Hello Europe!

After some 58,000 guests watched unique fireworks displays from five continents this year to mark the competition’s anniversary, the 31st International Fireworks Competition in 2023 will focus on Germany and our European neighbors. So, under the motto “Brilliant as always – closer than ever,” we’ll be saying: Hello, Herzlich Willkommen, Salut, Grüezi, and Servus! As usual, each fireworks display will consist of a standard compulsory piece—next year, in keeping with the theme, an excerpt from Ludwig van Beethoven’s European anthem “Ode to Joy”—followed by an individual freestyle performance.

Marketing activities

© HVG

From today through mid-December, the 2023 International Fireworks Competition will be featured on select large-format billboards in the surrounding area, CityLight posters, flagpoles in the city center, in-vehicle TV screens, ads on Facebook and Instagram, flyers at cultural venues, as well as interstitials and online banners in northern German daily newspapers. The Hannover newspaper supplement “Tipps und Termine,” which will be published on November 11, also carries the “Hello Europe” theme. Featuring the fireworks motif from the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen on its cover, it will be distributed with a print run of 1.5 million copies alongside daily newspapers in Northern Germany, select editions of the Welt and Süddeutsche Zeitung, and on selected ICE trains. In addition, the International Fireworks Competition, with its “Hannover Explosive” experience package, is part of the winter campaign by Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) to mark the end of the 2022 tourism year. From late November through Christmas, various motifs on large-format posters, newspaper and magazine ads, and online banners will offer special Hannover gift ideas. In line with this, starting in mid-November, publications in travel magazines, journals, and on tourism-related websites in Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria, as well as in the Netherlands, England, and Denmark, will promote a visit to Hannover. 

Hans Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH and Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH, on the current campaign: “With the slogan ‘Hello Europe,’ which is more relevant than ever, we have made the International Fireworks Competition the ambassador and focal point of our current marketing activities. Drawing on the appeal of the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen and the international character of the fireworks competition, the Region Hannover is presenting itself as an attractive tourist destination in the heart of Europe.” In the spring of 2023, an international, country-specific campaign will follow in the participating countries. Custom poster designs and special offers will then invite residents to support their national team at Hannover’s Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen.

Supporting program

The Great Garden, with its grotto designed by Niki de Saint Phalle, the Golden Gate, and the large fountain with its 70-meter-high water column, offers a unique setting for strolling and picnicking. Street performers, live music in the Garden Theater and on the rehearsal stage, a colorful children’s program, and themed food and drink options offer a variety of ways to enjoy the wait until the fireworks.

Tip for fireworks fans

A special gift idea for St. Nicholas Day and Christmas: the limited-edition collector’s tickets (2,000 per event), available exclusively at the Tourist Information Office at Ernst-August-Platz 8. The season pass for all five events (€105) or the family ticket for €66 (valid for one event) for two adults and two children also make great gifts.

For anyone wishing to combine a visit to the International Fireworks Competition with an overnight stay in Hannover, Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH has put together the “Hannover Explosive” experience package. The package includes one night’s accommodation in a 3- or 4-star hotel with breakfast, as well as a ticket to the 31st International Fireworks Competition, bookable online starting at €89 per person.

All information about the teams, the supporting program, and ticket sales can be found here:

© Sebastian Gerhard

Tickets, teams, info

International fireworks competition 2026

Dates, tickets, and information about the International Fireworks Competition at the Herrenhausen Gardens.

read

The 2023 Fireworks:

A brief overview of the 2023 teams:

© Sebastian Gerhard

New Nations - New Spirits

The 2024 teams

Welcome 2024 teams from unprecedented countries to the International Fireworks Competition!

read