Final stretch at the 24th International Fireworks Competition in Herrenhausen (September 17, 2014)

The 24th Herrenhausen International Fireworks Competition is entering its final round: This Saturday, September 20, the Greek pyrotechnics team “Nanos Fireworks” will present the closing fireworks display. Spectators can look forward to a spectacular show! After all, the team’s extensive portfolio includes spectacular events such as the fireworks displays for the Belgian open-air music festival “Tomorrowland” (2014), the UEFA Champions League Final (2007), the Eurovision Song Contest (2006), the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Athens (2004), and concerts by stars such as Jennifer Lopez and AC/DC.

The Greeks have also been extremely successful in competitions: for example, they won the Flammende Sterne competition in Ostfildern (2005) and took first place at the 6th International Music Fireworks Festival in Shanghai, China (2011)—and, most recently, at the Ignis Brunensis competition in Brno in 2014.

The pyrotechnicians at Nanos Fireworks have been preparing intensively for the evening in Hanover. “I’m very happy to be able to present our fireworks display in such a beautiful setting. The Herrenhausen Gardens provide a magnificent backdrop for showcasing an artistic choreography,” says Paul Nanos, head of the pyrotechnics team. The show, which took about two months to design, is intended to captivate visitors and the jury alike with its artistic merit, a diverse use of fireworks, and powerful symbolism. The musical accompaniment will also be thrilling: Paul Nanos has, for example, hip-hop, house, electronic, and alternative music in store.

“The Hanover audience is used to the grand and spectacular shows at the International Fireworks Competition in Herrenhausen. We’re looking forward to the challenge of impressing these discerning spectators,” Nanos concludes.

But before the Greeks transform the sky above the Herrenhäuser Gardens into a vibrant sea of color at 9 p.m., a supporting program featuring lively music, dance, and acrobatics will transport visitors to Greece. For example, hellhounds from the Greek underworld mingle with the visitors; gleaming golden figures on stilts symbolize Olympic gold, and an amusing sea goddess, accompanied by her faithful turtle, stars in a Greek comedy of the gods. Poseidon rises from the waves to the song of the sirens, and Agadir & Philoxenia appear as luminous, fascinating mythical creatures.

The band “Mandragoras” takes you on a musical journey to the Mediterranean. On the rehearsal stage, they perform Greek blues (rembetiko), evoking a sense of melancholic wanderlust as well as a cheerful atmosphere. At the Garden Theater, “Anonimi” give Greek music a sound all its own with the power of their voices and instruments, and on the Sundial Stage, the band Imam “Baildi” from Athens invites you to dance the night away with fiery sounds of Balkan brass, big band music, and a dash of hip hop. Nily Nils captivates the audience on the cabaret stage with acrobatics, juggling, and exuberance—and as darkness falls, with his mesmerizing glow show featuring luminous clubs. On the children’s lawn, Pirate Mathjes tells the musical tale of his odyssey, seven-headed sea serpents, and the pirate oracle. And the Hellas folk group presents traditional costumes and dances.

The jury will select the winner

Whether the Czechs, the British, the Swiss, the Japanese, or the Greeks ultimately emerge as the winners of this year’s competition will be decided by a ten-member jury. The jury includes experts such as Georg Alef, chief pyrotechnician at Weco Pyrotechnische Fabrik GmbH; Gabriele Robbert from the Federal Institute for Materials Research; Randell Greenlee from Visual Concepts; and jury spokesperson Anke Lohmann from the German Event Academy GmbH. Following the Greeks’ closing fireworks display, she will announce the winner around 9:45 p.m. The winner will receive a trophy and prize money of 5,000 euros. Unlike in previous years, however, the winner will not open next year’s competition.

The expert jury bases its decisions on the rules of the International Fireworks Competition—and those rules are clearly defined. For example, the fireworks display lasts a total of about 25 minutes and includes a mandatory segment of approximately four minutes, which this year will be set to the piece “Der Hexenritt” from the opera “Hansel and Gretel” by composer Engelbert Humperdinck. 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.

For more information about the 24th International Fireworks Competition, visit www.hannover.de/feuerwerk.