Ras Al Khaimah welcomed 2026 with a large-scale New Year’s Eve celebration watched by audiences around the world. The centrepiece was a drone and fireworks spectacular, streamed live globally to mark the transition into the new year.
The show set a new Guinness World Record, adding to Ras Al Khaimah’s growing profile for delivering large-scale public spectacles with international reach.
The skies above Ras Al Khaimah became the setting for a collaboration between Fireworks by Grucci and SKYMAGIC, using the vast coastal skyline as a canvas for an awe-inspiring story in the sky. Monumental drone characters and large-scale fireworks sequences unfolded across the horizon, designed to be experienced both on site and at distance.
ON THE SLY was commissioned to compose and produce the original musical score for the show.
The opening scene, centred on the phoenix, focused on movement and progression. The score was designed to feel fluid and forward-moving, with evolving melodic material and textures that supported the sense of flight and transformation as the drone choreography unfolded.
As the show transitioned into the giant human drone scene, the music shifted in tone. The score became warmer and more open, while gradually increasing in scale and intensity to build anticipation towards midnight.
Across the full score, the musical approach was cinematic in scope, combining an orchestral foundation with contemporary rhythmic and electronic elements. This hybrid approach allowed the music to retain clarity and impact both on site and across live streaming platforms.
Following midnight, the music expanded to match the scale of the fireworks display. The final act was scored for impact and momentum, reinforcing the visual spectacle and marking the arrival of the new year.
The Ras Al Khaimah New Year’s Eve show was delivered at exceptional scale, combining drones, pyrotechnics and lasers across a vast coastal canvas.
Over Al Marjan Island, the spectacle featured 2,300 drones, 2,000 pyrotechnic effects and 40 laser drones, unfolding as a two-act story visible across more than 3 kilometres of coastline.
At the centre of the opening act was a monumental phoenix, spanning 411 metres from wingtip to wingtip. Formed by multirotor drones and animated with flame effects, the phoenix swept across the bay, commanding views from every direction and becoming the defining visual moment of the show.
This sequence was officially recognised by Guinness World Records, in partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, for the largest aerial display of a mythical creature formed by multirotor drones.
As the second act unfolded, a towering guardian figure emerged to welcome 2026. Laser drones, created in partnership with Light Electric, cast radiant beams across the bay before the show concluded with a large-scale pyrotechnic finale delivered by Fireworks by Grucci.
The moment was experienced by approximately 120,000 spectators on site and reached over half a million viewers online, marking one of the most widely viewed New Year’s Eve drone displays globally.
Official New Year’s Eve recap video, courtesy of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.
Viewed both live and online by audiences around the world, the Ras Al Khaimah New Year’s Eve celebration reinforced the emirate’s position as a destination capable of delivering technically complex, record-setting live experiences at international scale.
The project demonstrated how music, drones, lasers and fireworks can combine to create moments of shared impact, designed to read clearly across vast physical environments while resonating with a global digital audience.
This project forms part of ON THE SLY’s work creating soundtracks for fireworks and drone shows around the world.
CREDITS
Client: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
Fireworks: Fireworks by Grucci
Drone Show: SKYMAGIC
Laser Drones: Light Electric
Original Music Composition & Soundtrack: ON THE SLY
BROADCAST
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
