Drone light show illuminates Nairobi, celebrating China-Kenya friendship

Spectators watch a drone light show featuring a formation of Africa's "Big Five" — lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and African buffalo — in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

A drone light show featuring 500 drones manufactured by a Chinese company lit up the night sky over Kenya's capital Nairobi on Wednesday, setting a new record as the largest drone light show ever staged in the country, according to the organizers.

As night fell, hundreds of drones rose into the sky, forming more than a dozen three-dimensional images. The first formation was the logo of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, symbolizing China-Africa friendship and shared aspirations.

Other formations combined China and Kenya's rich cultural heritage with both countries' passion for sports. A terracotta warrior appeared kicking a football, alongside images of Kenyan long-distance runners and football players. Images of a giant panda and Africa's "Big Five" prompted cheers from the audience, with many spectators taking out their phones to capture the moment.

The show also highlighted flagship infrastructure projects built through China-Kenya cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, including Talanta Stadium, the main venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi Expressway.

Co-hosted by China's Shaanxi Radio and Television Media Convergence Group and Kenya's State Department for Sports, the event was supported by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya and Kenya's Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.

Audience members watch a drone light show featuring a formation highlighting China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries, which took effect in May this year, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Spectators watch a drone light show featuring a giant panda formation in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Audience members watch a drone light show featuring a formation of a terracotta warrior playing football in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the public watch a drone light show featuring the Kenyan national flag formation in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Spectators watch a drone light show featuring a Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway train formation in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

A staff member of Chinese drone company Shenzhen HighGreat Innovation Technology Development Co Ltd directs volunteers as they prepare for the drone light show in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Volunteers check the drone batteries in preparation for the drone light show in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Xiaohui/chinadaily.com.cn]