Press release of the HVG

Final spurt at the 25th International Fireworks Competition in Herrenhausen

Advance ticket sales have already ended—however, 500 tickets will still be available at the box office on the day of the event starting at 4 p.m.

Gothenburg Fireworks — Bright colors light up the night sky

The 25th Herrenhausen International Fireworks Competition is entering its final stage: This Saturday, September 19, the Swedish pyrotechnics team “Göteborgs FyrverkeriFabrik” will present the closing fireworks display.

Spectators can look forward to a spectacular finale—after all, the Swedish team has already won the International Fireworks Competition at the Herrenhäuser Gärten four times. “The Swedish team is an absolute crowd favorite and has certainly put together another magnificent show,” says Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH, which organizes the competition.

The team led by Martin Hildeberg—which provided pyrotechnics for events such as the Volvo Ocean Race, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup, and the Speedway Grand Prix Series in 2015—began preparations for the fireworks display in Hanover back in the spring. “This competition has a very special meaning for us,” says Hildeberg. “It has had a profound impact on our history; it has inspired and motivated us. Over the years, the competition has become increasingly demanding and the competition ever fiercer—even though our participation is a tradition: it’s a major challenge!”

To captivate the judges and the audience, the Swedish team has prepared a fireworks display based on the elements of “emotion” and “precision.” The show is rounded out by a wide range of effects featuring material from around the world, as well as film scores and classical pieces. For example, Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” and “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from the classic film *Dirty Dancing* are on the playlist. “Our show is varied, surprising, and entertaining,” Hildeberg promises.

Team Gothenburg Fireworks — The team from Sweden

Welcome to Sweden – the supporting program takes you on a journey to Sweden

Visitors will be treated to a Swedish-themed evening to set the mood for the fireworks. In the Great Garden, they’ll encounter wondrous tree spirits, Pippilotta from Villa Kunterbunt, and Gina Eriksson, who’s struggling with a DIY kit from a Swedish furniture store. Mysterious ice fairies and beings of light send a cool greeting from the far north. Meanwhile, artist Jay Toor transports the audience into the mystical world of flames on the cabaret stage with her unique composition of music, dance, costumes, and fire artistry.

Musically, the lively a cappella group “Herzen in Terzen” (Gartentheater), the German-Swedish trio “Strömkarlen” (Probenbühne), and “soul control” (Sonnenuhrbühne) will take guests on a journey to Sweden—and of course, they’ve got ABBA hits in their repertoire! Unmada and the Kinderwaldchor will perform great songs for little ones.

Who will win the anniversary edition?

A ten-member jury will ultimately decide whether Sweden, the Philippines, Finland, Spain, or Italy will emerge as the winner of this anniversary edition of the competition. The jury includes experts such as Georg Alef, chief pyrotechnician at Weco Pyrotechnische Fabrik GmbH; Gabriele Robbert from the Federal Institute for Materials Research; and jury spokesperson Randell Greenlee from Visual Concepts. Following the Swedes’ closing fireworks display, the winner will be announced on stage in the castle courtyard around 9:45 p.m. The winner will receive a trophy and prize money of 5,000 euros.

The expert jury bases its decision on the rules of the International Fireworks Competition—and those rules are clearly defined. The fireworks display lasts a total of about 25 minutes and includes a mandatory section of approximately four minutes, which this year features “Symphony No. 9” (From the New World), 4th movement: Allegro con fuoco (excerpt), by Antonín Dvořák. In the free program, the pyrotechnicians are free to choose their own music. Their staging should be inspired by the Baroque garden, and the minimum number of ground elements is specified. Otherwise, however, there are virtually no limits to creativity and visual expression. The jury evaluates, among other things, the technical execution, precision, quality, variety of elements, and the synchronization of the fireworks with the music.

Göteborgs FyrverkeriFabrik

The Swedish company was founded in 1994 by former competitors Martin Hildeberg and Anders Hållinder and has since become the largest fireworks display company in Scandinavia. Since 2013, Martin Hildeberg has been the sole owner of Göteborgs Fyrverkeri. Hildeberg, his team, and his style of fireworks displays are well known and much loved in Hanover: the Swedish pyrotechnicians have already won the International Fireworks Competition four times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2010). Their other achievements include, among others, second place at the Pyronale in Berlin (2012) and first place at the Knokke-Heist Festival in Belgium (2007).

Published: September 17, 2015

For more information on the history of the Herrenhausen International Fireworks Competition, details about the teams, additional press releases, and photos for editorial use, please visit: www.hannover.de/feuerwerk-presse.