Drones to join fireworks for first time at Macau International Contest

Drones will join fireworks displays in the sky for the first time at this year’s Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, adding a new element to the long-running event beginning Sept. 12.

The 34th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest will be held on Sept. 12, 19 and 25, as well as Oct. 1 and 4, with shows scheduled at 9 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. each evening over the waters off the Macau Tower, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced at a press conference yesterday.

The contest, which will coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, will feature 10 participating teams from Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Portugal, Korea, Thailand, China, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Each team will perform for approximately 18 minutes, with Brazil, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal making their first appearances in the contest.

Tourism director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes briefed the media on the event, which will combine fireworks with drones for the first time, with more than 3,400 drones to be deployed in two featured shows – one as the opening highlight and another as the closing spectacle.

“This ‘Encounter with History’ will be presented in the form of a drone performance on the first night,” she said. “The final chapter, called ‘Encounter with the Future,’ will also feature a drone performance as the closing show.”

This year’s contest is themed “Set Sail for Macao, where the Silk Road Sparkles” and is divided into three chapters: “Encounter with History,” “Encounter with Civilization” and “Encounter with the Future.”

On the sidelines of the press conference, Senna Fernandes said this year’s budget is approximately MOP18.9 million, up from around MOP16.88 million last year. “The main reason is that we have added drone performances this year,” she said.

“We have also added new photography categories and supporting activities in Hengqin. On top of that, transport costs have risen this year – as everyone understands, overall transport costs have been affected by the increase in fuel prices.”

In addition to six prime viewing spots in Macau, the tourism office has added five new locations outside the city this year, including Zhuhai’s Shizimen, Jialin Mountain and Hengqin, allowing audiences to enjoy the fireworks from different angles across the water.