HVG press release

The French team “Compagnie Pok sous les étoiles” will open the 2016 International Fireworks Competition

Fireworks, entertainment, culinary delights, and the 50th anniversary of the sister city partnership between Rouen and Hanover.

The world-renowned International Fireworks Competition kicks off on May 21 with a very French-themed evening.

Crêpes — Download for editorial use: Image in print-ready resolution (300 dpi) Copyright: Jürgen Diemer

“We want to give Hannover what a prestigious event like the Herrenhausen International Fireworks Competition deserves,” promises Martin Sylvos, project manager and show designer at Compagnie Pok sous les étoiles. “Our goal is to make the most of the garden and illuminate it to the fullest. That’s why the audience will see something no team has ever done before: we’ll illuminate the garden’s lines and geometric shapes with real candles throughout the entire show,” Sylvos continues. The team began selecting the initial soundtrack as early as October of last year, and the show was then designed from November through February. Visitors can look forward to plenty of “emotion and power,” spectacular celestial displays of light and sound, colors, and shapes at the foot of one of Germany’s most beautiful Baroque gardens.

The supporting program
Before the French team draws their pictures in the sky, the French choir “Chorale du Carrefour” welcomes visitors at the entrance. Young performers from Hanover and Rouen on stilts and unicycles are looking forward to entertaining visitors at the children’s playground with German-French circus acts. Two portly chefs roll along the paths near the sundial, stove in tow, and prepare crêpes in their “Cuisine mobile”—seasoned with wit and esprit. High above, the French Flower carries the Eiffel Tower around, joined by the “great” Napoleon Bonaparte. Can-can dancers coquettishly twirl their skirts and show off plenty of leg. Tall, graceful, and très charmant, Marion delights the audience with French melodies on the accordion. In the garden theater, the musicians of La Maison Tellier from Rouen embark on a challenging quest for joy and love. The program features powerful compositions, subtle humor, and an elegant blend of pop, folk, country, and blues. Papanosh sets no stylistic limits on the rehearsal stage: modern jazz is effortlessly blended with New York underground sounds, Provençal memories, city noise, and birdsong.

Founded in 2008 by a team
of creative artists and experienced pyrotechnicians under the name Compagnie Pok sous les étoiles, the company is best known for its original effects, high artistic standards, and powerful, emotional shows. In the fireworks displays created by designers Arnaud Fouriau and Martin Sylvos, along with the entire team, each location is uniquely staged—whether through the creation of three-dimensional effects, the use of dancers or actors, or other scenic elements.
The young company has already demonstrated its talent at various festivals in the Benelux countries (e.g., at the “Brussel Bad – 10 Years Opening Show” or the “International Poster and Graphic Design Festival”) as well as during the celebrations for France’s National Day. Even before founding the company “Under the Stars,” Arnaud Fouriau had already worked at many prestigious venues, such as the palaces of Versailles and Chambord, and at the “Nuits de Feu” in Chantilly (2006).

Advance Sales and Services
: Tickets for the International Fireworks Competition are available in the online shop at www.hannover.de/onlineshop, where they can also be printed as e-tickets. Tickets can also be purchased in advance for 19 euros (reduced price: 16 euros) at the Hannover Tourist Information Office, Ernst-August-Platz 8, as well as at all known advance sales locations. All tickets are valid as a transit pass on the GVH (2nd class) starting 3 hours before the event begins on the day of the event until 5:00 a.m. the following day. Stop: Herrenhäuser Gärten, Lines 4 and 5.
Ticket hotline: +49 (0)511 / 12345-123.
If tickets for a particular event day sell out in advance, there will no longer be a box office on the day of the event.
For anyone who would like to combine a visit to the International Fireworks Competition with an overnight stay in Hannover, the HMTG has put together the “Hannover Explosive” experience package: www.hannover.de/explosiv.

For more information on the International Fireworks Competition, visit: www.hannover.de/feuerwerk.

Images for editorial use and other press materials are available at www.hannover.de/feuerwerk-presse.

Here is an overview of the remaining dates for 2016:

June 4 Germany, IP Innovative Pyrotechnik (sold out!)
August 20 Ukraine, Dance of Fire
September 3 Belgium, H.C. Pyrotechnics
September 17 Canada, Firemaster Productions

Published:19.05.2016

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