Spain and Australia are newcomers to fireworks contest

Ten competing teams will participate in the 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, which will be held above the body of water in front of the Macau Tower from September 8 to October 1. The teams from Croatia and Taiwan will stage their fireworks displays on September 8 as a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
During a press conference held yesterday, the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) director Helena de Senna Fernandes unveiled the program highlights for this year’s contest.
“We are glad that the event has won ardent support from many well-known fireworks companies from across the globe in the past 25 years, making it one of the most stunning events of the year that fascinates more than ten thousand people, with citizens and visitors flocking into town for the fireworks show every year, ” she said.
The ten teams this year come from (according to the contest program order) Taiwan; Croatia; China; France; Korea; Poland; Portugal; Australia; Italy and Spain. Croatia and Poland are two newly arrived competitors in the contest and the companies from Spain and Australia will also stage their first ever performances in Macau.
The Spanish company Pirotecnia Zaragozana has in previous years joined various international contests and often came out amongst the top three. In 2012, the company won first prize in the Pyrotechnic Art Festival of Cannes in France. Coming from Australia, Skylighter Fireworks has been in charge of the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve in Brisbane since 2009, and the Australia Day celebrations in the city from 2010 to 2014. The company creates wonderful displays that attract 40,000 spectators every year.
According to a press release issued yesterday, the other six teams have come to Macau for the contest in the past, and some of them have previously ranked amongst the top three. The Italian company La Tirrena boasts a long history, having been founded over a century ago in 1898. The company has earned outstanding awards throughout the years, enjoying wide recognition across Italy and in the international community. Five years ago, La Tirrena won second prize in the Macau contest. Coming from Portugal, PYROFEL – Pirotecnia Lda. has joined the Macau contest twice in the past and was once ranked champion. The company specializes in creative firework designs, incorporating a range of multimedia elements such as light, lasers, water and music. Based in Hunan, China, Sunny Fireworks has previously won third place in Macau and took second place in the International Fireworks Competition in Shanghai in 2012. SODIP Pyrotechnie and Daehan Fireworks Co. from France and Korea respectively have both joined the fireworks display contest in Macau twice in the past. Sy Yuan Fireworks Co. Ltd. from Taiwan also took part in the Macau contest two years ago.
This year, MGTO has again requested that the teams choreograph their fireworks displays to incorporate both music and laser light projections, in order to enhance the audience’s experience. Spectators can view a live broadcast of the fireworks shows, along with background music, on TDM – Radio Macau’s Chinese Channel (FM 100.7) and on TDM – Macau TV Channel every evening of the contest.