A free public drone installation over New York Harbor used 2,977 illuminated drones to form full-scale outlines of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, honoring each person killed in the 2001 attacks.
The installation, titled '2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor,' was staged on the evening of September 10, 2026, as a free public event focused on remembrance.
Organizers developed the piece with members of the 9/11 community, including victims’ families, survivors, and first responders.
# What happened On the evening of September 10, 2026, an aerial tribute titled "2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor" used 2,977 illuminated drones to recreate the architectural outlines of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers above New York Harbor. The display was free and intended as a public moment of reflection and unity on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
# How the display unfolded The lights began as individual points scattered across the night sky. Over several minutes they rose and converged into the full-scale outlines of the Twin Towers. After holding the towers' shapes briefly, the formation dissolved back into separate lights. Organizers made that visual choice deliberately to emphasize the people represented by the total number rather than focusing solely on the buildings.
Each light corresponded to one of the 2,977 people killed in the attacks, which includes those who died at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. The tribute also acknowledged firefighters, police officers, emergency medical workers, and other first responders, as well as survivors and rescue workers who later experienced long-term health effects connected to the attacks and their aftermath.
# Who shaped the project
# Public response and distribution U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared images of the display and posted a message of solidarity with victims, families, and those who served after the attacks. A live camera network, EarthCam, captured and distributed footage, describing the scene as "2,977 lights rising above New York Harbor, one for each life lost" before forming the Twin Towers against the skyline.
Organizers framed the event as a way to keep the human cost visible for younger generations who did not experience 9/11 directly. The display was presented as an act of remembrance rather than a reconstruction of the tragic events.
# Visual intent and context
The event was one of several commemorations around the 25th anniversary. Media outlets and local coverage reported on the tribute alongside other remembrance activities occurring in New York and nationwide.
# Where to see the footage
Thousands of drones were used to recreate New York’s Twin Towers in a tribute ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
To remember the lives of the 2,977 people killed in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago, 2,977 drones were arranged in the shape of the original Minoru Yamasaki-designed World Trade Center at full architectural scale for a stunning temporary memorial . It took a lot of planning to make it work. Called “2,977 Lights Over New
A drone show illuminated the skies over New York Harbor Wednesday night as part of a tribute marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
The lights, one for each of the 9/11 victims, rose over New York Harbor before assembling into the outline of the Twin Towers.
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The community-run event records pilot displays in advance and streams them live on October 10.
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