City Raising Funds to Put on Free Event at Dos Pueblos High School
After a successful first year, the City of Goleta is thrilled to announce the return of the Fourth of July Drone Light Show event in 2026! In addition to the Drone Light Show itself, there will be music, activities, entertainment, food trucks and a VIP section. Last year’s celebration saw close to 6,000 people attend. Now that we know its popularity we are looking to grow the event to accommodate the great turnout we experienced. To make this FREE event possible for our community, we are looking for sponsors. Last year, 20 amazing sponsors stepped up – who will be part of this year’s group?
Goleta’s Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover said, “The magic of the Drone Light Show is that it’s an event for the community put on by the community which is why we need your timely and generous support. By partnering with us, you’ll be a part of something special—a patriotic evening of entertainment, family fun, and community spirit.”
The City aims to have a majority of its sponsors in place by January 15, 2026. If your business or organization is interested in supporting the drone show, please complete our online interest form today. There you can also find information on the different sponsorship tiers available. For questions, please email pio@cityofgoleta.org.
A huge thank you to Yardi Systems who was our first sponsor for the inaugural show in 2025 and has once again stepped up to be a sponsor in 2026. Not only is Yardi offering a $25,000 donation, it is also offering a $25,000 matching grant. The City is also grateful for returning sponsors Ergomotion, Fuel Depot and Santa Barbara Airbus. Sponsors help cover the costs of the drone light show itself, security, audio/visual, custodial services, entertainment and more.
While planning has just begun, the event will take place the evening of July 4, 2026, and the venue will remain the same: Dos Pueblos High School located at 7266 Alameda Avenue. While the choreographed, animated light show will be potentially visible to the surrounding community from up to ten miles away, the best viewing experience will be inside the stadium.
Watch our video recap of the 2025 Drone Light Show event here: https://youtu.be/B3azqD2hx0U.
To be a sponsor for this special day, be sure to fill out our online interest form. We look forward to another great Fourth of July event. Thank you for your support!
Photo from the July 4, 2025 Drone Light Show event