The Portuguese team wins the 22nd International Fireworks Competition in Hanover

Following Croatia’s performance during the final round of this major international pyrotechnics competition on Saturday evening (September 22), it was announced that first place had been awarded to the “Grupo Luso Pirotecnia” team. The Portuguese pyrotechnicians’ outstanding performance enabled them to beat their four international rivals. The team delighted the audience at the Grand Garden of Herrenhausen with its philosophical and poetic pyrotechnic choreography titled “Astrum,” created specifically for this competition. By perfectly meeting the competition’s requirements and presenting a harmonious blend of pyrotechnic and musical effects enriched by a high level of artistry, the team succeeded in convincing the jury of independent experts. Second place went to Croatia, and China took third place.

Over the course of five Saturdays between May and September 2012, top-tier teams from Mexico, China, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Croatia presented breathtaking fireworks displays in the baroque setting of the Herrenhausen Gardens, attracting a total of approximately 49,000 visitors eager to find out who would win. Designed to offer a taste of each participating team’s country and featuring original elements such as Baroque equestrian displays, a supporting program kept the audience entertained while they waited for the fireworks to begin.

Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG), the company organizing this event, was equally pleased: “This year, top-tier teams once again participated and delighted the spectators. We are particularly pleased that these pyrotechnicians view the opportunity to participate as a mark of recognition in its own right and that, year after year, they confirm that the Hanover International Pyrotechnics Competition is one of the most respected and popular in the world.”

The rules of the International Fireworks Competition are clearly defined: the fireworks display must last approximately 25 minutes and include a four-minute compulsory section. This year, before they could give free rein to their creativity, the pyrotechnicians had to present a fireworks choreography set to an excerpt from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. When planning their show, teams must draw inspiration from Baroque gardens and include a specific number of ground-based elements. But apart from that, their inventiveness and their musical and visual choices are limited only by a minimal number of restrictions. The jury awards points based on criteria such as technical execution, technical perfection, the quality and variety of the different effects, as well as the synchronization of the music and the fireworks.

The 23rd International Fireworks Competition will kick off on May 25, 2013, with a performance by the Portuguese team that won this year's competition. Tickets are expected to go on sale in November.

Contest dates for 2013: May 25, June 8, August 24, September 7, September 21

For more information, please visit http://www.hannover.de/fireworks

Julia Sellner
Hannover Marketing and Tourism GmbH
Vahrenwalder Strasse 7
30165 Hanover
+49(0)511-123490-13
presse@hannover-marketing.de