Central Park’s massive New Year’s Eve drone show scrapped after Florida event ends in tragedy: ‘Out of our control’

A planned New Year Eve’s drone show in Manhattan’s Central Park has been grounded after a young boy in Florida was walloped and gravely injured by one of the flying devices during a Christmas spectacle.

The New York Road Runners canceled its fleet of 500 drones less than a week before its annual midnight run event in a decision organizers say was out of their control. 

“As always, we are working to ensure that runners have a memorable time as they ring in 2025 at our festive NYRR Midnight Run on New Year’s Eve in Central Park,” spokesperson Crystal Howard said in a statement. 

“Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of our control, we will no longer be staging our planned drone show during the race.” 

While organizers did not indicate why the drone show was scrapped, similar events across the country have been axed after a drone bludgeoned a 7-year-old boy named Alezander in the face and chest during a holiday-show-gone-wrong in Orlando Saturday.

The youngster underwent several hours of open-heart surgery after the drones crashed mid-air and then dive-bombed into the crowd, with one of the flying devices slamming into his body and electrocuting his heart. His upper lip was also sliced, his mother told WESH.

Sky Elements Drones, the Texas-based company that put on the drone show, is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, and was reportedly booked to handle the Central Park event.

Organizers opted for the drone show after months of severe drought conditions in the tristate area forced local authorities to temporarily halt fireworks displays, though restrictions have since been lifted.

The decision to forgo fireworks and use drones also came as mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey and New York sent the public into a state of pandemonium. The FAA has since placed a temporary ban on drone usage in parts of the Big Apple and Garden State until mid-January.

Despite the sudden changes, Howard added that participants will be met with surprises and “delight activations” along the 72nd Street traverse, just south of the Bethesda Fountain.