13 Nov 2025
Roberts Park, Saltaire
Painting the Sky
David Hockney & SKYMAGIC
David Hockney’s paintings brought to life in a spectacular drone installation.
David Hockney’s art as you’ve never seen it before – animated by more than 600 illuminated drones in the night skies above Saltaire.
A celebration of David Hockney
Painting the Sky was a spectacular celebration of Bradford-born artist David Hockney, taking his work out of the gallery and into the Saltaire skies.
Created especially for Bradford 2025, this unique moment saw some of Hockney’s finest and most famous artworks recreated in the skies over the iconic Salts Mill and Roberts Park by more than 600 choreographed light drones.
Painting the Sky was created for Bradford 2025 by SKYMAGIC, the Leeds-based drone light show pioneers whose work has been seen everywhere from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation Concert to California’s Coachella Festival and the foothills of Mount Fuji.
As darkness fell over Bradford, extraordinary drone recreations of artworks from across Hockney’s career were shown – from his vibrant Californian pool paintings to his more recent Yorkshire landscapes created on iPads. All of these classic works were portrayed in light, flying high over Saltaire in a dynamic tribute to one of our district’s favourite sons.
Image ©Rabbithole
Video ©Danny Hardaker/Bradford 2025, with thumbnail ©David Lindsay
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