Drones More Than "Just A Toy," Says Festival Operator, After Drones Flown Over Crowds At Night And Medical Incident

4 July 2025. Hororata Glow Festival organiser Cindy Driscoll speaks to her concerns for festival-goers, after unauthorised drones flew over the 2023 festival and 2024 Highland Games & medical event.

“Balloonists don’t like drones,” says Hororata Glow Festival organiser Cindy Driscoll over the phone.

Source: Hororata Glow Festival website (all, except one photo listed below)

The festival features a lineup of “tethered” hot air balloons.

In 2023, it attracted more than 10,000 people, says Driscoll, who serves as the Executive Director of the Hororata Community Trust.

Source: Selwyn District Council

Driscoll explains that the presence of drones has become a “bigger issue” since 2023.

At about 6pm that night, three drones were spotted flying low over the crowd. By her estimate, the balloons measure 30 meters from the ground and they drones were flying at that elevation.

Hot air balloonists thought the operators would be located at the extremities of the property.

Three drone operators were found. Two were adults and a third was a young adult/teenager.