Fireworks Carnival lit Saturday night sky

The Malaysia team’s show on Saturday night during the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest

The Fireworks Carnival and the fourth Macau International Lantern Festival kicked off on Saturday, along with the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest themed “Duo Celebrations for Macau.”
The Fireworks Carnival had a booth game themed “fun puzzles of fireworks on night sky” and a DIY workshop, featuring firework-themed t-shirt painting for parents and kids.
The top two entries in last year’s songwriting contest will also be presented on stage during the Fireworks Carnival, according to a statement issued by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Running until October 15, there are light installations at Anim’Arte Nam Van, the Waterfront Promenade of One Central Macau and Wynn Macau.
The fireworks competition began on Saturday, with teams from Malaysia and the Philippines, and will go on until October 1.
The pyrotechnic teams choreographed 18-minute firework shows, including a show to the song “Light Your Fire” by Mathew Lam Chun Yat, who won the bureau’s songwriting contest last year.
A total of 12 firework displays are in the competition. On Friday, teams from Portugal and South Korea will compete.
Meanwhile, in terms of outreach programs, besides the photo contest and student drawing contest, two new contests for video production and poster design were launched this year. Cultural and creative elements were also added to the fireworks contest, by way of several workshops and booth games, the MGTO noted in a statement.
“The MGTO hopes to foster the blending of tourism products with culture and creativity, steering the local cultural and creative industry to move forward,” the bureau said in a statement.
During a press conference yesterday, MGTO director Helena de Senna Fernandes said that the budget for this year had increased slightly to MOP24 million, explaining that the increase is due to the increase in the number of participating teams this year.
The director of the MGTO also noted that it partnered with Macau Cruise this year, allowing residents and visitors to watch the fireworks while on a cruise.
Senna Fernandes hinted that the concept was supposed to be presented last year, however there was not enough time.
To accompany the fireworks competition, the MGTO will also organize a seminar about fireworks at the Macao Contemporary Art Centre – Navy Yard No.2. A representative from the pyrotechnic consultancy assigned this year will be invited to talk about the process of firework production, on-site installations and safety concerns for the contest, among other topics. LV