Teams from Italy, Norway, Romania, Portugal, and New Zealand will be visiting in 2018!

At approximately 19,000 km as the crow flies, New Zealand has the longest journey to the competition since the International Fireworks Competition began. On May 26, the International Fireworks Competition kicks off its 28th edition with the Italian team from Scarpato Pirotecnica.

The approximately 4-minute compulsory piece for this year’s prestigious competition is an excerpt from “Danzón No. 2” by Arturo Márquez. Beyond this single musical requirement, the teams are free to design their own approximately 20-minute free routine. The 10-member expert jury will announce the winner of this year’s competition at the finals on September 15.

May 26: Benvenuto Italia - Scarpato Pirotecnica

To kick off the season, a touch of the Venice Carnival: Magnificent stilt-walkers, full of grandeur and enthusiasm, escort guests into the Grand Garden. There, they are greeted by charming gigolos eager to win the ladies’ hearts. At the Garden Theater, Brazzo Brazzone—the world’s only Italo-World-Groove brass band—takes the stage. La Dolce Vita comes to life on the rehearsal stage: a musical performance like a dazzling journey featuring Ilaria Graziano’s hypnotic voice and Francesco Forni’s mesmerizing guitar sound. The screen above the Herrenhausen Gardens is then illuminated by the Italian team from Scarpato Pirotecnica. In Rimini, the company’s current headquarters, Antonio Scarpato—the sixth generation of the family—continues the family tradition to this day with success, quality, artistry, innovation, and respect. The team demonstrates its expertise annually at numerous international competitions. They have also successfully staged extraordinary and significant shows, such as the 2011 “Pink Night,” during which seven fireworks displays were set off in sync along a 15-kilometer stretch of the Italian coast.

June 9: Welcome to Norway - North Star Fireworks

Two charming elves from the Norwegian forests will delight fireworks fans this evening. In the Great Garden, they’ll meet the Birch Fairy with her delicate, twig-like fingers and the Forest Elf, who loves to play pranks. Spectacular Baroque equestrian artistry by Richard Hinrichs’s historical riders can be admired at the Western Crescent. At the Garden Theater, Huldrelokkk presents Scandinavian folk music with razor-sharp, virtuoso fiddling and three-part harmonies. The Trouble Notes tell musical stories full of vision and energy on the rehearsal stage before the youngest act in this year’s competition begins their show. The company was founded as recently as 2015 by Andreas Helle, Kenneth Hurlen, Lars Nøkleby, and Kim Erik de Sousa. The four current owners were previously involved in some of Norway’s largest professional shows, such as concerts by Jean Michel Jarre, the Tall Ships Races, New Year’s Eve, and many others. Storytelling is a key aspect of their design. The goal: to bring the magic of their shows to life for the audience.

August 18: Welcome to Romania - Pyro Events Team

At the entrance, guests are greeted by colorful folklore and Eastern European joie de vivre. The friendly, omnivorous dragon Onil digests and recycles everything that is bravely slipped into his throat, while Vampirella, from the mysterious forests of Transylvania, playfully and charmingly distributes a wondrous elixir of life. Fanfare Ciocărlia, Romania’s finest brass band, thrills audiences in the world’s most prestigious concert halls and today at the Garden Theater. The Calaneya Tribal ensemble provides the dance accompaniment. On the rehearsal stage, Ayassa performs melancholic-romantic songs with spirited Balkan melodies. At 10:00 p.m., visitors can look forward to the show by the Pyro Events Team. The founders have set out to fascinate the audience with their spectacular pyrotechnic creations. The Romanians are happy to take on new challenges and remain true to their motto: to awaken a fascination for the art of pyrotechnics all over the world.

September 1: Welcome, Portugal - Macedos Pirotecnia
To welcome guests, a playful Atlantic wave has washed colorful sea creatures from Portugal’s dreamlike coastlines onto the grounds of the Herrenhäuser Gardens. Of course, no visit from this seafaring nation would be complete without ships: these ones can even dance. At the Garden Theater, the Trio Fado transports the audience to the old alleys and beautiful miradores of Lisbon with songs full of longing and melancholy. On the rehearsal stage, Marcia Bittencourt presents choro with expressive vocals and pandeiro percussion. With his beloved ship Jolante, Pirate Mathjes sets course straight for the children’s playground with sailor’s yarns and songs. As dusk falls, the show by Macedos Pirotecnia begins. The key to the success of this long-established company lies in the decades of expertise the team has gained at events around the world. They have proven their quality through numerous victories and awards at national and international competitions—from Europe to Africa, from the Americas to Asia.

September 15: Welcome New Zealand - Firework Professionals
In the Great Garden, Ozeania moves through a school of fish, accompanied by an enchanting mermaid, as if gliding through the waves of the South Pacific. Weiawaka Wakaikura strolls through the botanical gardens with her protected offspring, looking very interested. Perhaps she’ll let us catch a glimpse of her shy kiwi? On the children’s lawn, Circus Salto and Circus Bunttropfen invite you to a show featuring juggling, clowns, balancing acts, and aerial acrobatics.

Wellington-born singer-songwriter Teresa Bergmann delivers a refreshing performance at the Garden Theater, full of energy and with a healthy dose of soul. On the rehearsal stage, the one-man band Sonic Delusion presents lighthearted and surprising loops—too trippy for folk and too folky for funk! Juliano Rossi exudes true cult status on the awards stage with his unmistakable voice and cool understatement. Finally, starting at 9:00 p.m., Firework Professionals from New Zealand will enchant the audience in the Herrenhausen Gardens. They are particularly well-known for their special effects in the film, TV, and concert industries—Firework Professionals have already supported international tours by AC/DC and Walt Disney in New Zealand.

Tickets and Experience
Packages Tickets for the International Fireworks Competition are available in the online shop at www.hannover.de/onlineshop, where they can also be printed directly as e-tickets. Adults pay €21, seniors €18, and children 5 and under get in free. Physical tickets can be purchased at the Tourist Information office, Ernst-August-Platz 8, as well as at all known ticket outlets.

Gift idea: The family pass for two adults and two children (€54), available at the Tourist Information office at Ernst-August-Platz 8.

Ticket hotline: 0511 / 12345-123.
For anyone who wants to combine a visit to the International Fireworks Competition with an overnight stay in Hannover—or who would like to give the gift of a taste of the fireworks competition—HMTG has put together the “Hannover Explosive” experience package: www.hannover.de/explosiv.
For more information on tickets and experience packages, visit: www.hannover.de/feuerwerk.
Images for editorial use and additional press materials can be found at www.hannover.de/feuerwerk-presse.

An overview of the 2018 fireworks displays:

Admission to the Great Garden begins at 6:00 p.m.

May 26 10:00 p.m. Italy, Scarpato Protecnica
June 9 10:30 p.m. Norway, North Star Fireworks
August 18 10:00 p.m. Romania, Pyro Events Team
September 1 9:30 p.m. Portugal, Macedos Pirotecnia
September 15 9:00 p.m. New Zealand, Firework Professionals