Past Dates
31 December 2011: Fetes De La Lumiere Saint Raphael, France
We are looking forward to celebrating New year’s Eve on the shores of the Mediterranean, performing our ever popular comic pyrotechnic show Blast! in St Raphael. Follow our hero Michael Santos as his determined efforts to reach the stars take him further than he could ever have imagined…
27 November 2011: St Andrews Day Edinburgh
There will be an early celebration to herald the St Andrews Day festivities in Edinburgh from 6.30-8pm. We will be performing firedrawings, fireworks and projections from the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle. Click here
24 November 2011: Edinburgh's Christmas Festivities - Light Night
Edinburgh’s Christmas 2011 celebrations are fast approaching and we are delighted to be working with She’s Gott It! Events to be delivering the opening event. We will be performing our highly atmospheric show Frost and Fire for the launch of this popular event at 5.15pm on The Mound. More details can be found if you click here
05 November 2011: Collis Primary School, Teddington
We are looking forward to providing a fun filled evening at Collis Primary School to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, for more information click here
04 November 2011: Slade School, Tonbridge
We are very happy to be returning for the third year to celebrate Bonfire Night with Slade School PTA on Friday 5th November at 7.30pm, our display last year got rave reviews!
28 October 2011: Autumn firework fun in two city centres
As the evenings get darker, the opportunities for fireworks increase! This autumn, we will be celebrating the changing seasons in 2 city-centre locations.
We are delighted to be returning to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth Harbour to provide another amazing aerial firework display on Friday 28th October.
And we will be working with BrightFX on Saturday 19th November to create a fun filled pyrotechnic performance to celebrate the Christmas Lights Switch on at The Oracle Reading.
15 October 2011: All Hands at the Canterbury Festival
The third outing of our new show All Hands will be at the ever popular Canterbury Festival The show is at 7pm (tbc) at Toddler’s Cove, at the end of the traditional opening parade.
Click here for more information about the show.
This show has been supported by an Arts Investment Grant from Kent County Council.
26 August 2011: Blink Margate
We are delighted to be working with McMcArts for one very special night on 27 August when Margate’s seafront will undergo a miraculous transformation. Buildings will come alive, the beach will be lit up with stunning flaming structures and a hundred local people will take to the beach to perform. BLINK Margate is a celebratory event that re-imagines not only the seafront, but also the sea, the sky and beyond. We will be supplying fireworks and facilitating Pan.Optikum’s pyrotechnic performance.
22 July 2011: All Hands at SO Festival Skegness 9.45pm
Two years after performing Full Circle on the beach for the first ever SO Festival we are delighted to be back in Skeggy this summer. This will be a second chance to see how All Hands is progressing as musical directors David White and Kuljit Bhamra will be taking the music to another level.
Click here for more information about the show.
Photograph courtesy of Arthur Fentaman
18 June 2011: All Hands (a work in progress) at The Medway Fuse Festival
The first chance for a sneak preview of our new show, All Hands will be at the ever popular Fuse Festival The show starts at 9.45pm sharp in the historic setting of Rochester Castle.
All Hands is a pyrotechnic celebration of human collective endeavour, the inevitability of change, and the power of connection. It combines fire, fireworks, music and performance to create a spectacular and moving transformation of the castle, but the most important element is the audience – without your participation, the show can’t happen.
Click here for more information about the show.
Photograph courtesy of Rikard Osterlund
18 June 2011: Periplum's The Bell at St Albans Festival
This 360 degree spectacle provides a fantastic climax to the St Albans Festival Launch Day. The Bell tells the story of a warring clan in a warring land, devastated and razed in flames by invading forces. A sensory extravaganza with dynamic promenade action, stilts, aerial performance, incendiary text and soaring music to create a potent tale of hope and redemption. The show features fire and pyro from The World Famous.
