Greetings everyone,

Please post here your jury predictions and/or personal choices for the winners of the 36th edition of the Montreal Fireworks Competition. You are also more than welcome to share your reasoning behind the choices.

Trav.

I am doing these rankings by looking at them from a designer and audience perspective:


From a designer perspective:

1. Italy
2. Hungary
3. Canada

From an audience perspective:

1. UK/Hungary tied
2. Canada
3. Italy

Also, I have noticed a "meta" in this year's fireworks competition. Just like in 2019 we had 2 companies did 360 wheels and this year seems like half the competitors used letter racks. Which brought some new ideas to Montreal. Let's see what happens next year

This season, I had the goal to write shorter reviews. I completely failed, as I was reminded by photograph Carl Desjardins last night! So I will keep this annual wrap-up short.

I would say the 2022 vintage of l’International des Feux Loto-Québec was an excellent one. In competition, I believe four shows were excellent, one was very good and another was unfortunately problematic; no “outstanding” show this year in my view. The opening event was also excellent. Initially scheduled for the 2021 Labor Day weekend, the pre-opening display was an emotional moment. Generally speaking, after the pandemic hiatus in 2000 and 2021, I felt blessed to have again the possibility to enjoy such extravangazas. The pleasure also comes from sharing these moments with many other fireworks aficionados, both in the park and increasingly on social media.

I also have a number of concerns. This edition was basically the one prepared for 2020. I am afraid that some consequences of the pandemic may have their full impact in 2023. To setup such shows appears increasingly jeopardized by a mix of international transportation issues, labour shortage, and enduring budget cuts. The upcoming retirement of Martyne Gagnon, competition director since November 1997, adds to these uncertainties. More broadly, La Ronde appears to suffer of an enduring decline, and I am not sure the current situation of Six Flags will allow to reverse that trend soon.

My personal ranking for this season is:

1. Pyrotex Fireworx (England)
2. Nuvu (Hungary)
3. Feux d’artifice Orion (Canada)
4. Lieto S.R.L. (Italy)
5. Mirnovec Pirotehnika (Croatia)
6. Sirius Pyrotechnics (Mexico)

I found the British, Hungarian, Canadian, and Italian displays excellent and I had a hard time to rank them. Only small details and personal tastes led me to this order instead of a different one.
I feel that it is hard to make choices (and predictions) as no show clearly stands out from other contenders to the podium. I had a similar feeling in 2019 when I found three or four shows to be excellent, with no outstanding one, and when I heard very diverse views from other attendants regarding their preferences.

So I find it hard to make a prediction. I feel sure that England will be on the podium and Mexico won't; Croatia would be a surprise. Basically any combinations within these conditions appear possible, especially as a tight race can allow a competitor to squeeze between others. My prediction is :

1. Pyrotex Fireworx (England)
2. Lieto S.R.L. (Italy)
3. Nuvu (Hungary)

Best Soundtrack Award – Lieto S.R.L. (Italy) or Feux d’artifice Orion (Canada)

I do not make prediction for the Green Award as it is based on information I do not have.

Fred

My personal ranking for the 2022 season:

1. Canada
2. England
3. Italy
4. Croatia
5. Hungary
6. Mexico

First five were excellent displays. However, it is unfortunate that there were too many obvious technical issues and other problems this year. I also tend to favor more "innovative" shows (not the greatest this year), but I found Italy's "traditional" display very well done! England's multi-finale was of the best ones we've seen in the past decades. Truly amazingly well done (including the entire "Time to Say Goodbye" segment).

Hello.

Here are my personal "Top 3" and will remain my choice regardless of the outcome of the competition. Anyone of the 3 below - All their shows' weaknesses and strengths considered - end up equally worthy of Gold Jupiter award for me..

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Hungary

"My" runners up by rank (also within Jupiter-worthy Territory):

4. Croatia
5. *England

Weakest show:
6. Mexico

*The English/UK show is truly great and powerful for those who seen it for the first time, but as I mentioned in the reviews their show was just a lengthened version of their original 18-minute show here in the Philippines 3 years ago with all the exact same narration, patterns and sky lettering. That said I must submit to the general sentiment of the Montreal audience so...

My Jury Prediction:

Gold: England / UK
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Hungary.

As I mentioned this year's return from the pandemic edition of Montreal Fireworks is one of the best in recent years in terms of the overall quality of the shows presented by most of the competing teams - 5 out of 6 are for me Jupiter worthy displays. As an analogy in 2018 where Dragon Fireworks presented their iconic Montreal show, only the Show of Pyrotecnico USA ended up being the only other entrant that I felt to be "Jupiter Worthy". And by 2019, that became 3 out of 6. In 2012 - the year when I discovered the Montreal Fireworks Festival & when there were still 8 in-competition shows - it's 7 out of 8 Jupiter worthy shows for me. So I am very grateful to the teams who excelled and presented all these amazing & quality shows despite all the challenges they faced and delivered what for me is a Montreal Fireworks Edition that I will look back into through videos in years to come.

