Chongqing’s 11,787-drone show, and the free weekly show you can watch

What happens in the video

This one-minute report from CCTV Video News Agency, the news footage service of China’s state broadcaster, was uploaded the day after the show. It shows a night sky over Chongqing filled with drones forming large pictures in sequence. According to the agency’s description, the display was titled “Charming Chongqing” and set out to show the mountain city’s natural scenery, cultural heritage and modern skyline through one enormous drone formation.

The description also quotes the Guinness World Records certification officer on site, Hou Ying, who explains that the target to beat had been 10,197 drones and gives the result: “The final validated count was 11,787 drones.” That count earned the show the record for the largest aerial image formed by drones.

The story behind the record

Guinness World Records’ own write-up of the attempt credits it to Chongqing Broadcasting Media Group and Shenzhen DAMODA Intelligent Control Technology, and says it marked the 28th anniversary of Chongqing becoming one of China’s four directly governed municipalities. Two Guinness adjudicators were needed on site. Among the images they list are leaping dolphins, a gigantic tree, mountains, a city landscape and a girl with pigtails who waves at the crowd. Guinness gives the date as June 16, 2025, while Chinese broadcasters reported the show on the night of June 17.

Drone records in China fall quickly. As of October 2026, the Guinness record page for the largest aerial image formed by drones lists 33,605 drones, flown near Chengdu, Sichuan, on May 20, 2026. The Chongqing clip is still a good example of how these displays work: thousands of lights moving together to redraw one picture after another over a city.

Chongqing is a natural stage for this. The city sits where the Jialing River flows into the Yangtze, and its downtown is surrounded by riverbanks and steep hills, so crowds can watch the same patch of sky from several shores at once.

How to watch a drone show in Chongqing

You don’t need a record attempt to see one. China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism describes a regular show called “Dynamic Chongqing” that has lit up the city’s night sky since April 2025. Its themes are nature, culture and the city, with sequences drawing on local heritage such as Sichuan opera face-changing.

• Check the date and time. Schedules can change, and outdoor shows can be called off in bad weather, so confirm with your hotel on the day.
• Arrive early. Riverfront viewpoints fill up well before the start, and temporary traffic controls are put in place around the show area.
• Plan the trip home. Everyone leaves at once, so expect crowded metro stations; know your route and the last train time. The metro guide and taxi and DiDi guide cover both options.
• Don’t fly your own drone. The show’s airspace is a no-fly zone for anyone else.

Mandarin for getting there and back

The hardest part of a night show is usually the journey home. Show a driver the name of your hotel, ask whether you can still catch the last train, and have a fallback ready. The last train lesson and taxi route lesson cover these with audio, and the directions lesson helps you find the riverfront.