Best New Year's Fireworks/ Demonstrations

[Butcher]

I don't know where the other thread went, so I started a new one. Please know that I am trying to get people to nominate their top five favorites, and that i will make a poll later.(Similar to what they do in the urban contests.)

So please nominate your top five favorite new year's domonstrations and if you can post pics for those of us who do not know what they looked like. Thank you.

[shibuya_suki]

hong kong .......but in chinese new year :)

[Wezza]

I don't know about anywhere else, but Sydney is usually the biggest new years fireworks display as far as i know.

[Rent]

^yeap, sydney's famouse for best and biggest new year demonstrations, it's shown world wide on tv ..

[Rent]

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nye/img/hd.jpg

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nye/img/what.gif

[Rent]

http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~wlau/photos/bridge2.jpg

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200312/r13959_33866.jpg

[Justme]

^yeap, sydney's famouse for best and biggest new year demonstrations, it's shown world wide on tv ..

I would agree that Sydney's is one of the best, and is probably my favourite,
but one can't really claim the "shown world wide on TV" thing.

On your second post, the article claims "600 million people world wide". Well,
living oversea's, they don't actually show it on TV as a special event, all they
do is show highlights of the different NYE celebrations of the world, usually
lasting a minute or less from each city, and Sydney is always included.

But I have never seen any "show" dedicated to the Sydney event, so I
suspect there is a little creative license involved in those claims that
600million people watch the event.

As well as Sydney's event, Hong Kong is also pretty much up there as well. In
2000, Paris put on one of the most amazing, but it seems to have scaled down a bit since then.

Here in Frankfurt, there is no official fireworks display, so it really doesn't
count in that way, but what they have which is just as spectacular, is
everyone shooting off their personal fireworks all at once (something which is
banned in Australia), and although there are no giant explosions, what you
get is the entire city lit up by millions of smaller ones, which has an effect
that has to be seen to be imagined - It's much more spectacular than it
sounds, and when my Sydney friends have come over here for NYE, they are
also blown away by it, which must say something.

Here are some photo's I have taken over the years from my terrace, which on
the 18th floor has an amazing view for this. It really looks like WWIII, and
that the entire city is on fire.
The photo's don't do justice of the amazing sight it really is.

The 2001 display
http://www.pbase.com/jchambers/image/1949730/original.jpg

2002 scroll >>>>>
http://www.pbase.com/jchambers/image/24680514/original.jpg

2003
http://mk29.image.pbase.com/u25/jchambers/upload/15081008.CRW_4641_RT16.jpg
http://mk31.image.pbase.com/u25/jchambers/upload/15081009.CRW_4642_RT16.jpg
http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/u25/jchambers/upload/15081010.CRW_4651_RT16.jpg
http://mishilo.image.pbase.com/u25/jchambers/upload/15081011.CRW_4654_RT16.jpg

2004
http://www.pbase.com/jchambers/image/24673223/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/jchambers/image/24673213/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/jchambers/image/24673220/original.jpg

[geminiguy7]

Sydney has the most spectcular New Year's firework. :) :)

[legal]

Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana Beach) is the largest in the world with over 1.5 million people (2004)

[eddyk]

Actually London this year held the biggest firework display in the world (so they reported) since Londons display in 2000....it ran for over 16 minutes and was coreographed by Jack Morton Worldwide, the company responsible for staging the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the summer's Athens Games.


The thing got really crazy at the end....and ended with a huge blinding flash....I have some pics...but not of the end!

Im not sure about you lot....but it was the best firework display I have ever seen...and I watch most....Sidneys, Paris, Londons and New Yorks...never miss their new years!

I have it recorded on TV...might get some screen shots!

http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2005/01/02/20050101183959.jpeg
http://www.dkbnews.com/img/2005/01/r200501018235274W.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40680000/jpg/_40680415_explodeok.jpg
http://users.usall.com/internet.cr/wongwy/fireworks.jpg
http://www.kbray.com/wp-content/newyear2005_fireworks.jpg


P.S
I must add they were 'toned down' as a mark of respect to the lives lost in the Tsunami!

[eddyk]

http://img97.echo.cx/img97/3236/newyears8kw.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[Butcher]

I was kinda hoping that people would put their top 5 favorites, but it seems that the most favorite are Sydney, Paris, London NYC, Hong Kong, and Frankfut.

[Chi649]

In The International Freedom Fest fireworks in Detroit/Windsor is the largest fireworks display in North America for any time of year. I have driven from Chicago to go and see it three times. My cousin has seen the fireworks in Washington DC and New York and he was very impressed when I showed him a video of the Detroit/Windsor show. Last year was 40 min+ but I thought I saw that this year it will be 30 min. Here is some info I found on it:
It takes 5 days for dozens of specialists to load 3 barges with 250,000 lbs. of fiberglass mortars, 100 miles of wire, 500 tons of sand and more than 10,000 fireworks shells for the annual fireworks display.

Here are a few pics but these don't do it justice because they are quite a distance away. When I go, it seems like they are exploding over my head because they are so big. Also during the show, bits of ash or gunpowder starts raining down from the sky from the exploded fireworks. This caught me off guard the first year because it took me a minute to realize what it was. Sydney and HK sound great. I hope one day I am fortunate enough to see them.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/4a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/9a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/15a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/19a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/21a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/22a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/24a.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/00a0f8/fe21-fireworks-0604y.jpg

[Booyashako]

I'm jealous...Toronto had 1 good fireworks display (for the millenium) and since then it's been less than crap (I can create a better display in my backyard). This New Years Eve I'm probably going to celebrate it in Niagara Falls (Canada's largest NYE celebration), at least they put SOME effort into their fireworks display.

