Well, that’s not something you’ll see every day – an actual dragon was seen flying over Glasgow in the early hours at 5:45am with absolutely no context (until now), baffling locals and visitors alike. However, it has returned to our skies once again this morning (July 22), confirming the flying model’s connection to the hugely popular HBO Max series ‘House of Dragon’.
The flying dragon model flew over the OVO Hydro Arena and SEC Armadillo to mark the beginning of the Commonwealth Games 2026, which commences on Wednesday, July 23.
The flying dragon is a precise replica of the beloved Syrax from the series, as the show is currently airing its third season.
The 8-meter replica took an immense amount of teamwork from 14 people to complete, with an estimated 3,000 hours of labour. And yes, it actually flies! As a result, the flying model of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s Syrax is the largest of its kind in the world, and has used 3D scans from the show for an accurate representation.
Boasting 23 moving parts, the flying model spans over 8 metres and weighs just 13 kilograms, made with vacuum-formed Depron foam on a carbon fibre and aluminium skeleton, and hand-painted to give the dragon the most realistic look.
As the Commonwealth Games can be streamed exclusively on HBO Max with coverage delivered by TNT Sports, the ‘House of Dragon’ initiative is the perfect way to give Glasgow something to speculate about in the sky.
