Hyderabad's Sankranti Drone Festival Falls Short of Expectations
The much-anticipated Sankranti drone festival at GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium promised a magical sky spectacle. Instead, it delivered confusion and disappointment to thousands of attendees over two days.
Long Waits, Brief Performances Frustrate Families
Friday evening saw approximately eight to nine thousand people gather at the stadium, eager for the visual extravaganza promoted in viral teasers. What they experienced was prolonged waiting punctuated by minimal action.
Parul Saxena, who arrived around 5 pm, described the scene. "One drone releasing smoke flew for a short while, followed by a few colourful drones and a kite. That was pretty much it," she said. Her sentiment echoed through the crowd.
Padma traveled from Secunderabad with her two children, reaching the venue by 6:30 pm. "We stayed till 8:30 pm, but nothing really happened. The children were extremely disappointed," she explained, later realizing miscommunication had occurred.
For many attendees, the issue wasn't financial but temporal. "After 4–5 hours, very little had actually happened, especially with so many families and kids waiting," Parul noted. Some people left still expecting the show to begin.
Saturday Brings Thinner Crowds and Mixed Reactions
Word spread quickly through social media criticism branding the event a "waste of time and money." Saturday's footfall dropped significantly to about four thousand people.
Those who attended waited over an hour before the drone show finally commenced. This time, formations featured Telangana landmarks and symbols, but reactions remained divided.
Vikram, a digital marketer, commented, "We liked the show, but it lasted barely 15 minutes. It would have been better with more formations."
Anupama Nerella, a school official from Hayathnagar, expressed similar thoughts. "We travelled for more than two hours to watch it. While we were satisfied, it felt too short. It could have gone on longer and included more Telangana symbols like Bathukamma," she said.
Viral Teaser Set Unrealistic Expectations
The Telangana Tourism Department's teaser video created tremendous anticipation. It showcased majestic drone trees, birds, Lord Krishna, and the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam illuminating the night sky.
Captioned "Something magical is rising in Hyderabad. Coming soon," the post went viral and raised expectations to unprecedented levels.
Gokul Krishna, an IT professional, described the reality. "They just had a few drones flying around here and there. People were expecting what was shown in the reels, but all they had were a few drones flying around and some lights on the ground."
He witnessed frustration firsthand. "Many who booked tickets were angry, and some people were free as well. We arrived before seven, waited for over an hour, but the show ended abruptly. We saw people scolding and asking organisers for refunds. Overall, it was disappointing."
Attendees Share Their Disappointing Experiences
Multiple visitors expressed their letdown after investing significant time and effort.
Parul Saxena, a fitness trainer, said, "I went with high expectations, but the show was nothing like the teaser. Only a few drones flew briefly, with the first proper drone show lasting around 2–3 minutes. There was just a kite flying around, and the same drone displays repeated."
K Vijaya Lakshmi, a school vice-principal, shared her experience. "The show could have been done better. While we were satisfied overall, the drone display was extremely short—less than 10 minutes. We were initially hesitant to attend due to the poor reviews on the first day. After travelling for an hour and a half and waiting for over an hour, we ended up watching a show that lasted barely six minutes."
Anupama Nerella added another perspective. "We travelled for over two hours just to see this show. While we were satisfied, it felt far too short and would have benefited from running longer. The programme could have covered more locations and symbols of Telangana like Bathukamma. The details of the formations were not clearly explained."
Official Response Defends Festival Execution
A Telangana Tourism Department official provided their viewpoint. "Our aim was for people to enjoy the varied experiences curated under the theme 'Celebrate the Sky'. We never promised a long drone show; the public and influencers shaped expectations about its length. The festival delivered what was promised, including a drone show only on the second day."
The disconnect between promotional material and actual delivery created widespread dissatisfaction among Hyderabad residents and visitors who had anticipated a spectacular Sankranti celebration.