[Pluto]

Best celebration in general IMHO:

http://www.mattonigranddrink.com/imm_vydani/times.jpg

[spyguy]

I'm not sure if many people know of it, but Thunder over Louisville I think is the best, at least in the US.

Staging the pyrotechnic spectacular of Thunder each year for the Derby Festival is the First Family of Fireworks. Zambelli Fireworks Internationale first became involved with Thunder Over Louisville in 1991. The annual show is larger than the opening and closing ceremonies of the Atlanta and Barcelona Olympics combined. According to the Zambelli's it is unchallenged as the largest annual pyrotechnic production in North America.

To assemble a show the size of Thunder, Zambelli Internationale utilizes eight tractor trailers filled with nearly 60 tons of fireworks shells. The physical set-up includes 250 tons of launching tubes, some as high as 10 feet with a diameter of 1 and 1/2 feet. Two million pounds of sand will pack the firing tubes on 1,800 feet of barges. Almost 700 miles of wire cable connecting 20 firing boards are tied to the command post for synchronization to the music. This is the largest show the Zambellis perform each year and the Zambellis are the largest fireworks family in the world.

The magic of Thunder is in the formula of the show says Wayne Hettinger, Show Director and owner of Visual Presentations. "Each year, people think we make the show longer to be the largest show and that's just not the case. The secret with Thunder has been to pack as much firepower into 28 minutes as possible and produce a series of 'finales'." Hettinger has it down to a science working with the team from Zambelli to create a heart-stopping, eye-popping show.

Kentucky Derby Festival: great fireworks + great airshow + the Great Steamboat Race + the Pegasus Parade + the Great Balloon Race

http://eric.lenhart.com/Thunder97.JPG
http://www.louisville.com/loumag/apr99/boom.jpg
http://www.daveharpe.com/photolib/large/DSC_6435.jpg
http://www.theinnlouisville.com/images/270_thunder-2001.jpg
http://www.nwlldc.org/epsilon3/renee/ky/thunder1.jpg

I think only video or being there can give you the full experience. It's really a thrill. :)

[WallyP]

Rio de Janeiro and Sydney.

[Samantha,]

OMG Sydney for sure, it totally takes the cake i go to the celebrations each year, it totally goes off!

[JayT]

OMG Sydney for sure, it totally takes the cake i go to the celebrations each year, it totally goes off!

Yeah - Sydney goes off and is unbeatable but Brisbane would be second in Oz for fireworks - though not on NYE.

http://www.thestoryofus.com/2002/images1/310802c.jpg

http://www.theblurb.com.au/Aug03Pics/Riverfire.jpg

http://www.aussieland.de/foti4.jpg

http://home.no.net/tdogs/img/riverfire2003/21.JPG
home.no.net/tdogs/ riverfire.htm
http://home.no.net/tdogs/img/riverfire2003/23.JPG

http://www.aussieland.de/foti2.jpg


jt

[eddyk]

Wow....this page is taking ages to load up!

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/images/040101fireworks4.jpg
http://www.bugbog.com/images/galleries/london_pictures/london_pictures_new_year_3.jpg

Every city has its fireworks canvas if you will.....Sidney Harbour Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh castle, and London as the Millennium Wheel...which IMO is perfect with its circular shape...its really did look like a hige catherine wheel when the fireworks the going off round the middle and the outside!

[A42251]

Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual fireworks in North America and possibly the world. It is around 60 tons and 50,000 shells. I have been to it 14 times. It is more exciting than the Derby itself, IMHO.

The largest fireworks show ever in the world was held on July 4, 2000 in NYC for the OpSail2000. It had barges in both the East and Hudson rivers as well as in the harbor too.

As far as New Years Eve, Times Square is the de facto official celebration. I was there for the millennium and it was well worth the 20 hour wait. It was electrifying beyond belief to actually be there in person!

[JDRS]

Sydney, New York, Rio de Janeiro and London are my favourites.

[Englishman]

i can't help but feel that if the UK didn't have fireworks night (to celebrate stopping the gunpowder plot to blow up parliament being stopped) that fireworks would be a bigger part of new year celebrations.

[waustralia]

London, and Sydney. Sydney is nothing special though, just the scenery looks good.

[JayT]

London, and Sydney. Sydney is nothing special though, just the scenery looks good.

Having a big steel girder bridge helps though - Like Sydney, Brisbane and Louisville.
It brings another dimension to a fireworks display that other cities just can't compete with.

jt

[ƒƒ]

Antwerp has a nice firework with New Year, shot up from the Schelde (river Scheldt).

At the beach of Knokke, there's a yearly firework contest, so during a few weeks, you can see a firework every day.

[hkskyline]

Hong Kong

Source : http://www.pbase.com/specialteam

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/2005_cny_firework

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612000.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612002.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612003.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612004.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612005.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612006.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612007.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612008.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612009.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612010.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612011.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612012.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/specialteam/image/39612013.jpg

Source : http://www.pbase.com/benleung

http://www.pbase.com/benleung/image/25479474.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/benleung/image/25479475.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/benleung/image/25987979.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/benleung/image/25987980.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/benleung/image/25987981.jpg

[Skybean]

No steel girders needed for HK.. Haha. Magnificent.

[JayT]

Those lights above Hong Kong look like the lights that we had in Brisbane for the 50 year VP day celebrations (Victory over Japan). 10 years ago when I arrived in Brisbane for 6 months we had all these search lights above the city every night - looked awsome!!!

Wish they'd do it for the 60 year anniversary.

jt