It is hard to believe that we have already reached the end of this year’s competition, as is the case with all editions at this time – they all seem to come and go in the blink of an eye, much like the beautiful Spring-Summer period that features them altogether. This 36th edition was an interesting one under many respects, but I think that it carried a much higher degree of anticipation as a result of a wait that lasted for nearly three years.

Firstly, I must say that while it was a sheer delight to see the Montreal Fireworks Competition return this year, it definitely felt like an odd one following what was a two-year drought (2020 and 2021). Attendance was consistently lower than what was observed pre-pandemic, even when the weather was good (which it practically was all the way through). As such, it did not quite feel like a true restoration of the competition, which arguably was not too much of a surprise as a result of this year serving as a transitional point (depending on the ongoing pandemic). It was also previously unclear whether the competition, among other large-scale events and activities, would even return in full swing, given the degree to which the pandemic continued to thrive globally, and with more recently growing concerns across North America over the course of this very Summer. Along with uncertainties surrounding the constantly evolving pandemic situation, among other newly-circulating illnesses, I suspect that the higher transportation costs (and higher costs, in general) have had at least some contribution for the overall lower attendance observed this year.

The competition this year itself was quite enjoyable, especially considering that we had not previously seen La Ronde fireworks displays in what was going to be three years, as mentioned. To that end, even the weakest fireworks shows came across as being so extravagant. It still arguably felt like ‘just the other day’ for me, but it was a treat to see these displays grace the skies of La Ronde once again. The displays were all engaging in their own respective way, and we were able to see at least a decent range of creativity/complexity among the in-competition shows. That said, one aspect that I had hoped to see this year was more ‘extensive’ use of specialized structures (such as towers or rings), and more attempts at note-tight sequencing. Still, some shows managed to achieve a high degree of complexity in the absence of such attributes – in particular, the Italian and British displays came strong with their sequencing attempts and eventually went on to provide an overall tenacious performance. Interestingly, there was quite a large density of in-competition displays (4) that went a fair amount over the allowed 30 minutes.

The weather pattern was quite interesting in itself. Firstly, no display so far met with rainfall during display time, especially considering that there was an extra fireworks day this year. Some light rain was observed shortly prior to the Italian show, on July 20th, but that was as close as a display came to intercepting rainfall successfully so far this year. The Italian show further had the most humid conditions, as well as being the warmest so far (29-30 C during display time), while the Hungarian display featured the coolest conditions during display time (20 C). Winds also were largely cooperative, allowing the smoke to reach the La Ronde audience at least partially only three (possibly four) out of nine times. Indeed, the smoke only affected the audience during the second opening display (during which the highest wind speeds this year were observed), the Mexican display and the Hungarian display. For all other displays, including possibly the closing, the smoke was moving clear to the right of the audience and/or slightly away at the same time at sufficiently fast speeds.

I also take this opportunity to thank Paul for keeping this forum/website alive, as well as for taking the time to provide us with very interesting inside information concerning each display through the interviews! I similarly extend my thanks to Mylene for all of her work in bringing us in-depth information concerning the displays! Many thanks to Fred, too, for kindly sharing with us his full-length videos of the displays from on-site, and to everyone altogether for sharing their reviews/comments of the displays (and in other discussions)! Finally, I would like to thank all organizers and setup crews for their diligent and hard work to prepare all displays for us to see every fireworks evening.

Below are summaries that ‘broadly’ describe what I thought were the strengths and weaknesses of each of the six in-competition displays. This is then followed by my jury predictions and personal choices for the winners, and then miscellaneous rankings for other display attributes.

Country: Mexico
Company: Sirius Pyrotechnics
Date of presentation: July 9th, 2022

The first in competition display met with winds that would favor smoke displacement towards left-hand to central sections of the on-site audience. This was also the coolest and least humid among fireworks evenings, with a display time temperature of 20 C.

The Mexican team presented an entertaining display, with some interesting low-level sequences and an abundance of large-calibre shells. Nevertheless, much of the firing patterns were redundant and eliminated critical and clean moments that would otherwise generate effective emotional transitions. The musical choice was also frequently inconsistent, and its connection to the thematic premise, “Bells and Drums”, was not always clear. The finale was the weakest among the participants this year, and it also appeared out of place. Unfortunately, in light of these attributes, it is unlikely that Mexico will appear on the podium, though I would very much look forward to future entries!

Country: Hungary
Company: Nuvu
Date of presentation: July 13th, 2022

Pleasant weather conditions were present for the Hungarian display, with a display temperature of 23 C and light WNW winds. Much like during the Mexican show, this allowed the smoke to reach central and left-hand sections of the audience.

