About

See David Hockney’s art as you’ve never seen it before – animated by more than 600 illuminated drones in the night skies above Saltaire.

Painting the Sky is 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 will see 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 – and admission is free, with no tickets required.

Painting the Sky is being 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 falls over Bradford, you’ll see extraordinary drone recreations of artworks from across Hockney’s career – from his vibrant Californian pool paintings to his more recent Yorkshire landscapes created on iPads. All of these classic works will be portrayed in light, flying high over Saltaire in a dynamic tribute to one of our district’s favourite sons. Don’t miss it.

Audience Advisory

Painting the Sky will take place in the open air, so please dress appropriately for the weather. Admission is free and you don’t need a ticket – just turn up on the night. We are expecting Roberts Park to be busy, so please arrive in plenty of time. The show itself will last around 10 minutes.

Please dress for the weather and note that the park may be wet or muddy so please wear sensible footwear.

Head to the FAQs page to find out more about how to get there and more information about the show.

>> Explore more events in the UK City of Culture as part of the #Bradford2025 celebration.

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Image © Rabbithole