Chongqing - Chongqing has officially announced its spectacular drone light show for the 2025–2026 New Year's Eve celebration. The highly anticipated performance will begin at 11:25 p.m. on December 31 and last for around 50 minutes, offering audiences a stunning countdown experience.

Tourists watch a drone light show at Chaotianmen Square. (Photo: Wang Quanchao)

According to Zhang Yangxue, director of the show, this year's event will feature six major innovations, including a groundbreaking "water–land–air" three-dimensional integrated performance.

On the water, Chongqing will debut China's first regular, real-scene laser water show on a river. Three specially designed performance vessels will sail along the Two Rivers, spraying massive water curtains and combining them with laser projections to create an immersive visual spectacle. The vessels will depart from Dongshuimen Bridge, cruise to Chaotianmen Bridge, and then return to the central performance zone for synchronized water-screen displays. Top-tier Chinese lighting designers have been invited to personally oversee the overall design, promising a truly refreshing experience.

Three specially designed performance vessels will sail along the Two Rivers, spraying massive water curtains and combining them with laser projections to create an immersive visual spectacle. (Photo: Wang Quanchao)

On land, the drones will interact with the city's lighting network, lighting up buildings across Chongqing and turning the entire skyline into an extension of the performance.

In the sky, up to 8,000 drones, arranged in dual formations, will light up the night with brand-new visuals. Specially designed year–of–the–horse–themed patterns will also make their debut, delivering early New Year blessings to the audience.

Tourists watch a drone light show at Chaotianmen Square. (Photo: Wang Quanchao)

Beyond large-scale drone formations, the show will also introduce new lantern-style performance drones, soft-screen drones, and other cutting-edge technologies to maintain a continuously evolving, immersive viewing experience. During the "wish" segment, drones carrying airborne soft screens will display real-time messages and digital "barrage" blessings, allowing audiences to share their hopes for the coming year.

Tourists watch a drone light show at Chaotianmen Square. (Photo: Wang Quanchao)

The grand finale will feature a water-and-sky-synchronized performance, seamlessly blending drone visuals with a river-based light-and-water show—creating a one-of-a-kind spectacle unlike anything Chongqing has presented before.

The drones will take off and land near the Chongqing Planning Exhibition Hall and Danzishi Plaza in Nan'an District. Prime viewing spots include Chaotianmen, Jiangbeizui, and the Nanbin Road area.

This New Year's Eve, gather by the riverside and ring in 2026 by unlocking Chongqing's signature "8D city" romance—a breathtaking celebration across water, land, and sky.