Discover and connect

Uncrewed systems have moved from the margins of industry conversation to the center of it. Ports are trialing autonomous inspection, emergency services are building drones into first-response protocols, and defense procurement now treats uncrewed capability as core rather than experimental. That shift is exactly what DroneX 2026 is built to reflect.

Taking place on 29 – 30 September at ExCeL London, DroneX brings the uncrewed technology ecosystem together under one roof across four sectors: Commercial, Defense, Emergency Services, and Future of Flight. It is free to attend, and that matters – it means the room includes not just specialists already committed to the sector, but the operations directors, procurement leads, and policy teams who are still working out where uncrewed systems fit into their own plans.

The four sectors are not four separate shows glued together – they overlap constantly on the floor. The Commercial sector covers the platforms and services already in daily use: inspection, surveying, logistics, agriculture. Defense brings procurement teams and prime contractors face-to-face with the suppliers building capability for tomorrow’s operations. Emergency Services showcases how fire, police, and search and rescue teams are folding drones into standard response procedures rather than treating them as specialist add-ons. Future of Flight looks further out, covering BVLOS operations, urban air mobility, and autonomous airspace management – the infrastructure question the rest of the industry will eventually have to answer.

A more connected show for 2026

This year marks a deliberate step up in what the event delivers. The new DroneX Networking App lets visitors plan meetings with exhibitors before they arrive and build a personalized agenda ahead of the day, turning a single day at ExCeL into something closer to a planned itinerary than a walk-the-floor exercise.

The keynote and silent seminar theatres have also been upgraded, giving speakers a higher production standard and giving visitors a more immersive way to sit in on sessions without the noise of the surrounding show floor. Alongside that, the networking area has been extended, giving visitors significantly more space to network and hold meetings, and branding and signage across the halls have been overhauled so that wherever visitors are in S13–S15, it is unmistakably DroneX.

Who visitors will hear from

The keynote program is built around people making real operational and policy decisions, not just showcasing product. Confirmed speakers include Superintendent Taryn Evans of the NPCC’s UK Policing Drone Program, who will speak to how policing is scaling drone use nationally, and Dave Pankhurst, Innovation Director for Connected Solutions at BT Group, joining the keynote stage to share BT’s perspective on connected infrastructure for uncrewed operations. The show’s Surveillance theatre adds a further dimension, with a dedicated run of sessions covering counter-UAS technology and threat mitigation – reflecting the more operational, security-led side of the defense sector’s presence at DroneX. Elsewhere on the seminar stages, sessions like Coverdrone’s Richard Webb on drone insurance claims give visitors the kind of practical, slightly uncomfortable detail that trade press coverage rarely gets into – the operational realities of running a drone program, not just the sales pitch for one.

Backed by industry

DroneX 2026 is headlined by ARPAS UK as Headline Industry Partner, reflecting the show’s standing within the UK’s professional drone operator community. The event is backed by a growing roster of global industry partners, whose investment across the show floor and networking spaces reflects the scale of the ecosystem now built around DroneX.

Why visitors keep coming back

Visitors return to DroneX for a simple reason: it’s where the uncrewed technology community comes together to discover what’s next, make valuable connections, and stay ahead of a rapidly evolving industry.

For some, it’s about researching the market and finding the right technology or suppliers before making an investment. For others, it’s an opportunity to meet the people shaping the industry, build relationships and discover new partnerships across a sector that continues to grow and evolve.

Many also come to keep up with the latest developments in technology, regulation and real-world applications — from defense and public safety to commercial operations and future flight.

And for those looking to learn, DroneX brings together expert insights, practical education and the latest innovations under one roof, making it possible to explore the show floor while hearing directly from the people driving change across the industry. Ultimately, people return because DroneX gives them a reason to come back: new ideas, new connections, new technology and new opportunities — all in one place.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

DroneX 2026 runs 29 – 30 September at ExCeL London, Hall S7. Entry is free, but registration is compulsory.

Get your pass at registrationdronexpo.co.uk