An aerial light show system includes aerial vehicles configured to move along paths consisting of positions while emitting light beams to present an aerial light show of a virtual 3D scene. Each aerial vehicle includes a light source configured to project multiple light beams in multiple specified directions, respectively, wherein the brightness and/or color of each of the multiple light beams is independently controllable. The aerial light show system includes a control system configured to control the movement of the aerial vehicles, to modify the brightness and/or color of (e.g., dim or turn off) a light beam of each aerial vehicle at each position projected in a specified direction that is occluded by the virtual 3D scene, and to not modify the brightness and/or color of a light beam of each aerial vehicle at each position projected in a specified direction that is not occluded by the virtual 3D scene.