Planners had promised that folks across the city would be able to see the show.
ATLANTA — The new year looked a little different in the city this time around.
As clocks struck midnight, drones flew across the skyline, tracing colorful, coordinated patterns before fireworks erupted across metro Atlanta. The traditional Peach Drop was gone—replaced instead by technology and a sweeping light show.
Planners had promised that folks across the city would be able to see the show. Mayor Andre Dickens billed “Countdown Over ATL” as “reimagining that [Peach Drop] tradition.” Still, that vow fell short of expectations, according to interviews with some disappointed revelers and reactions on social media.
In Midtown, hundreds watched from balconies and rooftops as the new celebration lit up the horizon.
“It was actually really special to be able to see fireworks right from my balcony,” said Jamie, who lives in a high-rise overlooking Piedmont Park.
“It was amazing,” said William Park, who shared videos of the display. “To see not just the fireworks from Piedmont Park, but across the horizon — all the different cities of metro Atlanta celebrating — it really felt like we needed it.”
The event featured synchronized drone formations highlighting the city’s landmarks, goals, and sports teams, followed by a 12-minute fireworks finale, which was a hit, if you could see it.
“To know that I’m seeing the same thing that hundreds of thousands of my neighbors are seeing all across the city was really unifying,” Park said. “The grand finale was just spectacular.”
But for some, the new format missed the mark. In neighborhoods farther from the city center, visibility was limited — and expectations went unmet.
Nelson, who gathered with his family on the Jackson Street Bridge in the Old Fourth Ward, said hundreds of residents waited in vain for the show to appear overhead.
“One of the options was Jackson Street Bridge,” he said. “We got there, there were a bunch of people — hundreds of people —, but everybody waited, and nothing happened. So we were disappointed.”
Still, he saw promise in the city’s first experiment with a decentralized New Year’s Eve celebration.
“I think it was a good idea,” Nelson said, “but the execution was poor. Hopefully they’ll revisit the plan next year.”