Suitable for age 8+
The show will begin at 9pm with a running time of 45 minutes. For more information click here
For more information about Periplum click here
04 June 2011: Belton Spitfire Proms
We are very excited to be providing the firework finale for the National Trusts’s Spitfire Proms at Belton House, near Grantham. The show starts at 7.30 with a flyover from 2 spitfires before an evening of music from the Royal Philhamonic Concert Orchestra.
For more details, click here
For tickets, visit ticketmaster
Photograph courtesy of Lincolnshire Life.
06 February 2011: Chinese New Year Celebrations
Join us in Trafalgar Square where The World Famous will be setting off some very noisy fire crackers to open the celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. Our traditional firework display in Leicester Square won’t be happening this year as the square is being redeveloped, but if you stay for the entertainment in Trafalgar Square, you can expect plenty of pyrotechnic surprises…
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
26 November 2010: The Electric Estate, Engineering Dreams interactive illuminations at Cragside, Northumberland
For three weeks from 11th to 28th November 2010 the stunning National Trust managed Cragside Estate, created 150 years ago by William and Margaret Armstrong, is being electrically transformed by the Northumberland Lights creative team. On 26th November, we will be collaborating with Phil Supple, Graeme Gilmour, Dan Fox, and Toby Park to create a beautiful public fireshow to celebrate the 200th birthday of the extraordinary inventor and industrialist, William Armstrong.
Learn more about this year’s prgramme.
There will be pre-show entertainment from 6.30.
The event will be as follows:
1915-1945 Pre-show entertainment and audience assembly
approx. 1945 Show commences
approx. 2005 Show ends
05 November 2010: Bonfire Night Slade School
We are happy to once again have been asked to provide a fantastic fireworks display for The Slade School PTA Fireworks Night on Friday 5th November at 7.30pm, our display last year got rave reviews!
29 October 2010: Day of the Dead celebrations Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth
On the 29th October we are delighted that we will be part of the Day of the Dead celebrations at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.
We will be working with Same Sky who are creating a community procession to the Portsmouth harbourside, where a giant butterfly will emerge from the deep, animated with pyrotechnics. We are creating the finale to the event, a firework display fired from a boat, a jetty and a pontoon on the harbour. The fireworks will be choreographed to an exciting musical mix of halloween and Day of the Dead tunes and will start at 8.05pm.
Photograph courtesy of Alex Withers.
24 October 2010: The Bell touring in Mexico
24 October – 7 Nov The Bell will be touring around Mexico starting in Mexico City. The Bell is a mesmerising tale of war, hope and redemption. It tells the story of warring clans in a warring land where the enemies, blinded with mutual hate, want to raze each other to the ground. The absurdity of war and the instinct to destroy may go on for ever and escalate the violence or end there and then if they choose to rebuild the world from the remaining debris. Inspired by Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev and Kurosawa’s Ran the show has the power to awaken awareness of how bloody the price of fighting for one’s freedom and moral choices can be. The Bell builds a suggestive dreamlike reality which creates astonishment and fear, but also admiration for its beauty.
12 September 2010: Bestival Isle of Wight Robin Hill Country Park
We are pleased to announce that we are working with the Bestival team once again to create an amazing sculptural bonfire, designed by Mandy Dike. To learn more have a look here
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
08 August 2010: The Big Chill Eastnor Castle
Back for the third consecutive year; Mandy Dike will be creating another amazing sculptural bonfire which will be animated by fireworks and performance, to light up the finale of this fabulous music festival.
Learn more about this year’s prgramme.
Photograph courtesy of Matt Farrow.
06 August 2010: Full Circle at Festival dos Oceanos, Lisbon
This year’s Festival dos Oceanos in Lisbon is celebrating the centenary of the Portugese Republic. One of the highlights will be 2 nights of Full Circle in the beautiful Praça do Comércio.
Photograph courtesy of Isa Silva.
