Enjoy drone art and classical music by candlelight this weekend at Wayne State

What do you get when you mix a live quartet playing classical music in an open-air environment with 5,000 candles and 500 flying drones? The DroneArt Show, powered by Fever, is making its debut in Detroit, on the campus of Wayne State University, on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12-13 at 8:30 p.m. It’s slated to be an immersive experience unlike anything the city of Detroit has seen before. 

Sofia Altuna is the team lead for the DroneArt Show, which is a concept that launched last November. Altuna says the unique experience is expanding from 30 markets to include new communities across the globe, and will soon be in 60 different cities by the end of the year. 

Altuna says Wayne State University’s soccer field makes for an ideal location, allowing attendees to have a grassy space to roam, eat, dance, and stargaze during the event. So far, the VIP section for the Detroit debut has already sold out both nights. Just recently, they hosted an event at Harvard, which Altuna says was also well-attended. 

Events like this introduce the university’s recreational assets to people who aren’t typically or traditionally spending time in this sports space. More universities are reaching out, looking to book entertainment in their spaces, targeting new audiences to hopefully enjoy their facilities.

Fever, a national brand known for the Candlelight Concerts, has a big mission, but focuses each experience on the city’s individuality. By bringing in local musical talent, neighborhood food trucks, and regional vendors, there’s a local flavor injected into each unique DroneArt show. 

“Fever’s mission is to really democratize access to culture and make it available globally,” Altuna says. “Before Candlelight concerts, people who were playing classical music at big venues, with touring concerts. There wasn’t really an opportunity for a lot of local young people who were playing classical music to make it in that industry. Fever has really provided that opportunity. We do over 20 candlelight concerts in a market, with different local musicians, at any given month.”

Not only does the event help support local businesses, but it also encourages educational entertainment for families, says Altuna. 

“I love that this is a family show where people are taking their kids, who are able to explore classical music,” she says. “This is an opportunity to be outdoors to see figures in the sky. Often, you see the parents teaching their kids during the show.”

Using drones as a new medium of educational entertainment, Altuna says more stories aside from classical music are in the works for future programming. 

“These are also stories that are clever, witty, and entertaining for all — adults as well,” she says. “With drones, it’s a technology you can do so much, doing so many different ways of art and form, whether abstract or actual figures. You’ll see in this experience that there are so many ‘ah’ moments.”

Gates and the parking area open two hours before the 65-minute show. The show is all ages and is ADA-compliant. Kids under three are free. Tickets are $39 for the seating area or the picnic area.