The 33rd Macao International Fireworks Display Contest will light up the skies from 6 September to 6 October, bringing competitors from ten countries to perform over five nights, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has announced.
This year’s contest welcomes many new participants. It will be the first time any fireworks company from Brazil has taken part, while the companies representing South Korea, Japan, Portugal and the UK will also be making their debuts. The other five companies – from Australia, South Africa, Austria, the Philippines and mainland China – have competed in Macao before.
At a press conference yesterday, MGTO said the contest’s budget was 18.06 million patacas. The city’s six concessionaires would collectively cover 18 million of that, as part of their commitment to invest in non-gaming activities.
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Two of the display nights coincide with major holidays: China and Portugal will perform on 1 October to mark National Day, while the final shows and prize-giving ceremony fall on the Mid-Autumn Festival, 6 October. September’s dates are the 6th, 13th and 20th.
Each show will last about 18 minutes and will be staged above the sea opposite Macau Tower. As usual, two companies will be showcased each night, one at 9 pm and the other at 9:40 pm.
Recommended viewing spots include the waterfront near the Kun Iam Statue, the Macao Science Center, Avenida de Sagres, Anim’Arte NAM VAN, Taipa’s Avenida do Oceano and the lakeside near Treasure Island Resorts World Hotel.
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Alongside the Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, MGTO and the General Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macau will host a ‘Fireworks Carnival’ by the Science Center on fireworks nights, featuring food, performances and games.
Outreach activities will include competitions inviting the public to submit photographs and drawings of the displays. This year, an AI Generative Art Contest will be organised for the first time – which MGTO said would “[promote] the development of technological art in Macao.” More details for the three competitions can be found here.
