Team from Sweden wins the 25th International Fireworks Competition in Hannover!

The excellent presentation by the Swedish pyrotechnic specialists at the final evening of the competition put them ahead of their four, likewise strong, international rivals. Second place went to “Dragon Fireworks” from the Philippines, with, Spain (“Ricardo Caballer SA”) finishing third.
The team from Sweden succeeded in captivating the audience in the Great Garden with a brilliant fireworks choreography and impressed the jury of ten independent experts with its perfect rendering of the competition requirements and a harmonious tapestry of pyrotechnical and musical effects. “Göteborgs FyrverkeriFabrik had to pull out all the stops in a field of very strong competitors in order to win the 25th International Fireworks Competition in Hannover”, commented Randell Greenlee, spokesman of the jury. “In the end, the artistic impression and the artisanship in creating the impressive images convinced the jury, which had the truly difficult task of awarding first place to one of the five excellent presentations.”

On five Saturdays between May and September 2015, the anniversary year of the competition, top teams from Italy, Spain, Finland, the Philippines and Sweden presented breathtaking fireworks displays in the baroque atmosphere of the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, attracting a total of around 53,000 visitors as they competed for victory. A supporting programme – themed to tie in with the country of the performing team and featuring items such as outsize Venetian figures, Spanish equestrian skills, fantastic Asian performing artists and music by Abba, as well as artistic, musical and comedy acts – entertained the audiences as they waited for the fireworks to begin.

© Hassan Mahramzadeh

Hans Christian Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG) which organizes the event, was equally satisfied: “Our anniversary celebration of the International Fireworks Competition was an unqualified success, with every evening a complete sell-out, 53,000 delighted spectators from near and far, all manner of pyrotechnic innovations and absolutely elite teams. The fireworks displays were of such a high standard that all five contestants really deserved to win.”

This year’s winning team, Göteborgs FyrverkeriFabrik, was founded in 1994 by former rivals Martin Hildeberg and Anders Hållinder and is meanwhile the largest fireworks display company in the whole of Scandinavia. Martin Hildeberg has been sole proprietor of GöteborgsFyrverkeriFabrik since 2013. 

Hildeberg, his team and the way in which he presents his fireworks are already familiar and much loved in Hannover: the Swedish artists have already won the International Fireworks Competition on four occasions (2002, 2003, 2004, and 2010). Other placements include second prize at the Pyronale in Berlin (2012) and first prize at the Knokke-Heist Festival in Belgium (2007).

© Hassan Mahramzadeh

The rules of the International Fireworks Competition are clearly defined: the fireworks display is required to last about 25 minutes and include a four-minute compulsory section. For further information, please visit: www.hannover.de/en/fireworks 

Competition dates in 2016: 21 May, 4 June, 20 August, 3 September, 17 September.

To get an impression of the competition, please watch our new film: http://bit.ly/1F6jjzC