A much-hyped drone show lit up the night skies over Toronto on Friday night, but if you were part of the mass crowds who gazed hopefully towards Lake Ontario for a glimpse of the display, well, you probably didn't see a damn thing.

The August 4 display saw five hundred synchronized drones take to the skies, though crowds who gathered along the shores of Woodbine Beach on Friday evening to witness the 12-minute display saw nothing but black skies looking back at them from over the water.

The free-to-watch show was presented by Tennis Canada in partnership with Canadian Traffic Network ULC (CTN) and Skyworx Drone Shows (Skyworx) to kick off the National Bank Open tennis tournament.

However, a vague message from organizers that the show would be visible from Woodbine Beach between 9 and 10 p.m. failed to convey which direction attendees should look, or what specific time the display would begin.

Attendees took to social media on Friday night to voice their disappointment at the jumbled messaging and overall experience, including one Reddit post that described the drone show unfolding "more like a gong show."

The “drone show”
by u/lillithfair98 in toronto

Another Reddit user, who witnessed the show from their balcony in Leslieville, describes the aerial display as underwhelming, saying, "Couple minutes of advertising rogers and national bank and some tennis images."

The user explains that they "didn't even bother taking video of it cause it was a waste of time," adding, "I feel bad for anybody that actually came down to see it. The only interesting thing was that the drones in sync looked cool."

ICYMI ➡️ The Drone Show lit up the Toronto skyline Friday in an anticipation of #NBO23 🌃

Get your tickets here 🎟👉 https://t.co/SCRPhQqrMF pic.twitter.com/vpMH5vgM7Q

— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) August 5, 2023

Frustrated would-be viewers of the spectacle also took to The Beaches Toronto Facebook group to call out the organizers.

"If you are waiting on the national bank open drone show don't bother," comments one Facebook user.

The post goes on to state that the show "was at neither woodbine beach or woodbine park as the articles mentioned and was launched from the skate park at coxwell and lakeshore. You couldn't see it at all from the beach and there are a TON of people waiting at the beach and staring out over the water."

Another commenter called the event a "huge fail," adding that organizers "said it would be between 9 and 10 implying they would do it a few times. They went exactly at 9pm. People were showing up to watch and they were already packing up the drones."

blogTO has reached out via email to the PR firm that provided details about the drone show to media, seeking comment on the event's apparent miscommunication, however, no statement has been provided as of writing.