A crowd of 330,000 people cheered on Tuesday night as a spectacular National Day fireworks show lit up the skies above Victoria Harbour, though those looking forward to an accompanying drone show were left disappointed.

The annual celebration kicked off at 9.05pm on the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, five minutes earlier than anticipated, after atmospheric interference forced the cancellation of the drone event.

"Due to the occurrence of ionospheric scintillation over Victoria Harbour, drones cannot receive good satellite positioning signals," the government said in a statement issued just before the 9pm start time.

"The drone introduction prior to the fireworks display cannot take place as scheduled. The fireworks display will start at 9.05pm."

A drone show on Monday night was also called off at the last minute for the same reason.

The display followed the theme: "Splendid fireworks shining over a prosperous China".

The show started with a red five-pointed star display, while another scene welcomed two new giants pandas to the SAR.

In all, some 31,888 fireworks lit up the sky.

Many revellers who lined up hours in advance had said the combination of fireworks and drones had piqued their interest. But the lack of drones didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the Hongkongers and tourists who showed their appreciation throughout the show.

The MTR Corporation closed some station entrances in the area as a crowd control measure. Trains were to operate late into the night to disperse the crowds.