Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique - Classy Fireworks

The Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique, is perhaps one of the classiest fireworks competitions in the world.

Set in the sexy and very chic City of Cannes - famous for its International Film Festival, which attracts the best and most beautiful stars of the silver screen from across the world – this is a pyromusical with style.

At the Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, teams from around the globe present their 25-minute spectacles over the waters of the bay, which adds unique dimension and resonant sound to the carefully designed shows synchronized to music.

From the mountains of Estérel in the top Croisette, the stunning City of Cannes forms an incomparable locale for the event. Using its site and its prestige, Cannes wanted to organize, both for the locals, the Cannois, and tourists alike, an extravaganza of light, in the heart of the summer season.

It was back in 1967 when the City of Cannes became a pioneer in the field of pyro-musical shows by creating a competition where participants can introduce complete and complex displays around a chosen musical topic linked to the text of a chosen subject. Etablissements Ruggieri, the first family of French fireworks, worked in close cooperation with the City of Cannes to create a competition wherein for the first time, attention is moved from the lighting of random fireworks and who can make the most noise, to a well structured complete fireworks display. The first year around 80,000 spectators attended.

The Festival of Pyrotechnic Art had been born.

These shows, given on a 300-metre seafront, in the splendid Bay of Cannes take on an amazing dimension. The image of pyrotechnics on water and the echoing sound relief which underlines them, transports the public in the enchanting world composed of successive pictures.

The displays are watched by a panel of 8 judges who give points for: the originality of the chosen topic, the quality of musical illustration, synchronization, spectrum and choice of colours, cadenza of shooting and general rhythm, as well as the overall feel of the display.

All of this is in order to win one of the most coveted awards in the fireworks world, the “Vestale d' Argent”, and every six years the Vestale d' Or, where the winners of the six previous years compete head to head for this grand honour.

The spectacle takes place over 6 nights in July and August, it is suggested that you book very early as accommodation is in short supply during these weeks. About 200000 people each night attend Europe’s most glamorous and talked about fireworks competition. The dates are below. Hope to see you there!

14^th July

21^st July

29^th July

7^th August

15^th August

24^th August