Vatican City, Jan 28, 2025 / 11:30 am
Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur and younger brother of Elon Musk, met with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri over the weekend to propose a drone-based musical light show for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, according to Italian media.
Donning his signature cowboy hat, Musk discussed the concept at the Palazzo Senatorio on Jan. 25, aiming to create a privately sponsored event featuring drones choreographed to music.
The previous day, he had met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi, accompanied by Andrea Stroppa, Elon Musk’s representative in Italy, and Veronica Berti, the wife of tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Musk is also expected to pitch the idea for the musical drone show to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s chief organizer of the jubilee, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Kimbal Musk serves on the board of Tesla and owns Nova Sky Stories, a company with a fleet of 9,000 advanced drones capable of producing large-scale light displays. Drone shows have gained popularity in recent years, featuring in events such as the Olympic Games, Super Bowl halftime show, and international expos.
Rome hosted its first drone show in 2023 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 3-D projection mapping of art from the Vatican Museums.
Gualtieri expressed surprise at Musk’s proposal, according to Corriere Della Sera, reportedly saying: “Considering the subject, we expected a new futuristic show, but in reality, it is the same technology that we have already used, for example, on the occasion of [the bid for] Expo 2030.”
The Vatican’s approval is still needed for the drone show’s realization as the Eternal City continues to prepare for many upcoming jubilee events.
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023), https://ignatius.com/carlo-acutis-sscap/.
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