2,977 drones light up New York Harbor, recreate Twin Towers ahead of 9/11 anniversary

New York Harbor turned into a sea of lights on Wednesday night as 2,977 illuminated drones took to the sky in memory of the people killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The public art installation, titled '2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor', used one drone for each victim.

The lights first moved across the sky before slowly aligning to recreate the towering outline of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. Watch the video: Drones re-create Twin Towers over NYC skyline to honor 9/11 victims pic.twitter.com/52hY9BB776 — New York Post (@nypost) September 10, 2026 Footage of the display shared on social media showed the illuminated drones coming together over the harbor, creating an image of the towers in the night sky.

The tribute was held ahead of Friday’s 25th anniversary of the attacks. “The purpose of '2,977 Lights' is to acknowledge individual loss within the collective history and memory of September 11. We light the exact number to hold witness for each individual life,” Addison Mehr, the project’s creative director and executive producer, said.

The display took place alongside New York’s annual 'Tribute in Light', whose beams were visible from Ground Zero. The drone show was presented as a free public event and was sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts. According to the New York Post, other small aircraft were grounded for several hours while the drone installation was taking place over the harbor.

Organisers said the project was developed in consultation with members of the 9/11 community, including victims’ families, survivors and first responders, as per ABC7. A group of people connected to the attacks also helped shape the installation, including Brenda Berkman, a Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) first responder and artist; Tim Brown, an FDNY first responder in 1993 and 2001; Terry Strada, president of 9/11 Families United and widow of Tom Strada; Jim Smith, whose wife, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Officer Moira Smith, was killed in the attacks; and Genevieve Siller, daughter of Stephen Siller.

The sight drew an emotional response online, with many viewers reflecting on the significance of seeing the Twin Towers represented in the sky again. “That is a hauntingly beautiful way to honor the memory of those lost,” one user wrote. “This hit hard. Seeing the Towers in the sky again after 25 years… powerful way to honor them,” another commented. “The twin towers were an iconic part of New York City when we were young.

They weren’t just buildings; no matter how late at night, no matter how drunk or how lost we were, all you had to do was look into the sky, see them, and you knew where you were. They were our North Star,” another person shared. “Illuminated drones formed the outline of the Twin Towers over New York, alongside the Tribute in Light beams, ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11,” a fourth user said.