Countdown. The Top 10 Best Fireworks This NYE.

Fireworks are very subjective and some think that they are a complete waste of time and money but we on the other hand absolutely love them.

Based on the size and class of the fireworks display, here are our top ten fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve 2014.

10. Germany – Berlin - New Year in Germany is called ‘silvester’ and they hold parties and street spectacular like no other European Country. Famous of course for Gluhwine, the sweet, warm and spicy red wine drink commonly drunk around Europe (I have quaffed more than a couple of glasses on trips to Prague) and really does drive the cold out. The fireworks are a bit of an obsession in Germany, particularly in Berlin where families fire rockets, crackers and anything pyro off window sills, balconies and roofs until the wee small hours alongside the massive shells on display in the City Centre.

9. South Korea - Sut dal kum mum is the name given to New Year's Eve in South Korea. The South Koreans celebrate the New Year on the first day of the lunar year. On this day the people in Korea renovate their bonds of the past and make great preparations for the coming year. Custom has it that on the New Year's Eve night nobody is supposed to sleep and with the firecrackers, fireworks and general merriment, it’s a good job really. Most Asian countries use fireworks in most if not all their public celebrations as they are thought to frighten away bad spirits. Whether they do or not, the spirits will soon be scooting out of there.

8. Brazil – Rio de Janeiro is the party capital of the World would naturally be expected to hold a New Year’s Eve party to remember and they are not going to disappoint. Every NYE the locals make their way down to the famous Copacabana Beach to see the fantastic fireworks display decked out in white as a sign of new beginnings as they leave the previous year’s struggles behind. The fireworks at Midnight are absolutely spectacular and coupled with the fact that this is the middle of Summer in Rio, it is warm too.

7. China – Beijing – The home of the invention of fireworks has to be one of the most spectacular places you could conceive spending New Year. Although the Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year instead in accordance with the ancient Chinese calendar, they do still welcome in the New Year with fireworks. Whilst it will be a grandiose affair, the fireworks will be nothing compared with the madness of the Chinese Year of the Horse and the Spring Festival where noise is really important it is still a great place to spend NYE.

6. Taiwan – Taipei 101 - The Taiwanese welcomed in the last couple of years with fireworks launched from the once tallest structure in the world. Our friend and colleague from China, John, was fortunate enough to see the computer generated ‘run through’, plans and the firing order before the event and stayed until the stroke of midnight to see first hand the size of the Taipei 101 fireworks.

5. New York – Times Square - Always a good one and seen across the World as they wait and watch the ball drop in Times Square which heralds the fireworks spectacular and the New Year. It is also probably the best known NYE party City in the World but it does deserve its place in the rundown of the best.

4. Australia – Sydney - Here in the UK we all wait for this one as it feels like the start of the NYE celebrations around the World whilst in reality, there are a number of other Countries which will have seen midnight sometime before them. The Australian celebrations begin at 1:00pm UK time. Annually, the display is discussed and decided upon in Spring and the rest of the year is spent in planning to ensure that everything goes to plan. Historically, they have had two main displays on NYE, one which is at 9:00pm for the children and the main display of course at Midnight. The Australian display is choreographed to music and is to be fired by Foti International Fireworks who have been shouldering the responsibility for the fantastic displays since 2000.

This year’s display is going to be pretty special as for the first time in many years, there will be a thousand fireworks being launched from the Sydney Opera House in addition to the massive amount of pyro being fired from every usable part of the bridge and across the footways and of course on barges on the water.

3. UK – London – Naturally, acknowledged as one of the best in the World and long may it continue. I believe that the addition of the magnificent Big Ben and the London Eye being the launch points of some of the most beautiful shell bursts ever seen, we remain biased to the end.

2. Edinburgh – In any other year, this would have been the first choice as the Scots do New Year like no other. Hogmanay is actually the ancient word used for the end of the year and Hogmanay begins on the morning of the 31st and continues through the night of NYE and on until 2nd January which is a Scottish bank holiday. Because the celebrations get underway early, some of the events start from 30th December with the beautiful and some would say very moving procession of the torches. Last years torchlight procession was attended by more than 35,000 people some of whom actually get the chance to carry a torch in the name of a charity. This event closes with a very special light and fireworks spectacular and then all concentration moves to the NYE event at Edinburgh Castle preceded by hourly fireworks across the length and breadth of the City.

1. Dubai – I know, not the UK but there is a reason for this. Back in 2012 one of the neighbours, Kuwait, achieved a World Record for the largest firework display which consisted of over 77 thousand fireworks over a distance of 5 kilometers. Dubai, not wanting to be outdone, is preparing to hold the biggest fireworks display the world has ever seen this NYE. The World Record breaking attempt will cover a distance of a staggering 99.4km of seafront and feature 450,000 colourful fireworks and a series of scenes designed exclusively for the show and set to a musical soundtrack designed for the event. It will be happening at 8:00pm UK time and I for one cannot wait to see that amount of pyro in the sky at once.