When: November 2026
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To mark the launch of Black Doves season two, Netflix lit up the London skyline with 800 drones over the Thames – the largest drone show ever staged on the river. Cast, crew and press watched from Woods Quay as the display filled the sky.
Livett’s provided the drone launch platform, marine coordination, safety cover and drone recovery behind the display. We delivered the show from one of the busiest stretches of river in Central London, between Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Railway Bridge.
Preparations began at King George V Dock in the Royal Docks, where the drone barge was loaded, rigged and mobilised. Our flat-top pontoon P2 was chosen as the launch platform, having carried the drone fleets for both the HBO Max London Eye drone show and The Rolling Stones’ Foreign Tongues display earlier this year.
The drones were once again supplied and orchestrated by SKYMAGIC, whose technology allows drone fleets to be launched safely from steel barges.
Once ready, P2 was towed upriver into position off Woods Quay by Sophia D from the Thamescraft fleet. The show site sat between two bridges on a stretch of river carrying constant commercial and passenger traffic, so precise positioning and close control of river movements were essential.
To make that possible, Livett’s worked with the Port of London Authority to have a Notice to Mariners issued and to arrange controlled river closures and freezes during operations. Two PLA Harbour Service Launches were on the water throughout to manage river traffic and enforce the freezes while the drones were in the air.
Safety and recovery were planned into every stage. Alfie provided safety boat cover, while Romeo Lima served as a dedicated drone recovery boat.
As with our previous drone projects on the Thames, the operation ran over two nights. A full test night allowed the sequence to be run under real river conditions, followed by the live show itself.
The show went exactly to plan across both nights. Afterwards, cast, crew and press celebrated at Woods Quay with riverside fireworks.
Ed Livett, Managing Director of Livett’s, said: “Drone shows have quickly become one of the most popular ways to make a statement on the Thames, and that brings real responsibility. The river is a working waterway, so every show has to be planned around the people on it, from the crew and spectators to the boats, businesses and passengers who rely on it every day. Getting that right is what makes it possible to put on shows like this.
“Going from 500 drones for the HBO Max and Rolling Stones shows to 800 for Black Doves in a matter of months tells you how fast this is growing, and how much more ambitious clients want to be on the river. Each show teaches us something new, and we’re already thinking about what the next step up looks like.”
Whatever you are planning on the River Thames or beyond, we’re here to help you.
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