A drone show featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which had been due to take place in Bath’s Royal Victoria Park on 22nd November, has been postponed after a permit was refused.
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Bath & North East Somerset Council announced yesterday, Tuesday 28th October, that it would not be permitting the organisers of the Christmas show to hire part of the park on that day due to concerns about safety.
This afternoon, the organisers said they had been working closely with the council and hope to announce a new date shortly for the show, which has been billed as “a revolutionary event perfect for the whole family” featuring a swarm of 600 LED drones.
Tickets for the event, also featuring fairground rides, face painting, bars and food stalls, have been on sale and it has been promoted on platforms including the Visit Bath website.
The decision that the event should not go ahead on that date was taken by the council’s Director of Place Management Chris Major, who accepted the collective recommendation of the council’s Safety Advisory Group for Events (SAGE).
Following “detailed scrutiny” significant concerns were raised about the event’s safety, documentation, and operational readiness. These included:
- Incomplete or missing major incident and counter-terrorism plans.
- Insufficient medical cover and lack of a submitted medical risk assessment.
- Licensing and permitting issues, including the absence of required applications and consultation timelines.
- Poor communication and repeated administrative oversights by the organisers.
- Environmental risks to the site and impractical contingency arrangements.
The organisers are Lumina Sky Theatre and the show is due to visit other venues in the run-up to Christmas, including Copthall Playing Fields in London, Royal Windsor Racecourse, Detling Showground in Kent, and the South of England Showground in Sussex.
An official spokesperson for Lumina Drones told the Echo this afternoon: “We have been notified of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s decision not to grant the required permit for our forthcoming ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Drone Light Show’ that was due to take place at Royal Victoria Park in Bath on Saturday 22nd November.
“This decision means the event is postponed; however, all parties remain positive about bringing this family-friendly drone show to Bath. We have been working closely with the council and have confirmed a new date at Victoria Park, which will be announced shortly.
“Lumina Drones has successfully operated numerous large-scale drone events, safely managing crowds of up to 12,000 guests.
“Unfortunately, on this occasion, additional safety planning was needed due to site restrictions, and as a result, our planning documents were submitted outside of the council’s required timeline.
“This did not allow sufficient time for review, and therefore the show has been rescheduled.
“We look forward to announcing the new show date and bringing the spectacular and joyful story of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Drone Light Show’ to Bath.”
