Fireworks blog UK: news and updates

The city of York - where Guy Fawkes was born and brought up - was without an official fireworks display last year when the City council decided it had better things to spend the money on.

Now the York Tourism Bureau is taking up the issue and is seeking support to remedy what they see as a great failing in terms of celebrations and public relations for the City.

Bureau chief executive Gillian Cruddas said: 'We do understand the budgetary constraints. However, we're currently exploring several options to try to secure funding for the event.

'We're also looking at a lo... more

'Christmas traditions go by the board as fireworks oust Queen'. This was a headline in The Scotsman in response to a new survey on modern-day customs at Christmas. Over 26% now enjoy fireworks as part of their Christmas celebrations while the number watching the Queen's Speech continues to decline and fewer than 18% will toast the Monarch.

The survey was carried out by UKTV and Brian Turner, the television chef and spokesman for the TV company,  said: 'While w... more

The London information website London SE1 has announced details of this year's New Year fireworks festivities.

'London is one of the best cities in the world to visit during the Christmas period and the New Year's Eve fireworks display is world-famous,' says Ken Livingstone.

'It is one of the hundreds of attractions taking place in the capital during the Christmas and New Year period, which make the London the most exciting city in the world.'

London's display is produced by Jack Morton Worldwide and internatio... more

A British company, Pains Fireworks, has become the first UK company to win the international fireworks festival in Montreal.

Wiltshire-based Pains Fireworks won the Golden Jupiter award at L'International Des Feux, regarded as the world's greatest fireworks competition.

It is the first time a British company has won the competition during its 23-year history and only the fifth time a British company has been invited to attend.

Eight countries competed for the gold, silver and bronze Jupiter awards - the pyrotechnic industry's most coveted prizes - in a competition th... more

Tickets are now on sale for one of the fireworks highlights of the year, the display marking the end of the Edinburgh International Festival.

The display and concert - featuring music by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra - takes place in Princes Street Gardens on September 2.

More than 1,000,000 fireworks will be set off in the space of just 45 minutes during the annual event, sponsored by Bank of Scotland.

This year the display - claimed to be the biggest annual event of its kind in Europe - has been created by international fireworks artists Wilf Scott and Keith We... more

After an interval of 22 years, Pains Fireworks have appeared at the Montreal International Firework Competition. The show featured a 30m diameter ring of fireworks, reminiscent (perhaps it's the same one)of the one used by Festival Fireworks at Plymouth and at Southport (pictures here).
The ring of fireworks was used to demonstrate the contrasting themes of 'day' and 'night' by illustrating both the sun and the moon, reinforced by the choice of music. It was a show which ... more

The Japanese are renowned for their love of fireworks so it is perhaps no surprise that architects were commissioned to build a new house with specific design features for watching fireworks

The Fireworks House was designed by Nendo in Japan's Chichibu region for a client who wanted her elderly mother to be able to watch the annual fireworks festival.

The architects said 'We concentrated the plumbing and other utilities in the centre of the first floor, and surrounded them with living space in a wheelchair-accessibl... more

Over 5,000 filled the stands at Chepstow Racecourse for the first ever regional heat of the National Championships on the weekend of the May Day Bank Holiday. see photographs of all three displays

Worthy winners Pendragon Fireworks drew the most votes from the panel of judges, with runners up Westcoast Fireworks and Celebration Fireworks both presenting superb displays.

Pendragon will now go forward to compete in the finals in Plymouth in August.

The Championships are or... more

There have been many fireworks screensavers over the years, varying greatly in their quality and the degree of realism.

Here's one though which is something special('the best ever' according to some), and what's more - its free!

It has been developed by ShowSim who market the firework display choreography software widely used by the display industry. The simulator used in this screen saver is actually the same one used in ShowSim, so several years of work have gone into its refinement!

The screensaver cycles through three show scenes, but more will be added later wh... more

News has just come in from Roderick Bajada of the St.Andrew's Fireworks Factory of Luqa, Malta. Roderick writes:
'We have won the first ever Malta Ground Fireworks Festival which was
of intense competition, where Malta's top 14 fireworks factories
competed head to head. We are pleased to announce that we won with
overwhelming style to which of course we are very happy as you may
notice.

Details about the festival are here: www.maltagroundfireworks.com

Our official website where we have put videos online... more