Abbie Louise HomerA Christmas drone show – previously blasted by angry visitors as “shockingly poor” – has been cancelled again.
Organisers Lumina Sky Theatre said they were forced to postpone The Rudolph Drone Light Show at Kent Showground on 6 December due to “extreme weather”.
Visitors to an earlier show in West Sussex complained to the BBC about the drone display, “overpriced” food and rides and getting stuck in the car park for hours.
Lumina Sky Theatre previously apologised and had offered some visitors free tickets to the now-called-off show in Kent.
Announcing its decision to postpone the event, the company said: “The safety of our guests is always our first priority.
“Drone shows are highly sensitive to weather and with wind gusts of 32mph (51.4km/h) in Kent today, it is well above our safety threshold.
“We cannot operate in these conditions.”
Lumina Sky Theatre added that heavy rainfall has also caused “serious disruption” to the grounds at the venue in Maidstone.
The company said it would confirm the new date of the show 48 hours in advance.
It detailed it could now be held on 10, 11, 12 or 13 December, depending on the weather forecast.
Visitors to the previous show in Ardingly have told the BBC they were struggling to get refunds.
Sean Tong said the website had made it seem there would be 600 drones, but he could only make out about 50.
“The images that came up were very unclear,” he told BBC Radio Sussex, complaining about prices at the show.
Mr Tong – who travelled there from Rainham in Kent – said when he tried to leave he had to wait an hour and 20 minutes in the car park, while some vehicles were stuck in the mud.
Lumina Sky Theatre said the drones had suffered “technical difficulties” and that food and ride prices were controlled by third parties.
Abbie Louise HomerKerrie Niblett, from Burgess Hill, said she left before the drones even started.
“The technical issues weren’t even the worst of it,” she said.
“It was the poor preparation and event management. They just failed.”
She said organisers had offered her six free tickets to the show in Kent, but there was not a chance she would go – even for free.
“It was just awful,” she told BBC Radio Sussex.
“I’ll never go again.”
The show on the South of England Showground in Ardingly was also postponed.
