets that people will want to hold on to as opposed to “cheap tchotchkes” which might be more cost-effective but end up in the landfill, Neukirch said. This year’s Independence Day celebration will be scaled down, and the drone show has been moved to later in the summer for a music through the decades event on Sept. 14 due to staffing needs.
“We recognize fireworks are very traditional,” Neukirch said. “But what we’re embracing about the drone show is — what is it that makes people love the fireworks? It’s coming together with your friends and family, one community coming together for a special celebration. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
Pollution and debris
As hot, dry weather caused by climate change produces intense and more numerous wildfires across North America, worsening the quality of the air humans breathe, concerns about fire risk and pollution are galvanizing change in towns from California to Canada.
In Salt Lake City, where drone shows are replacing official fireworks displays for a second year, the choice represents “a move towards safety, environmental consciousness and community well-being,” according to a spokesperson.
“This proactive switch addresses the city’s high fire danger, air quality concerns and commitment to reducing pollution,” while offering an unforgettable experience that maintains the essence of celebration, the city said in a statement.
Numerous chemical processes have to occur to make a fireworks display happen. When a pyrotechnic is ignited, the gunpowder inside it explodes, setting off explosive shells called stars. Stars contain metals that produce different colors, and their placement determines the shape that’s seen in the night sky.
But as the chemicals in gunpowder — charcoal, sulfur and potassium nitrate — combust with oxygen, they also release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen.
Fireworks also emit PM2.5, particles so small the human body is not very good at filtering them out, according to a previous interview with Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs at the Chicago-based Respiratory Health Association.
“Science has shown that it’s really the smallest particles doing the most damage,” he said. “They’re the most connected with bad health outcomes. They also go the deepest in the lungs.”
Initially, particulate matter may cause burning eyes and a runny nose. But in worst-case scenarios, it can mess with blood chemistry and cause heart stoppages. Fine particulate matter has also been linked to premature births, diabetes and even dementia, according to Urbaszewski.
A 2021 study found that levels of PM2.5 were “notably higher” on July Fourth celebrations in Chicago neighborhoods with larger Black populations, consistent with previous research showing that communities of color are disproportionately affected by air pollution.
When fireworks explode, they also release volatile organic compounds, which combine with nitrogen oxides from diesel and gasoline engines to form ground-level ozone in hot, dry weather. Different from the naturally occurring ozone layer that is higher up in the atmosphere, ground-level ozone can have adverse effects on human health such as irritation of airways, coughing, shortness of breath, asthma attacks and chest pains.
“We’ll definitely see more communities that will be replacing their fireworks with drone shows where it makes sense for them, whether it’s environmental concerns or whether it’s (fire) danger or other sensitivity,” Boss said.
Debris from firework shells can also litter the surroundings of a show with paper or plastic casings. On the lakefront, these can contribute to the pollution of the world’s largest freshwater system.
Rivera, the Navy Pier representative, said Pyrotecnico, which supplies the pier’s shows, is one of the country’s most highly regarded and environmentally responsible fireworks purveyors. The company uses 100% biodegradable shells, with no plastic casings on any product, he said.
Navy Pier is committed to preserving the lakefront for future generations and takes its role as the “People’s Pier” seriously, Rivera said.
Not an either-or
Unless a cultural shift occurs, Americans are not likely to swap out pyrotechnics en masse for Independence Day celebrations anytime soon.
“There have been places that have replaced fireworks with drones on the Fourth of July,” James said. “And what we’ve seen, for the most part, is backlash. The community says, ‘Hey, we want fireworks!’”
The shared experience of traditional, celebratory symbols of joy and victory can be powerful and evoke deep feelings of patriotism and nostalgia.
“That’s all part and parcel of what makes the experience feel special, feel so poignant: It’s not just that you’re watching something beautiful. It’s not just that it’s creating these physiological changes in you that are maybe a little bit awe-inspiring, maybe a little scary, maybe a little bit exciting,” UNC professor Lindquist said. “But it has this meaning. It’s this collective experience that you and a bunch of people, maybe even your whole country, are coming together to share at the same time.”
Drone light shows will have to meet the challenge of replicating those emotions, experts say.
“It’s going to be a hard sell, I think, for a while,” said Young, the Kansas State professor. “Unless they can design the light shows in such a way that it can capture that unpredictability, surprise, desire for something — that seems, at least — organic.”
Some hope that the novelty and uniqueness of displays with drone lights make them an easy addition to other festivities and holidays like Labor Day and Memorial Day.
“Most people don’t think about it as one or the other,” Cahill said.
In fact, some drone shows incorporate fireworks into their closing act; the event Sky Elements produced at Navy Pier in September concluded with shimmery explosions.
“Fireworks combined with drones, I think, will become the standard,” James said. “Because the one thing drones lack is, that in a fireworks show … you get that big finale. You can’t do anything like that with the drones. So the combination of both of them is going to be the status quo.”
Chicago Drone Light Shows and Sky Elements are the only two companies that have received federal approval to shoot fireworks from the drones themselves.
“We’re just scratching the surface of what these drones can do,” he said.
Chicago Tribune’s Vivian La contributed.
