The IGNIS BRUNENSIS World Fireworks Show above Špilberk Castle in Brno from June to September 2021
The good news for all the people of Brno and South Moravia and visitors to the city and region is that another IGNIS BRUNENSIS festival with magnificent artistic firework shows has been prepared this year. The current government measures and the outlook for the summer do, however, mean that changes have to be made for this year's twenty-fourth festival. "It was already clear in the autumn and during the first months of this year that firework shows would again not be possible this year at Brno Dam, where tens of thousands of spectators gather in one place on the beaches every year, for which reason various "manoeuvres" and negotiations at the international level have taken place again in advance," stated Jiří Morávek, Managing Director of the organising company SNIP & CO, on behalf of the principal producer. Agreement was reached with the confirmed participating countries (moved forward from last year) to the effect that their in-competition shows at the Dam would be postponed until 2022. Preparation of brand new firework projects began at the same time for this year's festival. Špilberk Castle was chosen as the main location for 2021. "Špilberk has been a tried and trusted location for the festival for more than twenty years now as the venue for firework shows held out of competition every year. Surviving historical engravings and documents show that Brno's fortress has been a well-established pyrotechnical location for more than three hundred years. At this time of the Coronavirus, what's more, it has the fundamental advantage for us that the fireworks above the city can be seen over a distance of several kilometres and we will have spectators not just at thousands of windows and on thousands of balconies and terraces, but also scattered in small groups all over Brno and beyond," added Jiří Morávek.
Four international firework projects and an out-of-competition epilogue
The production team for the IGNIS BRUNENSIS festival is preparing a total of five firework Saturdays over Špilberk Castle for Brno and South Moravia. "I am delighted that the IGNIS BRUNENSIS festival is to take place in all its glory at this time with five pyrotechnical shows accompanied by a great many additional programmes of events. What's more, so far it looks like Brno is to be one of the few world destinations this year where an international firework festival is to be held," said Mayor of Brno Markéta Vaňková. Four international in-competition artistic firework shows are planned at 10.30 p.m. on 26 June, 3 July, 7 August and 14 August. Our five firework shows above Špilberk are to come to a climax at the beginning of the school year with an out-of-competition epilogue devoted to all children everywhere (11 September) who we hope will again be "normal" children attending their schools and nurseries. "This year's firework shows being moved to holiday Saturdays in the summer will help us get tourism and associated infrastructure in South Moravia going again after the Coronavirus lockdown. IGNIS BRUNENSIS will not just be a cultural experience for the population of the South Moravian Region. We expect a large number of guests to the region and tourists to "pop in" from other parts of South Moravia to see the fireworks in Brno," added Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region.
The principal theme of the fireworks are to be messages of friendship and salutations
The theme of this year's IGNIS BRUNENSIS are "Messages" in the form of messages, salutations and wishes from Brno to the world and from the world to Brno. All four holiday firework shows will be a positive reaction to the current situation and the limited possibilities for meeting up with other people in person. "We have been faced by the enormous challenge of preparing entirely new firework shows with the pyrotechnical world within just a few months. First and foremost, communication of the artistic aspects is particularly demanding when people cannot see each other in person and everything has to be worked out over the telephone or on line. Fortunately, we can use increasingly sophisticated software that helps us share and discuss the artistic aspects of our firework shows in the form of visualisations," said Jaroslav Štolba from Flash Barrandov SFX, principal pyrotechnical designer and technical director of IGNIS BRUNENSIS. Pyrotechnists and firework companies from all over Europe were contacted for the four in-competition projects. "We would also like to involve firework designers from other continents," added Jaroslav Štolba. The organisers will be presenting details on firework shows by international teams at the turn of May and June.
Music accompanying the fireworks on FM radio as usual
Original musical accompaniment synchronised to the fireworks is to be broadcast exclusively by Radio Krokodýl 103 FM for all firework shows. All you need do is find a spot with a view of Špilberk (while observing the current epidemiological rules) and tune into the music accompanying the fireworks on FM radio.
On-line broadcasts of the fireworks are in preparation
Live broadcasts of the fireworks in high definition are a new development this year. The YouTube channels BRNOmycity and Jižní Morava are being considered for these broadcasts, while live streaming of the fireworks on the official Czech Republic channel "Visit Czech Republic" is also in negotiation within the framework of support for the IGNIS BRUNENSIS festival from the state agency CzechTourism.
Spectators will have the greatest voice in deciding the winner of this year's festival
Another extraordinary bonus has been prepared for spectators in this extraordinary year. The general public will decide on the winning fireworks by voting on social networks and in a public poll. What's more, literally the whole world will be able to take part in the voting thanks to on-line broadcasts. Firework spectators will, in this way, be symbolically changing roles with the expert jury, which will be deciding on their rankings for this year's fireworks "out of competition".
IGNIS BRUNENSIS with the support of the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region and the state agency CzechTourism
The firework festival in the South Moravian metropolis, accompanied by a diverse range of programmes of events, takes place with significant financial support from its principal co-organisers - the Statutory City of Brno and the South Moravian Region. This year, the festival has also again been included among the important Czech leisure and culture projects by the state agency CzechTourism on the basis of a multi-stage evaluation process. In addition to support for tourism in this country and abroad, this also results in various communication and presentation benefits for both South Moravia and its regional capital Brno, as well as for business activities and other areas in our region.