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Hundreds watch first drone show over Douglas Bay

Alex Blake
BBC News, Isle of Man
A drone display lights up the skies of Douglas to mark the Manx capital's first city day.

Hundreds of people have watched the Isle of Man's first ever drone show to mark the first anniversary of the Manx capital becoming a city.

Queen Camilla conferred the status on Douglas in a ceremony on 20 March last year, which the council has named City Day.

The display took place over the bay on Thursday evening in front of large crowds.

It featured a number of well-known Isle of Man icons, events, and locations, including the Laxey Wheel, a Manx cat and a tribute to Manx-born siblings the Bee Gees.

Douglas Council/Matt Mosur Large crowds filling Douglas Promenade with the road, cars and street lights.Douglas Council/Matt Mosur
Hundreds of spectators watched from Douglas Promenade

And the TT Races were also among the events highlighted, with the well-known logo flashing across the sky, after the outline of the course and a motorbike moved across the bay.

The Tower of Refuge and a tribute to the wild population of wallabies were also featured in the show.

Douglas Council/Matt Mosur Drone lights spelling Douglas over crowds watching from the promenade. There is one street light on in the centre of the frame.Douglas Council/Matt Mosur
Douglas became a city on 20 March last year

Star Symphony Drone Shows ran the event of behalf of the local authority with support from the ELS Group, which provided the sound equipment.

Funding from the Department for Enterprise met "ancillary costs", it said.

Douglas was one of eight places to be given city status as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

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