By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Jan 28, 2025 / 11:30 am
Imagine a drone-based musical light show for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee proposed by Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur and younger brother of Elon Musk. The idea was brought to Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri over the weekend, according to Italian media.
Wearing his signature cowboy hat, Musk discussed the concept at the Palazzo Senatorio on Jan. 25, with plans to create a privately sponsored event featuring drones choreographed to music.
His visit to Italy also included a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi, along with Elon Musk’s representative in Italy, Andrea Stroppa, and Veronica Berti, the wife of tenor Andrea Bocelli.
The next step for Musk is to present the idea for the musical drone show to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s chief organizer of the jubilee, as reported by the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Kimbal Musk, a board member of Tesla and owner of Nova Sky Stories, possesses a fleet of 9,000 advanced drones capable of producing large-scale light displays. Drone shows have become increasingly popular in recent years, featuring in events like the Olympic Games, Super Bowl halftime shows, and international expos.
In 2023, Rome hosted its first drone show over the Colosseum as part of its bid to host Expo 2030. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti has previously shown openness to integrating light show technology. In 2022, the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica was illuminated with a spectacular light show.
