Freefly Systems will hold its 5th annual Freefly Fest on August 19, 2026, just outside Seattle, Washington. Chief Revenue Officer Matt Isenbarger announced the date on LinkedIn, describing the event as a day of hands-on demos, BBQ, and tours of Freefly Systems HQ. No venue has been announced yet — Freefly’s own shipping page lists the date as “Aug. TBD, 2026.”

What Freefly Fest Looks Like in Practice

The event gives attendees direct access to the full Freefly team, live product demos, and a look at the company’s roadmap. Last year’s edition, held August 20 at Lord Hill Farms in Monroe, Washington, centered on the reveal of Freefly’s new 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woodinville. Tabb Firchau, president of Freefly, called it “the most inspiring drone manufacturing center in North America.” Attendance is free and open to all ages.

For operators holding Freefly Armor coverage on an Alta X or Astro, an invitation to Freefly Fest is included in the plan. Everyone else can register through the official event page once it goes live.

DroneXL’s Take

Freefly Fest has quietly become one of the better drone industry events on the calendar — not because of spectacle, but because the Freefly team actually shows up and talks shop. Last year’s event doubled as the public debut of a facility three times the size of the previous one, with real manufacturing infrastructure behind it. That kind of growth warrants a closer look in person.

With the Astro Max still relatively new and the FLUX LiDAR series gaining traction in enterprise workflows, I’d expect this year’s fest to include at least one hardware announcement Freefly hasn’t telegraphed yet. Watch for something in the payload or ground station space before end of year.

DroneXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo.