Drone shows will light up the night sky over Ueno on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 2026, as part of "Peace of Light," a light-and-sound art festival held in Ueno from Friday, November 6, to Sunday, November 8. The shows are staged by REDCLIFF, Inc., a company that plans and operates drone shows. Both are free to watch, and no advance registration is required.
This year, the National Museum of Western Art marks 10 years since its World Heritage designation. In addition to the Ueno Onshi Park Shinobazu Pond area, where a show was held last year, a drone show will also take place over the Tokyo National Museum for the first time. The show will use 500 drones on Saturday, November 7, and 350 drones on Sunday, November 8, depicting Ueno's history, culture, and hopes for the future in the night sky.
A Second Year of Drone Shows as Ueno Marks a World Heritage Anniversary
"Peace of Light" is a light-and-sound entertainment event set around Ueno Onshi Park and Shinobazu Pond. It combines Ueno's history and culture with the latest technology, and aims to bring "world peace" and "healing for the heart" while helping to liven up the town.
Last year, REDCLIFF used 400 drones to present a story of wishes for peace, Tenku no Ueno Monogatari (天空の上野物語), in the night sky. The show featured motifs symbolizing Ueno, including pandas, elephants, and the Ameyoko shopping street, drawn in drone light.
This is the second consecutive year for the drone show, and 2026 is the year the National Museum of Western Art marks 10 years since its World Heritage designation. To commemorate it, the two days will feature drone shows with different themes. Using motifs tied to the National Museum of Western Art, Ameyoko, and Ueno more broadly, the shows express the charm of Ueno, where history and culture live on, through drone light and animation.
Two Days at Shinobazu Pond and the Tokyo National Museum
This year the show area has been expanded. On Saturday, November 7, 500 drones will perform in the Ueno Onshi Park Shinobazu Pond area, and on Sunday, November 8, 350 drones will perform over the Tokyo National Museum.
- Saturday, November 7: "ONE LINE ART UENO" – A story of Ueno, connected by a single line of light.
- Sunday, November 8: "ART×HISTORY×UENO" – The history of Ueno and the future of art, connected by a single line of light.
The two days will center on shared motifs, with some differences in staging. Because the shows take place at different locations, Shinobazu Pond and the sky above the Tokyo National Museum, viewers can watch each against its own scenery.
The shows also plan an initiative to support recovery from the Kumamoto earthquake.
The drone shows, limited to these two days, connect Ueno's history, culture, and hopes for the future through light.
Peace of Light Overview
- Event name: Peace of Light
- Dates: Friday, November 6, to Sunday, November 8, 2026 (3 days). There is no drone show on Friday, November 6.
- Venue: Ueno Onshi Park (Taito City, Tokyo)
- Organizer: Ueno Tourism Federation (上野観光連盟), a general incorporated association
- Endorsement: Taito City, J-WAVE 81.3FM
- Official website: https://enjoy.ueno.or.jp/peaceoflight/
Drone Show Details
Saturday, November 7
- Scheduled start: 7:30 PM (about 15 minutes)
- Viewing location: Ueno Park, Shinobazu Pond (in front of the Hasumi Deck, 蓮見デッキ)
- Number of drones: 500
Sunday, November 8
- Scheduled start: 8:00 PM (about 15 minutes)
- Viewing location: Ueno Park, Fountain Plaza
- Number of drones: 350
Notes
- Admission is free, and no advance registration is required.
- Visitors cannot enter the Tokyo National Museum.
- The start time of the drone show may change depending on how the day's program is progressing.
- If weather or other conditions make flying difficult, the drone show may be canceled or partly changed, with the safety of visitors and operating staff given top priority.
