Drones? Fireworks? Both? Fort Lauderdale mulls special Fourth of July show

The Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve might look a bit different in Fort Lauderdale.

City commissioners showed interest in implementing drone shows for its Fourth of July Spectacular and New Year’s Eve Downtown Countdown celebrations, possibly in lieu of traditional fireworks in the future. But at least for this summer’s Independence Day, which marks the United States’ milestone 250th anniversary, the fireworks are here to stay.

“I think it would be a mistake, especially this year, to not do [fireworks],” said Vice Mayor John Herbst at the Tuesday afternoon city commission conference meeting. “If we want to do this going forward, I’m open to experimenting with it, seeing how people react to it, but I don’t think this is the year to try that. I think this would probably be the worst year to try and change it up.”

“Maybe we can do a combination,” Mayor Dean Trantalis responded.

Several South Florida cities have already adopted drone shows for holiday celebrations, including Miami and Pompano Beach. Drone shows use hundreds of small drones hooked up with LED lights to fly into the night sky and display moving images, like a waving American flag.

Perhaps the biggest pro is cost. Drones are far cheaper — at least, for a longer show.

The City of Fort Lauderdale spent $144,500 on its Fourth of July firework display, which is 22 minutes long and launched from a barge in the ocean, in 2025. Holding a drone show in its place would not require a barge and would cost $80,000 to $100,000, said Amy Jean-Baptiste, the city Parks and Recreation Deputy Director.

Drone shows are also considered to be safer for the environment and less prone to causing accidental fires. Drones can fly in light rain and are much quieter, a boon for pets who get scared at the sound of fireworks. Commissioner Ben Sorensen argued that a drone-only Fourth of July show “makes a lot of sense” to reduce pollution from debris that falls from fireworks and save money.

But, as the mayor pointed out, drone shows can be “really boring,” especially without music.

“Fourth of July is about celebration, and this would be like seeing a silent movie,” Trantalis said. “That’s not how I want to see Fort Lauderdale celebrate.”

The city’s Parks, Recreation and Beaches Board recommended to continue displaying fireworks for the Fourth of July, either exclusively or with a drone show, Jean-Baptiste said. “The feedback I received from them was referencing the tradition and the historical significance of fireworks,” she told the city commission.

The fate of fireworks on New Year’s Eve remains to be seen, as commissioners decided to hold off discussing potential changes to the Downtown Countdown. The city’s current 4-minute fireworks display on New Year’s Eve costs about $6,000, while a 15-minute drone-only show would cost at least $40,000.

Trantalis said the city should reach out to “folks that have deeper pockets in the city” to contribute to a grand Fourth of July celebration, complete with both fireworks and a drone show. Commissioner Steven Glassman floated an idea to use drones to display sponsors’ names in the sky.

“We’re going to be competing with a lot of cities around the country on July 4th this year,” Trantalis said. “And I’d love for Fort Lauderdale to be able to stand out in this regard.”

Combining both drones and fireworks would be the most expensive option, estimated by the city to cost up to $245,000 without any sponsored help.

This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 5:52 PM.