About the Festival

The rewards granted during the 2009 edition are the following :

• Silver Vestale for Prestatech (France)

• Jury Special Price for Pyrovision (Austria)

• The Audience Price was granted to Surex (Pologne)
  
  
  List of Winners since 1967

Festival History

From the Esterel mountains to the Pointe Croisette, the bay of Cannes forms a jewel case for great events. Cannes wanted to organize for its citizens, as well as for tourists, an international valued event in the very heart of the summer season, where it could take advantage of both : its magnificent natural scenery and its prestige.

Cannes became a pioneer in "pyromusical" events in 1967, when the City created a competition during which the participants could present complete shows, i.e. : a firework shot from the sea, on barges mooring in the bay of Cannes, with a musical background and telling a story, all articulated around one major theme.

From this year on, the Ruggieri company, undisputed masters of firework arts, worked closely with the city of Cannes to create a competition during which the participants had the possibility to present a pyrotechnical show. A firework guided by a musical theme, associated to chosen stories. For the first time then disordered, separate firework shots were left behind to give way to magnificent, well structured shows.

The Festival for pyrotechnical arts was born.

Since 1998, this Festival has become one of the major events in pyrotechnics, another similar event takes place in Montreal. Observers from all around the world are attending more and more sophisticated fireworks.

A jury, composed by 6 persons, appreciate not only the originality of the theme and shows presented, but also the way it was built together, the quality of the music, the synchronization, the search for perfect fitting colors, the shooting rhythm as well as the general rhythm and the programs set up. Companies from all around the world wanted to compete to win the award, a very famous recognition by professionals and the public.

These shows, given from a 300 meters seafront, in the splendid bay of Cannes, gave a surprising dimension to it. The reflection of the fireworks on the water and the acoustic relief, transported the public into a fairy tale world of successive frames.
Seduced by the novelty and the originality of the demonstrations, the jury and the public awarded the Ruggieri company for its magnificent "pyrodrama", where the story, the music and the fireworks won a large success.

The goal was reached : from the first year on the pyrotechnical show took off.
Very quickly, the Festival got its definite form and each year, following a meticulous search, a last selection is made to determine which, out of numerous candidates, will be the (depending on the years) 4 or 5 representatives, that will compete for the Siver Vestale, and every 6 years for the Gold Vestale, where the very best are chosen, out of the winners of the previous years.

Having become one of the major attractions of the summer season, the Festival has been followed on the Croisette from the first year on, by over 80 000 persons by evening and became very successful.

Today, around 200 000 persons follow the shows on every evening.