01 August 2010: Camp Bestival
We are excited to be working again with The Camp Bestival team to produce an awe inspiring pyrotechnic display with Lulworth Castle once again providing a stunning backdrop. The show, designed by Maria Hingerty & Mike Roberts, will be set to eclectic music mixed by Rob da Bank. Have a look at the website to find out more
16 July 2010: Full Circle at the Milton Keynes IF Festival
Come and see this wonderfully atmospheric show which uses live music, fire, fireworks and special effects to tell a story of change, taking you on a journey through the seasons. Have a look at this show.
This will be the first edition of the Milton Keynes International Festival at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes on 16th July. Cick here
26 June 2010: Fuse Medway Festival
We will be working with aerial performance company Scarabeus to create a fabulous pyrotechnic finale at this popular festival. 'Focal Point’ will take place aboard LV21 – a 40 metre steel-hulled lightship which is being transformed into a floating cultural facility. The ship – anchored in the Medway – will be animated with fireworks, flames and performance as the climax to an evening of entertainment at Rochester Riverside. Show design by Mike Roberts & Maria Hingerty. Click here for more information about the LV21 project, and here for the festival website.
Photograph courtesy of Rikard Osterlund.
25 June 2010: Malta Festival, Poznan (Poland) – 25-26th June
The Bell Liberty Square 22:00
We’re very happy to be working with Periplum again, providing fire and fireworks for The Bell at the Malta Festival . Look out for some more dates in Mexico later in the year.
The Bell is a mesmerising tale of war, hope and redemption. It tells the story of warring clans in a warring land where the enemies, blinded with mutual hate, want to raze each other to the ground. The absurdity of war and the instinct to destroy may go on for ever and escalate the violence or end there and then if they choose to rebuild the world from the remaining debris. Inspired by Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev and Kurosawa’s Ran the show has the power to awaken awareness of how bloody the price of fighting for one’s freedom and moral choices can be. The Bell builds a suggestive dreamlike reality which creates astonishment and fear, but also admiration for its beauty.
05 June 2010: Salisbury International Arts Festival
The Gold Award winning Salisbury International Arts Festival will take place 21st May – 5th June 2010. Once again The World Famous have been asked to perform at the Festival Finale at 7pm which will be a fantastic evening for families and friends. Bring a picnic and your favourite people as the event promises wonderful live music, street performers, things to see and do – all capped off by our stunning choreographed firework display, designed by Mathew Nicholls, launched against the unique backdrop of Salisbury’s Cathedral.
Click here for more information about the festival.
Photograph courtesy of Adrian Harris.
03 April 2010: Ostara, Far Gosford Street, Coventry
Start Time: 8pm Charterhouse Fields (Procession), 8.30pm Bottom Far Gosford Street for Promenade Performance, Finale will be on Gosford Green.
We have teamed up with Imagineer Productions to produce OSTARA, an Easter holiday spectacular celebrating the regeneration of Far Gosford Street.
It will tell the story of the extraordinary history and heritage of the area and the characters who have breathed life into its streets through time. This spectacular event with two hundred local community performers working alongside professional artists from Imagineer Productions and The World Famous will pay homage to the mythical origins of Easter and will celebrate the Spring Equinox in a journey from darkness into light.
The character of Attis will emerge on his chariot in Charterhouse Fields and will process through the night in search of the Goddess, Ostara. As he enters the Gateway of Far Gosford Street his journey will take him through a landscape of ghosts as he recalls all those who have trodden the path before him. The eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth recounted before finally arriving at his destination – Gosford Green in a dramatic and breathtaking finale. Conceived and directed by Kathi Leahy; Designed by Mandy Dike.
Click here for more information
The production has been financially supported by Coventry City Council, Arts Council England and Whitefriars Community Pride Fund.
21 February 2010: Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger 2010
We will be working with the London China Town Chinese Association once again to bring some fun filled performances to Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square to celebrate the Year of the Tiger.
The Main Stage performances will begin in Trafalgar Square at 11.15 am, where we will have a programme involving firecrackers. There will be a full programme of entertainment until 6pm.
