Spider-Man over Amsterdam: how 1,000 drones helped launch Brand New Day
On June 17, 2026, Amsterdam became the epicenter of the Spider-Man universe for one night. Sony Pictures Netherlands hosted a Global Fan Event the same day the film's second official trailer dropped, bringing Tom Holland and Zendaya together with fans for a reveal shared worldwide. Doors opened at the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam Noord, with a surprise finale scheduled for 10:15 PM.
That finale was a 1,000-drone light show brought to life by Allumee, the largest drone show ever flown in the Netherlands.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day global fan event in Amsterdam
The event combined Spider-Man experiences, photo opportunities, and live entertainment in a celebration ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set for release in theaters on July 31. With Tom Holland and Zendaya joined on screen by new cast members Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Bernthal, anticipation around the film had been building for months. Sony chose Amsterdam to deliver the next chapter of that story directly to fans, rather than through a traditional online drop.
The choice of format was deliberate. Where the first trailer for the film had been unveiled through a 24-hour global relay culminating at the Empire State Building, this second reveal needed its own signature moment, built specifically for a live audience. That moment came in the form of a drone show designed to close out the evening as a spectacle in its own right.
How the Spider-Man drone show was created
Designing an event for a major film franchise
The creative foundation of the show came from TWOFIFTYK, the Netherlands' leading creative and brand experience agency. Their team built a detailed storyboard, confirmed by Sony and Universal, blending 2D comic-book aesthetics with dramatic 3D sequences inspired directly by the film's visual language.
For Allumee's creative team, that level of clarity was a gift rather than a constraint, said Estelle, 3D artist at Allumee.
«This is exactly the kind of project our creative team loves: a storyboard with a real narrative thread, built by artists for artists. Once you have a vision that clear, the creativity is in taking something already so well constructed and finding how to shape it, animate it, and make it breathe in the sky.»
— Estelle, 3D artist at Allumee
Inside the production: key numbers and standout scenes
The show unfolded as a genuine visual narrative rather than a sequence of unrelated images. It opened with a collage of 2D elements inspired directly by comic book panels, before transitioning into the film's title and a series of striking 3D scenes: Spider-Man's mask, his iconic downward and landing poses, and the instantly recognizable spider logo.
Every scene leaned on volume, shadow, and light rather than flat outlines. A deliberate choice to recreate the visual language of comic book art using drones rather than ink. Sound was synced precisely to each appearance and key beat, turning the night sky into a stage as cinematic as the film itself.
The show by the numbers:
- Drones flown: 1,000
- Duration: 8 minutes
- Number of shapes: 10
- Flight zone: 130m width / 70m depth / 70m height
Allumee's largest drone show in the Netherlands
Flying 1,000 drones over a major European capital, for one of the most anticipated franchises in the world, marked a defining moment for Allumee's local team.
«It's a real mark of trust that TWOFIFTYK brought Allumee in to help bring this finale to life. Flying 1,000 drones over Amsterdam for the first time, on a night this big for Spider-Man fans, is a milestone for our team and for what live entertainment can be in this market."»
- Yorick van Vliet, managing director of Allumee Nederland. The production also reinforced Allumee's broader footprint in Europe. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in France, the company now operates through local teams across Europe.
Why brands are turning to drone shows for global activations
The Amsterdam show is part of a wider shift in how studios and brands approach major launches. Traditional reveals, whether a trailer drop or a product unveiling, increasingly compete for attention in an oversaturated digital landscape. A live, large-scale visual moment changes that equation entirely.
A few reasons this format is gaining traction with global brands and studios:
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It creates a shared, real-time experience. Unlike a trailer watched alone on a phone screen, a drone show happens in front of a live audience, generating an immediate collective reaction that's difficult to replicate online.
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It's inherently shareable. A sky filled with a film's iconic imagery is exactly the kind of content that travels fast across social media, extending the campaign's reach well beyond the people physically present.
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It blurs the line between fiction and reality. Seeing a character's mask or logo rendered in light, above a real city, makes a franchise feel tangible in a way no screen can.
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It scales to the ambition of the brand. From an intimate activation to a record-breaking, 1,000-drone production, the format adapts to the scope of the message being told.
For Sony and Universal, the Amsterdam finale did exactly what a global activation is meant to do: it turned a trailer launch into a cultural moment, one that fans experienced together and carried with them long after the drones landed.
Allumee, execution partner of the biggest drone show in Europe
Creation & production
Ground coordination, fleet logistics and operational management of 3,050 drones
A partnership built for global brand activations
This production was made possible through the collaboration of two creative teams working towards a shared vision. TWOFIFTYK brought the storyboard and brand direction to life on the ground, while Allumee's in-house art direction and proprietary drone technology transformed that vision into aerial reality.
It's the kind of partnership Allumee is built for: working alongside agencies, studios, and brands to design drone shows that don't just illuminate the sky, but tell a story worth remembering.
From franchise launches to global brand activations, Allumee designs drone shows that make headlines. Operating across Europe and on the international stage, the team is ready to bring the next big idea to life, wherever in the world it needs to happen.
Want to know what a custom drone show could do for your next launch? Get in touch with the Allumee team..
Allumee designs custom drone shows that turn your next launch into an unforgettable experience.
