by InTrieste
Trieste will mark the end of its Ferragosto celebrations on Tuesday evening with a large-scale aerial light show, replacing traditional fireworks with a display designed to reduce environmental impact.
Beginning at 10 p.m., 1,000 illuminated drones will take flight above the San Giusto basin, creating 14 three-dimensional formations inspired by the city and its summer landscape. Images will evoke symbols including the Bora wind, San Giusto Castle and the Adriatic Sea.
The event, titled Mille luci… sul mare, builds on last summer’s edition, which used 500 drones. Organizers say the larger fleet will allow for more detailed and complex formations.
Piazza Unità d’Italia will serve as the main viewing point, with a synchronized soundtrack accompanying the display. The program will include popular summer music and Queen’s “I Want to Break Free,” included as a tribute to Giorgio Rossi, Trieste’s recently deceased culture and tourism councillor, who helped launch the event format last year.
The show is being organized by the city with support from the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government as part of efforts to promote lower-impact public spectacles that are more respectful of wildlife and the environment.
Security measures will affect the waterfront. Molo Audace will close to pedestrians from 2 p.m. until dismantling is completed. Riva del Mandracchio and nearby sections of the cycle path and roadway will also be temporarily closed during the show, while navigation and mooring will be restricted in parts of the San Giusto and San Giorgio basins.
For one summer night, Trieste’s waterfront will trade fireworks for a different kind of spectacle: a thousand points of light moving above the sea.
