Vivid Sydney has been hit by a double backlash after dozens of drones plunged into Darling Harbour and a separate projection display sparked complaints from patrons who claimed it was inappropriate for a family-friendly event.
The drone failure forced one of the festival’s major showcase events to be halted after the drones fell from the sky and into the harbour, with some yet to be recovered.
Vivid also faced criticism over a separate projection display at Circular Quay, with some attendees claiming performers in revealing outfits were unsuitable for an event promoted as family-friendly.
Lenny Sinclair, a two time Australian Kickboxing Champion, was enjoying the annual event on Monday when he spotted a display of scantily clad dancers at Circular Quay.
In the footage, which he shared on social media, a woman in a pink revealing bodysuit dancing could be seen thrusting during a dance.
It had been projected on the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia building.
‘Multiple men and women half naked are sexualised on this building, while there’s family and children around… yuck,’ he wrote in the caption.
Some Australians on social media were shocked by the video, saying it was not family-friendly.
A Vivid projection at Circular Quay has sparked backlash, with some attendees questioning whether it was suitable for a family-friendly event
Drones appear to fall from the sky during a Vivid Sydney display over Darling Harbour, forcing the major showcase event to be halted
‘It’s f***ing disgusting that we promote this s*** and in front of children,’ a user said.
Another added: ‘Imagine having to explain this to your kids.’
The criticism comes as Vivid continues dealing with the fallout from the drone malfunction, with shows scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday night cancelled while a technical and safety review is carried out.
‘We apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience caused to attendees,’ a Vivid Sydney spokesperson said in a statement.
‘Public safety is always the number one priority and a full assessment is now underway with the specialist operators and relevant government agencies advising on next steps,’ they added.
A worker at Darling Harbour told ABC Local Radio there appeared to be a ‘cascading failure of the drones’.
‘Everything seemed normal and then very shortly after that first image was displayed, on the southern side of Cockle Bay you started seeing drones dropping in the water,’ he said.
The drone show’s operator, Sky Magic, said 89 drones landed in the waters of Cockle Bay.
The drone show’s operator, Sky Magic, said 89 drones landed in the waters of Cockle Bay
‘No vehicle escaped the safety boundary of the show parameters and the reaction of the pilots and crew were timely and appropriate in accordance with our operations manual and processes.
‘Some vehicles during the emergency landing phase encountered the geofence boundary and shut down to preserve the safety zone, resulting in them falling into the water,’ the company said in a statement.
Sky Magic said the incident was caused by an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment.
