On the afternoon of December 8 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, a daytime drone fireworks display, part of Cai Guoqiang’s Red Sail art performance, experienced a significant malfunction as numerous drones lost control and crashed.

The *Red Sail* show was a visually stunning tribute by internationally renowned artist Cai Guoqiang to his hometown of Quanzhou. It aimed to highlight the city's history, traditional culture, and the theme of women through drone-based fireworks. The performance involved 2,000 drones.

Video footage captured the moment when many drones suddenly lost control during the display, with some falling to the ground and others plunging into the sea. Both spectators and staff witnessed the unexpected incident.

The host on-site explained that the drones were likely disrupted by counter-interference measures. Staff requested local police to deactivate any signal jammers, but the issue was not immediately resolved.

According to the Xiutu Village Committee, the drones are equipped with GPS tracking, and recovery efforts are underway. Staff members are actively searching for the drones, and some villagers have returned drones they found. Cai Guoqiang appealed on social media for assistance in retrieving the drones, urging people not to keep them.

Initial assessments suggest the crashes may have been caused by signal interference or the strong winds that day, which could have impacted the drones’ stability. The exact cause remains under investigation.

Cai Guoqiang, celebrated as the “Master of Fireworks,” is an internationally acclaimed artist known for his innovative exploration of pyrotechnic art.

Using gunpowder—a historic Chinese invention—as his medium, Cai merges traditional fireworks with modern innovation, blending elements of technology, culture, and history to create breathtaking works of art. His notable pieces, such as Sky Ladder and Mirage, have earned widespread praise for their creativity and powerful visual impact.