Fireworks festival starts today

Firework displays will light the skies today until April 30 as part of a symposium and the Malta International Fireworks Festival (MIFF).

In addition to the festival, now in its 11th year, Malta has been chosen to host the 13th International Symposium on Fireworks.

Around 300 delegates from all overthe world, including Italy, Hong Kong and Guatemala, are in Malta for the symposium which is being held from today toSaturday.

On the evenings of the symposium, there will be displays every night (except on Tuesday).

The ISF is being launched at the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Floriana today. The displays throughout the week will take place over Mdina (tomorrow), Mellieħa (Wednesday), St Paul’s Bay/Buġibba (Thursday), Valletta (Friday) and Għarb (Saturday).

The festival is organised by the Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment, together with the Malta Tourism Authority.

This year, five of the competing factories taking part in the MIFF over Grand Harbour hail from the UK, Canada, Poland, Croatia and Austria. The sixth, St Michael’s Fireworks Factory of Lija, is the only Maltese factory pitting its skills against the rest of the world.

Sixteen companies are taking part in Mellieħa’s display. In addition, Mellieħa council is organising an event at the village square. There will be traditional decorations, festoon lights and ground fireworks.

There will also be traditional food stalls with typical food, sweets and delicacies associated with the village feast.

A park and ride system is being organised for free by the council. Parking will be near Belleview and transport will be available to the village core.

For the display along St Paul’s Bay/Buġibba promenade, another eight local factories are taking part in a ground fireworks displays, showing the chronological development of this art, from the traditional Catherine wheels to the more complex mechanised pieces often seen today.

In Valletta, two Italian companies are presenting their fireworks shows in Grand Harbour, followed by a grand finale by Lourdes Fireworks of Qrendi, winners of the MIFF last year.

In Gozo, the fireworks display will be put on by Gozitan manufacturers and will be in conjunction with the annual event Seħer il-Punent, organised by Għarb council.

The winners will be announced in a closing ceremony at the Grand Harbour, followed by musical fireworks by an Italian company on May 1.

If you would like to book seating for next Sunday and April 30, e-mail info@visitmalta.com or call 2291 5445 at a cost of €2.50.

More information about these events may be obtained from the Facebook page and www.maltafireworksfestival.com.