Sightseeing – CANNES FIREWORKS 2013

It’s that time of the year when the annual Festival d’art Pyrotechnique begins along the French Riviera coast and the competition sparks off (excuse the pun) to win the judges’ ‘Vestale d’argent’ award for most beautiful fireworks display, and of course the Audience Choice award.

An annual free series, the local fireworks displays are great family-friendly events if you can bend the rules surrounding the kid’s bedtime.  See below for dates for Cannes:

Viewing location:  Baie de Cannes – anywhere along the boulevard de la Croisette will ensure a decent view

Time:  All displays commence 10pm

Dates:   4 July (Azerbaidjan) note: display only, not competing

14 July (Greece)

21 July (Italy)

29 July (France)

7 August (Hong Kong/China)

15 August (Portugal)

24 August (France) note: display only, not competing

Sightseeing – Cannes Fireworks 2012

Who doesn’t love fireworks?  I was in Sydney for the year 2000 New Years celebrations at the turn of the new millenium – the firework display that night remains one of my favourite memories.

If you are lucky enough to be on the French Riviera during summer you can experience many choreographed firework displays to world music.

The Cannes fireworks festival is held annually over the Bay of Cannes ( Baie de Cannes), and is a competition between countries where fireworks must be set to music for a minimum of 25 minutes.  There is a loose theme, and the judges score based on the correlation between the theme, pyrotechnic display and musical soundtrack.

All displays commence at 10.30pm.

Last Saturday’s display for Italy was postponed 2 days due to high winds, but the remaining schedule for the Cannes fireworks festival is:

21 July – China (theme: Dragon in the sky)

29 July – Spain (theme: A Mediterranean cruise)

07 Aug – France (theme: Our earth)

15 Aug – Germany (theme: Classic pyro-symphony)

24 Aug – England replaces Argentina (theme: to be confirmed)

My pick would be for China to take out the competition, the Chinese really do know their fireworks and create amazing displays all over the world!