Denver replaces Indy Eve fireworks with drone show

The Civic Center Conservancy has re-imagined it's annual Indy Eve celebration; and this year, it will include a drone show. Many cities around the world have replaced fireworks displays with animated drone shows.  This will be Denver's largest drone show ever, with 300 machines in the air at one time.

Brightflight Drone Shows is designing and executing the show. CBS News Colorado witnessed a rehearsal for another show the company was putting on. 200 drones were lined up in a field north of Denver, going through their pre-flight checks.

"Most of the work is done sitting behind a computer," said Tom Dolan, owner of Brightflight Drone Show.

Dolan uses a 3D animation program to map out a flight plan for each of the drones.

"We set up, what we call, a wire frame – where we place the drones. This is what we want the city or the Colorado flag to look like. Then we apply coloring, then we apply movement," he explained.

When the sun sets, the stage is set for the rehearsal. The drones are set to take off.

"For us, safety is paramount. So that's where we establish this is the speed that the FAA will allow us to go, make sure the drones are staying at least 10-feet apart," Dolan said.

GPS signaling and a RTK station tell the drones where to go and when.

"When these drones are in the air, they think they're the only drone in the air. This guy is flying around saying, 'Okay, I go to this point. I need to be this color. I need to go to this point and be this color.' However, there are 299 other drones that are doing it too. So that's why it's really important that we keep those safety parameters in place. One drone is not going faster than another. These two drones are coming too close to each other," Dolan explained.

The first drone show took place in 2012 at the SPAXELS music festival in Linz, Austria. Since then, they have become a global entertainment phenomenon. And if you still feel like you need to see fireworks, the drones can do that too.

"90-percent of my audience, this is the first drone show they've ever seen. So when I get kids and families coming up to me after the show and say, 'This is the first drone show I've ever seen and it just blew my mind. I see them on videos all the time, but to see them in person is truly spectacular.' That just means so much to me," Dolan told CBS News Colorado.

LINK: Indy Eve at Civic Center Park

He's thrilled to be putting on Denver's biggest drone show. He said that the show will salute the city, state and country, but also lean into the local flavor of Colorado.

"I'm a Colorado native, so being able to put on this show…I'm insanely proud of that."