Fireworks contest extended by another night this year

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has invited 12 pyrotechnic teams to present firework displays themed “Duo Celebrations for Macau” to celebrate the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest.

Held on weekends from September 7 until October 5, the organizer has increased the event to six days in length.

The contest will be staged on September 7, 13, 21, 28 and October 1 and 5, with teams from Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Romania, South Africa, Canada, France, China, Japan and Australia.

Fireworks companies from Malaysia and Australia will make their debut in Macau, while the other 10 teams have competed previously.

During the press conference yesterday, MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said that the budget this year had increased slightly to MOP24 million.

“There is little bit more than MOP24 million this year and compared to last year, we have a 15% of increase [in the budget] this year, since we also had an increase of one [more] evening for the competition. We also have an increase in participating teams this year,” the tourism chief said.

The director of MGTO also noted that it had partnered with Macau Cruise this year, allowing residents and visitors to catch the fireworks while on a cruise.

“We had this concept last year but we didn’t have enough time, so this year, we can finally do it,” she said.

“We hope tourists and residents can use the additional perspective to enjoy the fireworks display,” Senna Fernandes added.

The 12 pyrotechnic teams will choreograph 18-minute fireworks shows to the song “Light Your Fire” by Mathew Lam Chun Yat, which won the bureau’s songwriting contest last year as one of their background music scores.

MGTO will also organize a seminar about fireworks at the Macao Contemporary Art Centre – Navy Yard No.2. A representative of 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 expert information. Residents can learn more about the operation behind the event and gain a deeper understanding of fireworks and the contest.

Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of the press conference, Senna Fernandes said the bureau would not issue any travel warnings for SAR residents traveling to Hong Kong.

She reiterated that tourism arrivals for July had recorded a two-digit increase, but the bureau is still waiting on the official data from the Statistics and Census Service.

“We have yet to see any drop or decrease of tourists so far. But for foreign tourists, we witnessed a slight slowdown of the figures,” admitted Senna Fernandes.

Speaking to the press, Senna Fernandes said that the industry was seeing a decrease in tourist group arrivals.

“But at the same time, we think there is a great possibility that individual tourists are choosing Macau over Hong Kong and that they can supplement that decrease,” she said.