Hiring an indoor drone show? 10 things to check before you book

1. Does the venue allow drones?

This is the question that matters most, and it's the one planners most often skip. Indoor drone shows don't need permits or FAA waivers, but they do need permission from the venue owner and the event production team. Some venues have a blanket no-drone policy that applies no matter how small the drones are or what safety measures are in place.

Ask the venue in writing, early, and make sure the person answering is the one who actually decides. Your sales contact often isn't. Ask who signs off on safety for the room, whether that's event services, security or risk management, and get the answer from them.

Personally, I'd like to see more venues judge a drone show by its safety plan, but the venue owner makes the call. Plan around their answer.

2. What happens if the venue says no after you've booked?

This happened to one of our clients in October 2026. Our team arrived to perform Singularity and was setting up when venue management told us the building has a strict no-drone policy. The client hadn't asked the venue before booking us.

We performed a version of the act without drones, using the same music, LED costume and LED prop, and the crowd still enjoyed it. A few people were disappointed, though, and the client still owed the full drone show fee. Our terms require full payment if a drone show is canceled within 30 days of the event for any reason outside our own negligence, because the programming, crew and travel are already committed by then.

Before you sign with any drone provider, read the cancellation and drone authorization clauses and know who pays if the drones can't fly.

3. Is there a backup if the drones are grounded?

Ask for one. Our acts can switch to a no-drone version on short notice, with the same music, LED costumes and LED props, so the time slot is still filled with a show. For larger productions we write this into the contract: if drones are barred, the show goes on as an LED dance performance.

4. How much space does an indoor drone show need?

Our standard Singularity package flies in a volume of about 7 m x 7 m x 6.5 m, or 24 ft x 24 ft x 23 ft, with 20 or 30 drones and a performer. It doesn't need audience clearance. Larger shows need more room, and our indoor system can fly up to 150 drones.

Send the provider a floor plan, the ceiling height and any rigging, hanging lights or truss in the flight area as early as you can. Those decide the size and shape of the show.

5. Do you need permits or FAA approval to fly indoors?

No permits or FAA waivers are needed for an indoor show, only the venue owner's and the production team's permission. Some venues still send paperwork of their own, and occasionally it's written for outdoor drones, such as a request for FAA registration. Bring this up early so there's time to explain how indoor flight works and agree on what the venue needs.

6. How safe are indoor show drones?

Our show drones weigh about 190 g each and fly with full rotor cages. Every show gets pre-flight equipment checks, a designated safety perimeter, a crew briefing and a clear abort procedure. Our flight software doesn't rely on floor-reading sensors, so the drones can fly over any type of flooring and over obstacles, and with the right permissions and precautions, over an audience.

7. What insurance will the venue ask for?

Expect a certificate of insurance naming the venue as additional insured, and sometimes the client and the event owner too. Some convention centers have their own drone addendum with set liability limits. We carry drone liability insurance and send certificates on request, so ask your venue for its requirements before the contract is final.

8. How long does setup take?

Plan for a load-in and test flight in the room before the show. For our larger productions that's 2 to 6 hours for staging, floor marking and a test flight, and it can happen before the event day. On show day, on-stage setup before lift-off takes about 5 minutes once the drone positions are marked.

When the show starts, each drone turns pink as it receives the start signal, then after a 5-second pink countdown they all lift off together.

9. How far ahead should you book?

About a month of lead time works well, even for an international show. That's what we had for the Suzuki XUV launch in Lahore, which covered choreography, customs and travel. Custom choreography, larger fleets and tours need more.

10. What changes if the show is outdoors?

Outdoor drone light shows use different systems and permissions, and they depend on the weather. They need no rain and wind below 8 km/h, about 5 mph. Indoors, weather doesn't matter. See our drone show services for both.

Get the details in one place

If you're pitching a drone show to a venue now, get in touch and we'll send drone specs, flight area, insurance and safety details in a format you can forward straight to the venue. See our work at the LUMA Festival, on Das Supertalent and at the Salto Natale circus in Zurich.