Sky Elements recreates World Trade Center with 2,977 drones

A fleet of 2,977 unmanned aircraft illuminated the night sky above New York Harbor on September 9, 2026, recreating the twin silhouettes of the World Trade Center towers. Each flying light represented an individual victim killed during the terrorist strikes on September 11, 2001.

Organizers titled the presentation 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor. Created by Addison Mehr alongside the production team at Sky Elements, the tribute gained institutional backing from the New York Foundation of the Arts to mark the 25 years since the attacks on September 11, 2026. The flight occurred two days ahead of the formal anniversary.

Operating in synchrony, the illuminated devices formed an aerial grid resembling a glowing constellation above the harbor. The luminous projection restored the visual profile of the two destroyed skyscrapers that filled the New York horizon prior to 2001.

Timeline of the four hijacked airline flights across the United States

The extremist group al-Qaeda coordinated and executed the strikes against four selected locations across the United States.

The initial hijacked aircraft struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Shortly afterward, at 9:03 a.m., a second hijacked plane hit the South Tower structure.

A third commercial airliner crashed directly into the Pentagon, which houses the United States Department of Defense.

The fourth hijacked plane went down in an open field near Shanksville in the state of Pennsylvania without reaching the intended destination of the attackers. The passengers fought back.

The 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks matched the total count of aerial drones launched over New York.