Hyderabad adds large-scale drone festival to Sankranti lineup

Telangana has expanded Hyderabad's Sankranti celebrations this year by folding a large-scale drone festival into a program that already includes an international kite meet and a hot air balloon festival. The addition brings LED aerial displays, FPV race formats and team-based drone football to traditional kite and sweets festivities, creating new spectator attractions and competition opportunities for local pilots.

The International Kite Festival ran Jan 13–15 at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad, drawing 40 international flyers from 19 countries and 55 flyers from 15 Indian states. That event provided an international colorful start to the week and set crowd expectations for the mix of airborne attractions to follow.

A Hot Air Balloon Festival is scheduled for Jan 16–18, with roughly 15 international balloons expected. Morning flights will launch from outskirts of the city while evening Night Glow shows will light the Parade Grounds, offering family-friendly photo opportunities and calmer flight displays that pair well with sunset crowds.

The centerpiece for the drone community is the Drone Festival 2026, billed as WhoopMasters Drone Day (Hyderabad chapter), which is taking place Jan 16–17 at Gachibowli Stadium. Organised by WhoopMasters India in coordination with Telangana Tourism and staged to MultiGP-compliant standards, the programme combines coordinated LED drone displays with multiple competitive and exhibition formats. Event formats include FPV and drone-racing on LED-lit outdoor racecourses, endurance-style relay FPV racing, freestyle performances and a drone football format that uses protected spherical drones for team-based matches.

For pilots and teams, MultiGP-compliant standards mean race formats and scoring align with established club and league practices, making it easier to compare results and maintain safety protocols familiar to club racers. For spectators, the mix of choreographed LED shows and high-speed FPV heats is designed to be both visually accessible and easy to follow on big-screen live feeds, while the drone football and relay races introduce new, spectator-friendly ways to watch pilot skill and team tactics.

The dual focus on competition and tourism is explicit: organisers intend the aerial visuals and live feeds to showcase Telangana’s destinations as well as entertain crowds. That crossover makes the festival relevant to local businesses and visit planners as well as racers and drone crews.

With kite displays concluded and balloon and drone programming continuing through the weekend, expect busy evenings at Parade Grounds and packed sessions at Gachibowli Stadium. Pilots have a chance to race on LED-lit courses and test endurance formats, while spectators can plan to catch Night Glow shows and the drone displays that run through Jan 17, with balloon activity extending to Jan 18.