British Musical Fireworks Championships 2021

The only British fireworks championship dedicated to pyro-musical fireworks displays returns for 2021 in Southport. The three-night event over the weekend 24th – 26th September – attracts thousands.

Each night two competitors battle it out with a 15-minute fireworks display choreographed to music. At the end of the weekend, a winner will become the British Musical Fireworks Champion of 2021.

STOP PRESS! Sonic Fireworks will be competing!

After planning to compete last year, a little thing called the pandemic stopped all plans. We are busy prepping for the display, the biggest we have ever fired!

14 crew and three vans will be travelling to Southport in Lancashire to compete against the best firework companies in the country.

The event, held in Victoria Park in Southport, is a ticketed event that has daily and weekend passes for sale. Tickets are on sale now.

We will be documenting our journey on our social media channels and will announce our music theme shortly. Follow along with the social media links below.

Pyro-musical displays are something special

Pyro-musical fireworks displays are a specialism of ours. Every year we produce one of the South West’s largest displays for Exeter Round Table’s Bonfire Night event. Recent displays are available on our portfolio page.

Every pyro-musical display starts on a computer with the music tracks. Mike loads up a software package called Finale3D, developed in the USA and imports the music tracks. Sometimes Mike will create an edited music track mix first and then import that into the software. Finale3D connects to our stock database and allows Mike to bring in products he wants to fire at a particular point on the timeline. The great thing about the software is that it can visualise the display with effect accurate animations.

Once the display design is complete, the software exports a script, ready for our Cobra firing system to fire. Picking and fusing lists are then produced for the team to take to the explosives stores to fuse up the display. This first fusing stage is known as barn-fusing. The second stage of fusing will be done on-site.

Hundreds of work hours for 15 minute display

There is a lot of logistics involved in getting the show ready. From ensuring all the right equipment is in the vans to double-checking all the pyro is labelled and safely boxed for transport. The rig for a championship
type display will require a crew of 10 to 15 people and rigged over two days!

After final safety checks are fully complete, Mike will start the firing system that fires the display to an expectant crowd. Hundreds of work hours in preparation will be over in just 15 minutes. Then it will be time to pack up.

Wish us luck! And we will share the display with you after the event.

• Information for The British Musical Fireworks Championships 2021