Theme for the 36th Thunder Over Louisville released as Derby season approaches

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Fewer than 40 days remain until from the kickoff of the Kentucky Derby Festival — Thunder Over Louisville — which begins with a bang.

KDF officials announced Monday the theme for 2025 Thunder, which is "Happy Thunder: It's Glow Time." That means the drone show will return for the fifth straight year.

"One thing we're looking forward to doing is incorporating some of this glow factor as well as some of the 80s look and feel," Matt Quinn, with the Great Lakes Drone Company, said Monday.

The air show will feature some new aircraft and the fireworks show, according to its producers, will be bigger and better than ever. And the Clark Memorial Bridge will be center stage for the show.

"We're paying a lot of attention to the Clark Memorial Bridge, so that's going to be a huge focal point," said Thunder Over Louisville producer Wayne Hettinger. "There's going to be a lot of stuff coming up off the Second Street Bridge. It's going into colorful patterns back and forth, and there's going to be several times that it zips back and forth from one side to the other."

This will mark the 36th year for Thunder Over Louisville, and the fireworks in 2025 are expected to be bigger and better.

"You can expect high spirits, bright colors (and) neon glows from the ground to the sky — whether it's the drones, the fireworks or the aircraft themselves," KDF President and CEO Matt Gibson said.

Click here for more information regarding the Thunder menu, the full schedule of events, entry instructions, access services options, prohibited items and more.

Click here to watch WDRB's 2024 coverage of the fireworks show in its entirety or view it in the player below.

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Theme for the 36th Thunder Over Louisville released as Derby season approaches