How to improve the fireworks festival

I am an ardent fan of the Fireworks Festival, which I think is a very commendable activity organised by the Malta Tourism Authority. A lot of effort and expense is directed towards this event, and rightly so. My family, who live abroad, plan their holidays in Malta around this occasion and we are very anxious to attend. However I would like to point to a few shortcomings that I feel could be improved.

First of all, there used to be seating at Lascaris and near Customs House for the increasing number of tourists and elderly locals where one, for a fair price, could see the spectacle comfortably. This seems to have been discontinued. Public transport to the villages is well organised but how about having a shuttle from the Park and Ride directly to Lascaris?

Secondly, it was OK to have a pyro display at midnight on the day of accession into Europe in 2004, but when local feasts are tied down to a 11 p.m. deadline, why should the last spectacle of this annual festival start at midnight (and in fact this year it finished after 1 a.m.)? As it is, the programme starts at 9.30 p.m. and finishes well after midnight - a long stretch indeed. This is also too long due to many dead intervals where nothing seems to be happening.

Many tourists I've seen or spoken to, leave soon after the first few items, since they are too tired to wait for the other fireworks factory to start their display.

It is not fair on them since most would have paid for a night tour to see the whole spectacle when only a small part of it is enjoyed. One appreciates there are technicalities and safety measures for each contestant to take over from the latter, but there must be a way to shorten the intervals. I hope that the organisers take a leaf from other national festivals like Switzerland, The Rhine in Flames, Germany, Singapore, if not from the actual foreign participants who would have had experience of such events, worldwide. Making the programme more concise makes the difference between sheer interest and boredom. It is also unfair on the harbour area residents to be kept awake till 1 a.m. for two nights in a row by the fireworks bomb blasts.

Another improvement is possible in the public address system. All the music and commentaries could be live for the immediate spectators, but those around the bastions, Lower Barakka, Kalkara etc. could easily pick up the programme on a local community or national radio that would transmit all for more clarity and less noise pollution. Talking about noise, it is also not fair to let boat parties in the harbour blare out their music to the detriment of spectators and port area residents.

It is a pleasure to watch our magnificent harbour being lit up by colourful fireworks. An unforgettable experience for one and all. We have done it well for eight years. Let us make it better.