On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a drone display over New York Harbor recreated the outlines of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, using 2,977 illuminated drones – one for each person killed in the attacks.
Titled ‘2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor’, the commemorative public art piece was staged on the evening of September 10, 2026, and was presented as a free public event focused on reflection and unity.
2,977 lights rise and converge into the Twin Towers’ full-scale outlines
The lights first appeared as individual points scattered across the night sky before gradually gathering into the full architectural outlines of the Twin Towers.
After a brief moment holding that shape above the harbor, the towers dissolved back into individual points of light, an intentional visual choice meant to emphasize the people behind the historic number rather than the buildings themselves.
The 2,977 victims included people killed at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers.
The tribute also remembered firefighters, police officers, emergency medical workers, and other first responders who ran toward danger as the attacks unfolded, as well as the thousands of survivors, rescue workers, and residents who later experienced long-term health consequences linked to the disaster and its aftermath.
A collaborative effort with the 9/11 community
The installation was developed in collaboration with members of the 9/11 community, including victims’ families, survivors, and first responders.
Contributors to the project included Brenda Berkman, an FDNY first responder and artist; Tim Brown, an FDNY first responder in both 1993 World Trade Center bombing and 2001; Terry Strada, president of 9/11 Families United and the widow of Tom Strada; Jim Smith, whose wife, NYPD Officer Moira Smith, was killed in the attacks; and Genevieve Siller, daughter of Stephen Siller, an off-duty firefighter who died while saving others during 9/11.
Organizers highlighted that the aerial display was shaped by a collective of voices whose personal experiences with the attacks helped to define the tone and intent of the tribute.
Rather than reconstructing the tragedy itself, the piece was designed as an act of remembrance, honoring victims individually while recalling the collective shock of the day.
A tribute aimed at younger generations without personal memory of 9/11
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared images of the display and expressed solidarity with the victims, their families, and those who served after the attacks. In a statement posted on social media, Duffy said, “To the victims, their families, and all who served: We will never forget.”
Live camera network EarthCam, which captured the display, described the installation as a moment where “2,977 lights rose above New York Harbor, one for each life lost on September 11, 2001, before forming the Twin Towers against the New York City skyline”.
The anniversary events come as a new generation reaches adulthood without personal memories of September 11, 2001.
According to the organizers, the installation was intended to keep the human cost of the attacks visible for younger viewers, while reflecting New York’s resilience and the enduring role of public remembrance.