At 5.55pm we will provide entertainment in Leicester Square with a firework display and firecrackers. So come along and see what promises to be loud and spectacular performances to welcome in the Chinese New Year.
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
17 December 2009: Frost and Fire for the Madrid Winter Festival
We are delighted to have been invited to perform Frost and Fire infront of the Royal Palace.
This beautiful pyrotechnic show is based around the four seasons, starting in Spring, moving through Summer and Autumn and culminating in Winter when the Ice Queen will move into the middle of the square and will rise 7m into the air. She will then start a sequence of visually stunning pyrotechnics which will culminate in a moving reading of a Winter story by a child.
Photograph courtesy of Francisco Posse.
06 November 2009: Slade Primary School Fireworks Night
The World Famous are proud to be delivering a fun filled fireworks display for this Primary School in Tonbridge, Kent.
26 September 2009: Crackers? in Northampton
Just back from our highly acclaimed performances of Crackers? at the Singapore International Arts Festival in June, we are very excited to report that we will be performing it again this year. We will be showing it for the first time in the UK since 2006 and Sydney in 2007. Prior to the performance in Singapore it was reworked and developed to make it even more spectacular. It is being produced by the Royal and Derngate Theatre in the stunning grounds of Delapre Abbey, on the outskirts of Northampton. Supported by Arts Council England and Northampton Borough Council.
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
11 September 2009: Blastival! Isle of Wight
It is Bestival’s Year of the Spectacular and Blastival! looks set to be one of the highlights. Located on the site of last years main stage we will create a fiery spectacle that will evolve and unfold over 3 nights blending astounding pyrotechnical pleasures with stunning street theatre. Blast! created by The World Famous in collaboration with Peepolykus Theatre Company is based around a mechanical dragster like machine (Maximus) and its inventor – our hero – Michael Santos. Santos has always dreamed of flying to outer space and the show charts his attempts and failures over the weekend. Will he succeed at Bestival?
Concept and Design Mandy Dike.
Photo credit: Safeconcerts.com
31 August 2009: Devizes International Street Festival
Join us on Bank Holiday Monday for 'A Show of Circles’ bringing Devizes International Street Festival to a breathtaking close. The show is centred around a huge, circular firedrawing – inspired by this year’s massive increase in Crop Circles in Wiltshire – and features our famous 'Big Wheels’, filling The Green with silver & gold, before a spectacular aerial finale. Concept & Design by Mandy Dike
09 August 2009: The Big Chill
Back by popular command; we will be creating an amazing sculptural bonfire which will be animated by fireworks and performance, to light up the finale of this fabulous music festival.
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
31 July 2009: Trinity at Stockton International Riverside
After the success of last year’s Full Circle, The World Famous returns to Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) to create a new show. Trinity, commissioned by SIRF, takes place in the restored ruins of Trinity Church. Over 2 nights, Fri 31st July and Sat 1st August, an installation of light, smoke, fire and performance transforms this magnificent building. On Sunday 2nd August there will be a firework finale that literally raises the roof. Don’t miss this atmospheric and original performance.
Concept and design Maria Hingerty.
Photograph courtesy of Gilmar Ribeiro.
25 July 2009: Full Circle at the Skegness SO Festival
A new festival in Skegness, SO 2009, will see a host of fabulous entertainers, a cabaret, community workshops, parade, the switching on of the lights and, to top it all, a spectacular fire show by The World Famous on the beach, with music, fire, fireworks and special effects. The two day event on 24 and 25 July 2009 is part of ‘Skegness Organises’, a wide-reaching programme of cultural, sporting and community events in the area. It is wholly funded by the Arts Council East Midlands.
The climax of SO 2009 will be the first ever performance of ‘Full Circle’ on a beach. The World Famous, with musicians Terrafolk will present this unforgettable show telling an exciting story of change through the seasons.
Photograph courtesy of John Byford.
