Oman World Fireworks Championship 2010

We were delighted to find this posted online. It’s a slightly long watch, but well worth it. It’s the end of ‘Pandemonium’ from Danny Boyle’s Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics.

It includes the ‘forging’ of the Olympic Rings, and the beautiful pyro-cascade. Absolutely wonderful, and easily the iconic images from the Opening Ceremony.

(Note when you click to play you’ll get a ‘blocked’ message but there is a link to YouTube, so do follow it – and we don’t hold it against the IOC).

It brilliantly demonstrates that pyrotechnics, used as part of mixed media, can create a moving and inspiring vision. Enjoy!

…if things had been different!

World Fireworks Championship Limited played a small part in one of the tenders submitted to produce the pyrotechnic for the London2012 ceremonies. So we were interested to see these simulations published online by some of the other tendering companies. Neither was successful, but both demonstrate a high degree of creativity.

The first is from UK company Pains…

The second is from Chinese company Panda…

We hope you’ll agree it is interesting to see what didn’t make it to the games. We can only applaud the effort and skill that went in to creating these simulations.

Although it doesn’t show the iconic Olympic rings pyro-cascade this video gives a glimpse of the firework display at the end of the Opening Ceremony. Not in our opinion the best video of fireworks we’ve ever seen, someday Directors will learn a locked-off shot from a distance is ‘the way to do it’ rather than a sequence of close-ups, pans and cuts! Enjoy…

London2012 Olympics have opened and Danny Boyle’s amazing ceremony made some excellent use of fireworks. The image picked up by nearly all of the UK’s main newspapers was from the section of the show called ‘Pandemonium’ and featured a fabulous pyrotechnic waterfall from the Olympic rings, raised high above the stadium. Amazing!

Front pages of the UK's newspapers on morning after Olympic Opening Ceremony

A photo which we think will become one of the iconic images of the London 2012 Olympics.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert was rounded of with a spectacular fireworks display above Buckingham Palace. An absolutely stunning end to the Jubilee celebrations, and proof yet again that  you can’t beat a fabulous pyrotechnics extravaganza to leave the crowd cheering.

We look forward to what London 2012 Olympics will bring!

The 2012 New Year was ushered in around the world with some spectacular fireworks displays.

Sydney have of course established the precedent for amazing displays on New Years Eve and they didn’t disappoint. But it is clear there is now some competition with great shows in London, Dubai and Rio thrilling millions of people.

Sydney

With the prospect of the fireworks at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, and of course the next World Fireworks Championship, 2012 promises to have much for the ‘pyro-fan’.

London

Dubai

Berlin

Rio de Janeiro

Taipei

Hong Kong

Let’s face it if you are going to do some serious celebrating you’ve just got to have fireworks!

Happy New Year.

Honourable Mention – Reykjavik, Iceland

We include this clip, not because it is a co-ordinated display, but for the enthusiasm of the Icelandic people of Reykjavik setting of their own fireworks at home. Wow! Way to go!

(Thanks to Cindy Cheung – Vulcan – for the suggestion).