The Drone Show We Really Wish We Could See

This show has got absolutely everything that a drone geek my age could want.  The Kennedy Space Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo with a drone show accompanied by British rock icons Duran Duran.  (The band, who hired the drone artists, might argue that the drone show will accompany them.  If you’ve forgotten Duran Duran – or weren’t born in the 80’s – start humming “The Reflex” and it will all come back to you.)

The drone show will feature Intel’s Shooting Star drones choreographed – if that’s the appropriate term – by artists Studio Drift.   Spaceships, my high school favorite rock band, and drone art – it’s the show of the year.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. (June 28, 2019) – Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the Aldrin Family Foundation today announced that the iconic British band Duran Duran will play a unique show amidst the spectacular Rocket Garden with an out-of-this-world drone performance by Studio Drift. Tickets are now on sale at KennedySpaceCenter.com for the show which will immediately follow the sold-out Apollo 50^th Gala on July 16, 2019.

Speaking from Europe, where the band is currently on tour, keyboardist and Duran Duran co-founder Nick Rhodes said, “In July 1969 an entire generation, around the world, was ‘Moonstruck’. I was one of those kids watching in complete amazement on TV as the Lunar Module touched down, and Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the Moon. I remember rushing outside immediately after the broadcast to just stare up into the night sky. It was surreal and awe inspiring – science fiction unfolding before us. I tried to picture what it must be like for the astronauts who were up there – but it was all so utterly unimaginable. We’d simply never witnessed anything like it before. It felt like a new beginning. Everything was encapsulated in that one moment, nothing was ever going to be the same again. It represented hope, belief and opportunity – opening our minds to what mankind was capable of achieving.”

Rhodes continued, “Around a decade later, we formed the band and released our first single Planet Earth. The indelible impact of the Moon landing was still one of our main sources of inspiration. In the last half-century there have been very few events that have captured the world’s attention and united everyone in such a positive way. We are truly thrilled and honored to be a part of the 50-year celebration of the Apollo 11 mission, and to be performing at the Kennedy Space Center where the launch took place and the dream became a reality.”

For this special tribute performance, the band reached out to renowned artist duo Studio Drift, whose work they had admired at Art Basel in Miami just over a year ago. Their infamous art performance Franchise Freedom, consisting of hundreds of Intel® Shooting Star^TM drones, envisions how technology and nature can intertwine.

“The Apollo 11 Moon landing exemplifies what technology can do for humanity. We’re ready and excited for the next 50 years,” said Ralph Nauta, co-founder of Studio Drift.

This will be Duran Duran’s first performance in such a unique setting with the massive Saturn 1B and other rockets and spacecraft as the backdrop. The concert and drone light show will highlight a series of events commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the first Moon landing, a moment that was celebrated around the world.

Tickets for this unique experience are available for $300 each and can only be purchased online at KennedySpaceCenter.com.  Profits from the concert will support the Aldrin Family Foundation’s STEAM education programs.

Entry begins at 8 p.m., and the performance will be preceded by a set from DJ Evalicious.
Guests can visit the World’s Largest Space Shop and enjoy refreshments throughout the evening.

For a full schedule of events planned to celebrate the Apollo 50^th, visit kennedyspacecenter.com.