24 July 2009: Camp Bestival Lulworth Castle Dorset
We are excited to be teaming up with Radio 1’s Rob da Bank on the wheels of steel and the English National Ballet to create a whopping great audio visual spectacle at the beautiful Lulworth Castle. The Castle will be animated with fire, light and fireworks, a pyrotechnic son et lumiere to create an unforgettable finale to the weekend. But don’t take our word for it, come and see us and experience it live at this great family festival.
Concept and design Maria Hingerty.
Photograph courtesy of The National Trust.
27 June 2009: Viva Cite Festival Sotteville Les Rouen, France
Since 1991 every last weekend in June the town of Sotteville Les Rouen lives to the rythm of 3 days of amazing street theatre. The World Famous with Terrafolk will be performing their atmospheric show about the changing seasons called Full Circle at this very popular French Festival. Times and further details to follow.
Photograph courtesy of Sandro Braz.
13 June 2009: Crackers? at Singapore Arts Festival
We are really excited to be taking Crackers? to the prestigious Singapore International Arts Festival where we will perform it twice on the 13th and 14th June.
The show has gone through a substantial reworking since it was first performed in Tunbridge Wells, Kent in 2006 and subesquently in Sydney in 2007.
The volunteers who perform in the show will be chosen from Singaporean Nationals.
These performances will be part of the closing ceremonies of the month long Arts Festival.
Photograph courtesy of Sheng Liang.
06 June 2009: Salisbury International Arts Festival
The World Famous have been chosen to provide an exciting firework finale to 16 days of Theatre, Dance, Classical Music, Literature, Jazz at this popular Arts Fesival. We will close the event on Saturday night with a fantastic party and incredible fireworks in the Cathedral Close.
Photograph courtesy of Adrian Harris.
06 June 2009: The Medway Fuse Festival
During the Fuse Medway Festival, Medway’s streets, venues and open spaces will buzz with the sights and sounds of some of the newest and most unusual performers from the area…and further afield. Being different, diverse and daring is at the heart of a programme designed to ignite the passions of the curious, fire the kids’ imaginations and add spark for the already active. The World Famous are back for the third year by popular demand and will be providing a firework bonanza in Chatham Town Centre to open this 2 week festival.
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
02 May 2009: Big in Falkirk
The World Famous will be providing some of their expertise to the Homecoming celebrations at the highly aclaimed Big In Falkirk Festival. With a similar programme of pyrotechnics to the Alloway Celebrations the audience will be treated to a spectacular show.
Photograph courtesy of Alan Mc Ateer.
01 March 2009: Alleyn School's Celebration Fireworks
The World Famous will provide a spectacular opening for the new Edward Alleyn building at this prestigious school.
Photograph courtesy of Doug Southall Photography.
01 February 2009: Chinese New Year Celebrations in Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, London
We will be working with the London China Town Chinese Association to bring some fun filled performances to Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square to celebrate the Year of the Ox.
The Main Stage performances will begin in Trafalgar Square at 11.30 am, where we will have a programme involving firecrackers. There will be a full programme of entertainment until 6pm.
At 5.55pm we will provide entertainment in Leicester Square with a firework display and firecrackers. So come along and see what promise to be loud and spectacular performances to welcome in the Chinese New Year.
Photograph courtesy of Martin King.
24 January 2009: Iconic Burns Alloway, Scotland
This special event, by invitation only, will mark the start of the grand celebration called Homecoming Scotland 2009 which marks the 250th birthday of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. The celebration will begin with a procession through the streets and historic locations of the village of Alloway. The centre piece of this will be Graeme Gilmour’s 4.5 metre high and 7 metre long sculpture of Tam O’Shanter on his mare Meg making his escape over the Brig o’Doon with the witch grappling at her tail. There will be a number of theatrical interludes along the route with musical entertainment provided by a local pipe band. The finale will be at the Brig O’Doon itself along with special lighting from Phil Supple and an original pyrotechnic display by The World Famous.
For more information have a look at The Herald