The Hungarian team produced a very strong impression for a first-time appearance in this competition. The show was characterized by many fabulously-crafted sequences and really good attempts made at rather complex choreography. Product quality was really high in this display, which showcased the richness of the colors quite well, although the smoke did sometimes drown the absolute brilliance of these colors, as well as the symmetry of the shells/effects in all of their glory. The Do-Re-Mi moment was especially signature, but again, it was a pity that the smoke did reduce somewhat the clarity of the lettering. On the flip side, I would have liked to see more use made of the towers, and more especially a stronger thematic connection with the music. Some of the musical choices themselves appeared out of place and sometimes caused the show to seemingly go off on a tangent. Also, some cleaner transitions would have been welcomed to allow for a stronger transition of emotions. Overall, despite the conceptual design lacking to some degree, the Hungarian display is likely to appear on the podium.

Country: Canada
Company: Feux d’artifice Orion
Date of presentation: July 16th, 2022

The third warmest display temperature (25 C) made an appearance for the Canadian show, accompanied by moderate humidity. With light WSW winds, this meant that, for the third consecutive time, the smoke would be advancing towards the La Ronde audience (focused to central to right-hand sections).

The Canadian display was among the most conceptually strong displays this year. I loved the degree to which passion was exuded in this show. There were some very engaging moments spent with creative synchronization, which amplified the feel of the some of the music used. Product quality and color richness were excellent. The nautical shells were quite memorable, and this was the only display where girandolas appeared. The only aspect that seemed to be lacking was the representation of the songs utilized and, therefore, affecting the theme’s portrayal. At times, there could have been a larger amount of pyrotechnics and a better choice of effects to really define the rather (commanding) musical pieces. Similar to the Hungarian display, the transitions sometimes came uncleanly and hampered the ability to evoke the correct emotional feel through the fireworks. Overall, though, the show was quite successful in its delivery and created several interesting moments through the diversified firing angles and product/effects, as well as having the third best finale this year.

Country: Italy
Company: Lieto S.R.L.
Date of presentation: July 20th, 2022

This was the warmest/hottest and most humid evening for a fireworks display this year, with a temperature of 29-30 C during display time. This fireworks day came closest to observing rainfall during the actual display, but thankfully, the light rainfall was limited to prior to display time, and some of this rainfall passed closely to the South/SE just before 10:00 p.m. The light SSE winds also meant that the thickly building smoke would drift gently clear to the right of the La Ronde audience.

The Italian team did an outstanding job. Among all of the displays, I found this particular one to be the most engaging, complete with many attempts at diversified one-shot sequences, interesting firing angles, a very enjoyable (and appropriate) selection of music, and a rich arrangement of color among its large arsenal of effects used. Furthermore, this display adhered most to its theme and had the correct fluidity for an effective emotional journey. The only negative point that I came across was perhaps the simplicity of the thematic framework limiting a higher degree of complexity of the show, and I think that this did produce a feeling that the firing style became a little saturated. The finale was the best one this year, and the opening piece of the display was the most extravagant. This show should be enough to earn a Jupiter award, and perhaps the award for best soundtrack.

Country: Croatia
Company: Mirnovec Pirotehnika
Date of presentation: July 27th, 2022

A pleasant Summer’s evening was present for the Croatian team. The environment was conducive to a circulation of moderate humidity, together with a display temperature of 24 C. Light Southerly winds also favorably allowed the smoke to drift gently clear to the right of the La Ronde audience.

This was a really good effort by the Croatian team, despite the time pressures that were clearly faced. We were treated to a nice diversity of color and good product quality, and there were, indeed, some very immersive sequences shown in the display. The songs used were largely appropriate and were enjoyable to listen to. That said, the fluidity was often damaged by the frequent appearances of narration. To that end, the transitions were not as clean as we had seen in other shows, with many segments terminating (or starting) unusually silent. Many firing errors also made themselves known, unfortunately, at the right-hand (our right-hand) sections of the display, with mines, comets and red strobing shells, for example, firing after the end of segments. In light of these patterns, it made it difficult to fully appreciate the excellent music because the fireworks were frequently falling short of the signature components comprising those songs. The finale was great, though it needed to be more consistent with its increasing pace.

Country: England
Company: Pyrotex Fireworx
Date of presentation: August 3rd, 2022

Weather conditions closest to perfection were present for this display. Breezy SSE winds meant that the fairly thickly-building smoke would displace clear to the right and slightly away from the La Ronde audience. At the same time, a temperature of 24-25 C was present during display time, and with high humidity.

