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Dubai’s viral Michael Jackson drone display was AI-generated, company confirms
Videos claiming to show thousands of drones forming the late pop star’s image over Downtown Dubai spread widely across fan pages and international social media accounts
- PUBLISHED: Sun 17 May 2026, 2:30 PM
A viral video claiming to show a massive Michael Jackson drone display lighting up the skies of Downtown Dubai beside the Burj Khalifa has been confirmed as AI-generated, after days of online debate over whether the spectacle actually took place.
The clips, widely shared by international fan pages and social media creators, appeared to show hundreds of drones forming visuals of the late pop star above Dubai’s skyline. Captions accompanying the posts described it as “a massive drone show” held in the city.
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One account, moonwalklegacy, claimed that “thousands of drones formed iconic visuals of Michael Jackson beside Burj Khalifa,” while creator Arvin Shirali, who has 1.8 million followers, posted: “Hundreds of drones lighting up the sky with Michael, Dubai 2026.”
The videos quickly gained traction online, with users debating whether the footage was authentic or created using artificial intelligence. Several posts also credited Dubai-based drone advertising company SkyVertise, despite no related footage or announcement appearing on the company’s official platforms.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Muyasar Abulkhair, Co-Founder and CEO of SkyVertise, confirmed that no such drone display ever took place in Dubai.
“The clips are totally AI-generated,” Abulkhair said, adding that the company had no involvement in the circulating visuals.
The AI-generated videos began circulating online around the same time Michael was released in UAE cinemas, fuelling speculation among fans that the supposed drone spectacle was linked to promotions surrounding the film.
The incident has also highlighted growing concerns around AI-generated event footage online, particularly videos tied to landmarks and large-scale spectacles that can appear highly realistic to viewers.
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.