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Lions drone show dazzles over Windsor

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A sparkling display of blue and white lights floated over the Detroit River on Saturday evening as a show of support for the Detroit Lions.

More than 400 drones soared from Riverfront Festival Plaza hundreds of feet into the air before they aligned to form different words and images.

“I've never seen a drone show before, and I just liked how the animations went so fluently by, and like the lion moving in looked just incredible,’ said Mirko Nilovic, a German exchange student.

The show saw drones take the shape of the Lions logo, a Canadian and American Flag side by side, and Lions Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s headstand celebration.

Hundreds of fans sporting Honolulu blue stood along the waterfront eager to see the spectacle.

Cheers erupted as the drones aligned to say “Jared Goff,” and “Two nations one pride.”

Drones aligned over the Detroit River to spell Lions-related phrases, Jan. 11, 2025 (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

“The two flags were really cool. The various lighting, the animations. I love the one of the guy doing the handstand. That was pretty awesome,” said Adam Foy.

Originally scheduled for Friday, the drone show was rescheduled due to heavy snowfall.

Detroit is in the midst of a record-setting season and enters the NFL Playoffs with a bye in the Wild Card Round.

While this is not the Lions' first drone show, Saturday’s event served as a celebration of Canadian fans.

Lions fan and season ticket holder Irene Braykovich said all parties did a “really good job,” but noted the less than 10-minute show could’ve been longer.

Hundreds of fans stood along the river to catch a rare drone show displayed in Windsor, Jan. 11, 2025 (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

“A bit short. I was hoping it might be a little bit longer, but a great turnout for Windsor fans,” Braykovich said.

As the Lions chase both their first Super Bowl appearance and victory, Braykovich said it’s fantastic to see the camaraderie between Detroit and Windsor.

“It's absolutely huge, and for this city, but especially for Detroit and everyone that's been a longtime Lions fan,” she said.

“This is something that we've waited for a very long time, and really hope to see them in the Super Bowl.”

The City of Windsor partnered with the Detroit Lions and the NFL to bring the show across the Detroit River.

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