Poland wins the 27th International Fireworks Competition in Hanover!

On September 2, the Polish team performed at the Herrenhäuser Gärten for the penultimate competition event. With their epic fireworks show, “Bouquet of Emotions,” they created new, unique landscapes for visitors to the International Fireworks Competition. And it was clearly a success: The expert jury named the Polish team this year’s competition winner.

Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG), which organizes the competition, also expressed great satisfaction with how the event went: “Despite the sometimes very changeable weather, many thousands of visitors made their way to the Herrenhausen Gardens. We’re delighted that the fireworks competition is a reason for so many people to visit Hannover.”

During the five days of the event between May and September, the teams from Spain, Austria, England, Poland, and the U.S. impressively demonstrated that they are among the most exceptional and leading pyrotechnicians. The creative and unique fireworks shows thrilled a total of over 55,000 visitors at the events, which were sold out—in some cases—up to six weeks in advance. Each team showcased the uniqueness and beauty of the Herrenhausen Gardens in its own distinctive way.

© Sebastian Gerhard

This year, the musical selection for the fireworks shows ranged from current hits by Coldplay, Adele, and Céline Dion to the soundtrack from “The Lord of the Rings” and classical pieces by Vivaldi and Strauss. The traditional cultural program before the fireworks began also captivated the audience, setting the mood for each participating country with, for example, classical flamenco, baroque equestrian art, Beatles songs, cheerleaders, and golden stilt walkers.

Randell Greenlee, spokesperson for the ten-member expert jury, congratulated the winning team and stated: “In this year’s competition, all teams presented highly diverse free-choice displays. The individual performances were characterized by exceptional musical diversity and highly creative pyrotechnics. The compulsory piece, an excerpt from the symphonic poem ‘Finlandia’ by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, provided the pyrotechnicians with plenty of material for brilliant ideas. The initially expressive sounds of the hymn, which lead to a spectacular fanfare, allowed the artists to use a wide variety of effects to set the stage in the Great Garden. The jury found the judging particularly difficult in this 27th competition due to the use of predominantly high-quality fireworks.”

The winners: SUREX

© Sebastian Gerhard

SUREX was founded in 1989 with the approval of the Ministry of the Interior in Warsaw and has been run as a family business since 1993 under the motto “Our passion, your emotions.” The Polish team focuses on the technical design and execution of large-scale musical fireworks displays for special occasions, such as the opening of the Polish Olympic Training Center in Szczyrk in 2014, the city anniversary celebrations in Wrocław, and the Tall Ship Races in Gdynia. They have also achieved many successes in international competitions: in 2012, the team took 3rd place at the Shanghai International Music Fireworks Festival, and in 2012 and 2014, they took 1st and 2nd place at the International Fireworks Competition in Pohang, South Korea. Since 2008, SUREX has also been the organizer of the international Pyromagic Fireworks Festival in Szczecin, where three international teams compete against each other every year in early August. 

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

The dates for the 28th International Fireworks Competition:
May 26, June 9, August 18, September 1 and 15, 2018

Advance ticket sales are expected to begin in early November 2017.

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

The Polish fireworks display at the Herrenhäuser Gardens.

Fireworks in the Herrenhausen Gardens

The Polish fireworks display at the Herrenhausen Gardens.