Background:
The City of Sunrise's July 4th Celebration at the Amerant Bank Arena is the largest event organized by the Leisure Services Department, with 20,000 people expected to attend. The event includes a live outdoor concert with multiple performances over a period of approximately four hours and concludes with a fireworks show. The United States’ 250th anniversary, or Semiquincentennial, will culminate this year on July 4, 2026, marking exactly 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. To celebrate this incredible Independence Day anniversary, we are recommending the addition of a synchronized drone show with music to provide a unique enhancement to the July 4th event schedule. Similar drone shows in Sunrise have been positively received by residents at other events, including the Sunrise Amphitheater Grand Opening and Light up the Holidays.
Funding has been budgeted in the Leisure Services Budget for FY 2026 to support an enhanced 4th of July event to commemorate this 250th Anniversary celebration. The cost for the drone show, using 400 drones for approximately 13 to 15 minutes, is extremely competitive as July 4th is a popular day for other organizations to procure this type of entertainment.
Pursuant to Section 5-173(c)(6) of the Code of the City of Sunrise, Florida, the City’s formal bidding procedures are waived for contractual services for entertainment at City events.
City Commission approval is requested to procure drone show entertainment services from Hireuavpro.com LLC. Additionally, approval is requested to authorize the Director of Leisure Services and the Procurement Manager to finalize and execute the Agreement, subject to approval by the City Attorney, and to take all actions necessary to implement and fulfill the intent of this procurement.