SOUTHPORT BRITISH MUSICAL FIREWORK CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

WHAT: 2018 BRITISH MUSICAL FIREWORKS CHAMPIONSHIPS
WHERE: SOUTHPORT
VENUE: VICTORIA PARK
WHEN: 28th – 30th SEPTEMBER 2018 (THREE NIGHT EVENT)

I know that it is some time to go until we start thinking about Bonfire Night just yet but there is always time to check in what is to come for the following year, especially for those who live with pyro running through your veins.

The event brings together teams of professional display specialists in a battle to see who will be awarded the trophy for the best of the bunch.

Three nights of beautiful sky thrilling pyrotechnics over which they will fire an average of 10 tonnes of fireworks with a net explosive content of around 2 tonnes and the wiring of around 5 kilometres set up by 15 pyrotechnicians and associate assistants. The displays will have a wide range of effects including lasers, lancework and of course some ground and aerial effects set to thrill. Each team is tasked with creating a display lasting around 16-18 minutes perfectly choreographed to music.

The judging is carried out by professionals who have all served their time in the industry in both the display and planning and implementation stages so they know a thing or two about display
fireworks. In their ranks there have created displays for Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart and Queen so not too shabby.

The 2017 event was a ‘Champion of Champions’ event which was out of this world. The eventual winner, by just one point, was Sirotechnics, under the watchful eye of creator of the company, Simon Harding. The team were second to fire on the Saturday 29 th September 2017 and it was BANGING DOWN!! Yet, despite the dreadful weather conditions, the crowd got behind all the competitors. Sirotechnics display was awesome with absolute crisp and clear colours and the strobing titanium salutes were jaw-dropping. Every effect and a huge range of colour was packed into this display of pyrotechnic art and the pyro used was class itself with perfectly spherical shell breaks – a very well deserved if close win. The second place team, Allstar Fireworks really did start the evening off with a bang and really set the bar high but the winner was indeed cleaner, crisper and the choreography and musical interpretation was clean from both competitors but Simon always brings something that bit unusual to the table.

The seaside town of Southport is quite lovely with an ‘Olde Worlde’ charm about it that feels like some of it is a throwback to Victorian times. With the canopied boulevard on Lord Street which offers a certain gentile elegance lacking in some coastal resorts today, there is lots to do and see and of course eat and having tucked into more than one or two meals in some of the most beautiful dinky restaurants and café’s on offer personally you can be assured the food is superb.

You can take a stroll along Crosby Beach and see the world renowned 100 life sized statues created by artist Antony Gormley titled ‘Another Place’ which look out to see in silent anticipation.
Although, some have been ‘decorated’ with colourful clothes by and unknown artist (for want of a better word – lazy vandal would be more my choice of description) it is still worth a look.

Fix these dates in your calendar and get your tickets arranged but remember, the weather at the end of September can be lovely and conversely can be a horrid wet mess so be prepared.