If you’ve never had the opportunity to see one, a drone show can be quite impressive. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, can have a multitude of personal and private uses, such as Ukraine’s fleet of 15,000 drones for national defense, or simply someone using one to obtain aerial footage of an event. This time, however, the drones were part of a record-breaking celebration, and those who witnessed it likely experienced something incredible.
Completed on February 3, 2026, China’s Guangdong EHang Egret Media Technology Co., Ltd. now holds the Guinness World Record for the most multirotor/airborne drones simultaneously from a single computer (outdoors) after flying 22,580 drones in the skies over Hefei, the capital of Anhui province in China. The exhibition was part of the China Media Group’s (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, which marked the start of the 2026 Lunar New Year celebrations.
Drones were also used to capture the event, flying overhead to present the audience with an aerial view of the devices working in unison to display a variety of shapes, including festival lanterns, fascinating designs and other culturally relevant designs. It is also worth noting that only 25 of the thousands of drones failed to take off, and EHang Egret broke the previous record of 15,847 drones in this category. Individual drone owners may have a hard time breaking this record, especially if they remember all the places in the United States where you can’t fly one.
Drone Company Scores World Record Celebrating Lunar New Year
EHang Holdings Limited is no stranger to world records. Before the company’s latest show, it had already won its first world record in 2018 by flying 1,000 drones over the city of Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi. The company had tested the drones before the event, ensuring that the more than 22,000 drones were able to operate even in windy conditions. Despite the thousands of drones needing to be perfectly synchronized, only one computer was used for piloting and the company did not use additional controllers.
For the show itself, the company relied on its in-house developed Ghostdrone 4.0 (GD4.0) drones. Each drone offers, among other capabilities, 45 minutes of flight time and “centimeter-level position accuracy.” The company likely used the event to promote its drone technology, saying in a press release celebrating the news: “EHang’s technology – proven in orchestrating more than 20,000 drones in formation – is fully transferable to managing large-scale fleets for passenger transportation, cargo delivery, firefighting, emergency response, and much more.” »
In addition to a record-breaking drone show, EHang flew 15 EH216-S unmanned aircraft together to form a perfect circle, known culturally as the Eye of Anhui. When it comes to world records, China has been on a hot streak lately. Last April, a local humanoid robot broke the world record for a half marathon, completing the 13-mile course in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
