International fireworks competition

Belgium wins the International Fireworks Competition!

The winner of this year's International Fireworks Competition at the Herrenhausen Gardens is from Belgium!

Awards Ceremony for the 2016 International Fireworks Competition

The team from “H.C. Pyrotechnics” was crowned the winner at tonight’s finals. With their outstanding presentation, the Belgian pyrotechnicians prevailed over the international competition. Second place went to the team “Firemaster Productions” from Canada, while third place was taken by “IP Innovative Pyrotechnik GmbH” from Germany.

With their show “Journey of Emotions,” the Belgian team took visitors on a musical and visual journey through the various human emotions—from sadness to happiness, from heroism to confusion, and to the feeling of being in love or loved.The managing director, Cliff Hooge, first visited the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen 13 years ago; at the time, he was working as a student for the team at Hendricks & Lefeber Vuurwerk. Even back then, he was captivated by the beauty of the gardens and the tranquility in the heart of the city. With his own show on September 3, 2016, he wanted to touch the hearts of the audience—and clearly succeeded!

Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG), the company organizing the competition, also expressed great satisfaction with how the event went: “All five dates sold out well in advance, faster than ever before. Many visitors now come from all over Germany, but for the people of Hannover, too, the competition days have become a fixture in their personal event calendars. The fireworks competition has now become one of the international ambassadors for Hannover and the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen.”

Team Belgium vs. HC Pyrotechnics (September 3, 2016)

Over the course of five event Saturdays between May and September, teams from France, Germany, Ukraine, Belgium, and Canada impressively demonstrated that they are among the most exceptional and leading pyrotechnicians. Their creative and unique shows captivated a total of around 55,000 visitors. Each team showcased the unique features of the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen in its own way. This year’s one-of-a-kind fireworks displays were set to contemporary music by Michael Jackson, Björk, Meat Loaf, and David Bowie, as well as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

The cultural program featuring each team’s national traditions also captivated the audience, setting the mood for each participating country with French chansons, a Canadian ranger, a band from the Belgian UNESCO City of Music, Ghent, mysterious forest elves, and nostalgic fairy-tale characters.

Jury spokesperson Randell Greenlee congratulated the winner and explained: “This year’s competition was characterized by a wide variety of artistic and technical concepts in the presentations. Corelli’s compulsory piece was very challenging in terms of its interpretation through fireworks. The teams demonstrated a wide range of staging approaches to the Baroque piece. Overall, the jury was very pleased with the quality and variety of the effects used. All participants incorporated special pyrotechnic elements into their performances. This made the jury’s work and the selection of a winner extremely difficult in this 26th competition as well.”

Team Belgium vs. HC Pyrotechnics (September 3, 2016)

Team Belgium - HC Pyrotechnics

The winning team: H.C. Pyrotechnics

The Belgian pyrotechnics company led by Cliff Hooge is one of the most sought-after firms in the industry across Europe. As organizers of the renowned Belgian fireworks festival in Knokke-Heist, they also have a long list of victories to their credit. For example, H.C. Pyrotechnics won the gold prize at the prestigious “Concours International de Feux d’Artifice Pyromélodiques” in Monaco, as well as first-place finishes in Poland and Croatia and at the “Feuerwerkssinfonie” festival in Potsdam. To create successful commissioned shows—including collaborations with the Disney Channel in the Benelux countries—the Belgian team consistently upholds the highest standards of quality and creativity.

For additional press materials, please visit:
www.hannover.de/fireworks-press

The dates for the 2017 International Fireworks Competition: May 20, June 10, August 19, September 2, September 16

Advance ticket sales begin in November 2016.

Published: September 17, 2016

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