On the evening of Tuesday 14th July, the skies above the Promenade des Anglais were transformed into a canvas of light and memory. To mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 terrorist attack, the city of Nice held a fitting tribute, replacing traditional fireworks with a sophisticated drone display.

The commemorative event featured 2,016 drones, a number chosen specifically to represent the year of the tragedy. Accompanying the drones, 86 beams of light pierced the night sky, each one a dedicated symbol honouring the 86 lives lost in the attack.

“We wanted to pay tribute to the victims, the city, and the nation,” said Caroline Constantin, who led the mission’s artistic design. “Working alongside victims’ associations since mid-December, our goal was to focus on resilience. We wanted to move away from the drama and instead offer a moment of hope and reflection on life continuing.”

Returning to the Promenade

For the survivors and families of the victims, the evening was deeply personal. Many, for whom returning to the site of the attack had been an insurmountable challenge, found that this year offered a necessary, gentle space for closure. The decision to move away from traditional pyrotechnics provided a quieter, more ethereal environment for the city to remember, a shift that many residents welcomed after a decade of avoiding the Promenade on this date.

A significant city investment

The display, which saw the city coordinate closely with four victims’ associations, represents a change in how Nice approaches its annual commemorations. With costs estimated between €100,000 and €200,000, the project was a deliberate choice by city leadership, including former mayor Christian Estrosi and current Mayor of Nice Éric Ciotti, to provide a respectful alternative to the fireworks that were customary before 2016.

A collective act of remembrance

For the large crowds gathered along the shoreline, the performance was more than a visual display; it was a collective act of remembrance. As the drones formed symbolic shapes and the 86 beams of light anchored the horizon, the city of Nice demonstrated a profound capacity for resilience, proving that the memory of those lost remains central to the heart of the community.

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Main photo by Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life