Ras Al Khaimah breaks Guinness World Record with massive New Year’s Eve drone display

Dubai: Ras Al Khaimah ushered in 2026 with a 15-minute New Year’s Eve spectacle featuring drones and fireworks that set a new Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial display of a phoenix formed by multirotor drones.

The centrepiece of the celebration was a large-scale drone performance that transformed the night sky into a series of animated formations above the emirate’s waterfront. The highlight was a record-breaking phoenix, a mythical symbol of renewal and rebirth, created using 2,300 drones. Among them were 1,000 pyro drones that lit up the phoenix’s wings, creating the effect of flames as it appeared to soar across the sky.

The drone sequence also featured a second formation titled The Welcome, depicting a human figure rising from the sea with open arms, symbolising Ras Al Khaimah’s spirit of hospitality and openness.

As midnight approached, the drone show gave way to a precisely timed fireworks countdown, culminating in a six-kilometre-long display stretching along the coastline from Marjan Island to Al Hamra. Hundreds of fireworks were launched in synchronised waves, lighting up the shoreline in a choreographed display of colour and sound.

Thousands of residents and visitors gathered across beachfront resorts and at the New Year’s Eve Festival to watch the celebrations, which also included live stage performances and entertainment throughout the night. Earlier in the evening, families in the emirate were treated to an additional fireworks display at Corniche Al Qawasim.

Phillipa Harrison, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said the celebration was designed to bring the community together while marking a year of progress for the emirate.

“New Year’s Eve in Ras Al Khaimah is about bringing people together. With this year’s show, we wanted to create a celebration that could be shared by our entire community and everyone visiting Ras Al Khaimah at this special time,” she said. “While achieving a new Guinness World Records title is great, what truly matters are the memories created for those who celebrated with us.”

She added that the event was also an opportunity to reflect on the emirate’s development and to welcome the year ahead with optimism.

Over the past seven years, Ras Al Khaimah’s New Year’s Eve celebrations have secured a total of 13 Guinness World Records titles. During its New Year’s Eve 2025 celebrations, the emirate added two more records through a large-scale drone and fireworks display.

These included records for the largest aerial display of a tree formed by drones and the largest aerial image of a seashell created using drones.