The art of an amazing fireworks display!
Jack Taylor, 22nd September 2013, Events
Bonfire Night and New Year's Eve, not forgetting Diwali and the Chinese New Year, are celebrations that simply aren't complete without a spectacular fireworks display to top off the revelries. Most people know about how to stay safe around fireworks, thanks to so many health and safety campaigns on the subject, but much less is known about how to put on a truly fantastic display.
There is a hidden art behind all the best firework displays, and as much as two weeks of preparation goes into some of the world's biggest firework displays. Perhaps you don't plan on spending quite as much time as that, but with a little extra thought and planning before your display, you could really wow your crowd.
Planning your display
Fire brigades, the NHS and councils are all keen to dissuade people from having back garden displays, although there are no laws or regulations that prevent this. But you may be roped in to helping with a community display, and as there are no requirements for licenses or training then you're as qualified as anyone to set up a display.
Where you hold your display will dictate the type and size of fireworks you can use, so if you're using your back garden and you live in a built-up area you'll be limited to small fireworks. These types of displays offer the smallest scope, and it is probably best to just stick to a box of home fireworks and some sparklers.
Larger areas
On the other hand, if you have access to a large open space with a lot of fall-out area, there is no problem in using large display rockets. You also need to think about your budget for the display, and not just money for the fireworks themselves.
Safety gear is vital and wood, duct tape, bin bags, and other supporting materials have to be worked into the budget. It's difficult to say exactly how much cash you need for a professional looking display, but consider spending around £100 for every minute's worth of fireworks if you want something special.
Variety is the key
Spending all your budget on lots of small or medium sized fireworks may be tempting, and will certainly make your display last longer, but quality over quantity really pays off with firework displays.
It's the big bangs and huge cascades of colours that excite the crowd more than anything. Also, making sure that you have as wide a range of different fireworks as possible is another important factor. Without variety your display will appear bland and predictable. A couple of things to avoid during the display are unnecessary gaps in the display and too many of the same effects one after another, so plan with this in mind.
Choreography
When deciding the sequence of how to set off your fireworks, think about how an orchestra builds up to a finale. Everyone can add their personal touch to a display, but a good way to start is with a big bang, so a couple of large rockets should get everyone's attention!
Continue the display with smaller fireworks first if you have them, but make sure you build momentum with your display, getting bigger and better as time goes on. Building up to that grand finale will all be in vain if you don't end with the most impressive part of your display, so as the old saying goes, save the best until last. Make the ending loud and bold, so that the crowd know that it's all over.
Timing is everything. Make sure that your audience isn't kept waiting while the next firework is lit. a good way to do this in a safe way is to have a number of launching areas set a good distance apart. Then one person can be lighting the next firework once one is finished, instead of waiting for one to go out before approaching to set off the next one.
Private or public?
Besides getting the display right, you'll have extra obligations if you are holding a public fireworks display rather than a private one. Taking out insurance is essential, and will be a considerable expense, so keep that in mind when dividing up your budget. You will also have to clearly mark and set out a spectator area, and stewards will have to be present to control the crowd.
There are some more detailed guidelines from the government and the Health and Safety Executive on organising fireworks displays at the links in the 'References' section below.
Keeping a display private means you don't have to worry about all of that, but if anything goes wrong, or another person's property is damaged by your fireworks, there is the possibility you could be sued.
Sticking to the law
To make sure you stay on the right side of the law, it's worth knowing about when you can set off fireworks, and when you can buy them.
It's against the law to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am all year round, with the only exceptions being until 12am on Bonfire night, and until 1am on New Year's Eve, the Chinese New Year, and Diwali. Breaking this law could result in you being slapped with an £80 on-the-spot fine, or a £5,000 fine if found guilty in court.
Shops need to register with their council before they can sell fireworks, and registered sellers of fireworks for private use can only sell them between October 15th and November 10th for Bonfire Night, December 26th and December 31st for New Year's Eve, and over the three days leading up to the Chinese New Year and Diwali. Buying fireworks at any other time of year will mean visiting a shop that is actually licensed to sell them.
When you purchase your fireworks make sure you check them to see if they have a CE mark or are marked BS 7114. These markings show that the fireworks have met the necessary European or British safety standards, and anyone selling fireworks without these markings is probably not registered or licensed. Buying fireworks from unregistered or unlicensed sellers is not recommended.
It's not obligatory to have insurance for a firework display, regardless of whether it's a private or public display. But increasingly nervous councils and other bodies are forcing people who host functions on their grounds to have liability insurance in place anyway. If you find yourself in that situation,
Insure My Event
can help.
The clean-up
Once your fireworks display is all over, there is still one last thing to do. A regular complaint from people opposed to fireworks is the mess they make. Take the time to collect up the empty casings and the scattered used fireworks and put them in a bin bag ready for the rubbish collection. It won't take much of your time and should mean there won't be any problems from neighbours once all the celebrating is over.