This was among the more enjoyable displays this year. Being a performance that carried a large array of rapidly-moving sequences, there was no shortage of moments that brought sheer delight to the songs that were used to represent the evolutionary musical theme. The choice of effects used, though somewhat limited, was memorable and was amplified by the very high product quality, as well as the brilliant colors. The theme was also decently represented, being one of the most thematically-tenacious displays featured this year with respect to consistency and musical selection. At the other end of the spectrum, I felt like the approach taken to represent the theme was fairly simple, including limited space for a particularly large number of emotional transitions, and transitions in rhythm and pace, in general. This was mostly the result of using practically full-length songs to represent each decade, which inevitably restricted how many songs could be used per decade. The songs that were used, however, were very well elaborated, often sparing no subtle details defining each song. The faux finale was really convincing and strongly enduring, and the real finale, although comparatively short, was unique in its design. Very fitting end to a successful display.

Overall, the British, Hungarian, Canadian and Italian displays appeared to carry with them the strongest performances and are all, in their own way, close in status. Personally, among these particular four, I enjoyed the Italian display the most, since it clung most faithfully to its theme, had a consistently enjoyable soundtrack selection and, together with England, produced the most enjoyable note-tight sequences among the competitors, even though its firing patterns sometimes became overused (but then again, so did all other displays). In addition, it easily had the strongest opening segment, as well as, for me, the best finale that created a long-lasting appeal. Product quality, the richness of effects, as well as the palette of color were absolutely excellent. Being an enormous fan of high heat and humidity, I felt like the environmental conditions featured during the Italian display added to my enjoyment and appreciation for the show. The Hungarian team also showcased excellent product quality and had fabulous choreography with a strong richness of effects and color, but it was less thematically-connected due to some musical selections being seemingly out of place, and such a theme could have been more sequentially structured to provide a stronger range of emotion across the display. This was especially true in relation to the lack of a stronger opening/closing of segments. The British display was also fluid, energetic and had such well-choreographed segments, but lacked the complexity and technicalities to really define a sectored musical journal. However, being memorable as a final competitor would provide it with a significant advantage.

As such, my jury predictions and personal choices for the winners look like the following:

Trav’s jury prediction:

1st: England
2nd: Italy
3rd: Hungary

Trav’s personal choice:

1st: Italy
2nd: England
3rd: Canada

Green Achievement Award: Possibly Hungary

Best choice of music:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. England

Most intriguing effects:

1. England
2. Italy
3. Hungary

Best quality products:

1. Italy
2. England
3. Hungary

Highest color richness:

1. Italy
2. Hungary
3. England

Best devised and represented theme:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. England

Best sequences:

1. England
2. Italy
3. Hungary

Most powerful/energetic displays:

1. England
2. Italy
3. Mexico

Best opening segment:

1. Italy
2. England
3. Canada

Top conclusions:

1. Italy
2. England
3. Canada

*Note that this is based on actual finales. If we include faux finales, then England would be in my number one slot, since that faux finale, as Enkil mentioned, was among the best seen since 2004.

Trav.

My jury predictions:

Gold - Pyrotex

Silver - Hungary

Bronze - Canada


To me Italy should be on the top three, but I know it wont happen.

A strange year 2022 - one competitor decided they absolutely did not want to win. The rest all did good displays, some ran out of time but all had good or excellent weather, though the early displays in the season sent smoke into the audience at La Ronde.

My top there were:

Hungary, Canada and Italy.

My favourite soundtrack was Italy.

The other two I found had too many conceptual flaws to rate in the top three, though they were both good displays. The Mexican entry was an insult and I won't discuss this further.

As for the green award, maybe Mexico as their dismal shells had so many unburned stars surely the potassium nitrate in them would have worked as fertilizer.

So I'll be happy if any of my favourites come in the top 3. I know many in the audience loved the Pyrotex display, but this was not to my taste.

For all the teams, except Mexico, who all worked very hard and deserve our admiration for their efforts this season, especially with the difficulties the ongoing pandemic creates. I'm just happy we had a competition at all, let alone one without any technical problems and one with perfect weather.

Of course, it is with great sadness that we hear of Martyne's retirement, but this is life. The competition will live on for as long as people like us, the incourtonables, continue to be wowed at this artistry in the sky.

I just watched again some shows this afternoon. I am somewhat torn with my ranking!

Fred

I am laughing so hard with Paul predictions haha

@fredbastien what are your thoughts about the shows now you watched them again?

I think this is the first time I projected my thoughts so late in the competition, perplexed as well. A very good year none the less with 4 excellent entries, one with major faults ... and one who shall not be named lol.

Personal choice:
1 - Italy
2 - Canada
3 - England

Jury projection, heavily factoring in theme/material/synchro/complexity :
1 - England
2 - Canada
3 - Hungry

Jury prediction using music as major weighted factor:
1 - England
2 - Italy
3 - Canada

I can be here all night projecting odds like a sports junkie, but no matter what it's been a great year and I really hope we have many more in the future. It wasn't easy for the judges ... I'm still having a hard time too lol.