This was published 1 year ago
Brisbane Olympic drone show axed after Matildas malfunction
A planned Olympic drone show in Brisbane this weekend has been cancelled, after a disastrous display before a Matildas match in Melbourne resulted in up to 350 drones falling into the Yarra River.
Australian Traffic Network, which performed the show in Melbourne on Friday night, had been commissioned to conduct a drone display of the Olympic rings and Paralympic “Agitos” above the Story Bridge on Saturday night.
But Friday night’s incident, before the Matildas’ 1-0 World Cup warm-up win over France at Marvel Stadium, has forced a rethink.
Nobody was injured because of the malfunction.
The Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee said ATN’s investigations into the Melbourne incident were ongoing and, until the cause of the equipment failure was identified, it was considered unwise to conduct further drone shows.
Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris said he understood people would be disappointed, but safety was the priority.
“We’ve made sure that there are still plenty of ways for people right across south-east Queensland to enjoy the nine-years-to-go milestone and celebrate the Olympic rings and Paralympic agitos making their Queensland debut,” he said.
Brisbane 2032 Olympic organisers had planned a drone show for July 22, 2023, to mark nine years until the opening ceremony.Credit: Artists' impression
“This is the first time since the Sydney 2000 Games that the rings and agitos will be featured prominently back in Australia, and it’s a moment that everyone can enjoy.”
Divers have been brought in to recover drones in the Yarra River, with concerns about the potential environmental risks posed by the hundreds of lithium batteries in the water.
“We’ve got five professional divers and our main focus is to retrieve as many drones as we can; we’re hopeful we can retrieve most of them,” ATN Victorian chief executive Vic Lorusso said on the weekend.
“It’s the only glitch we’ve seen in 18 months running the business ... so we’re trying to get to the bottom of it quickly.”
Liveris said south-east Queenslanders would have plenty of opportunities to see large-scale structures of the rings and agitos.
He said details could be found on local council websites, along with the official Brisbane 2032 site.
ATN has previously created drone shows for the State of Origin and Vivid Festival in Sydney.
- with Patrick Hatch