Calentita Fireworks 2011

Calentita Fireworks 2011

We’ve produced a number of spectacular firework displays in Gibraltar over the years, but 2011 was the first year Alchemy and Gib-based Events UnLimited have been awarded the contract to produce the Calentita Night fireworks and laser display in Casemates Square. The event is a spring food and arts festival, and the fireworks and laser display is the finale, and draws a big crowd to the city centre. Our proposal was to produce a display choreographed to a musical selection inspired by the very principle that drives the whole event: that Gibraltar has been and continues to be a melting pot of cultures.
As the firing site is the same as for New Year’s Eve we already knew the limitations of the site, and the key is choosing appropriate calibre reliable material. There is almost no margin for error with tight safety distances and hazards on all sides. On New Year’s Eve the display is – as you would expect – quite short. A blast for 5 minutes to celebrate the end of one year and the start of the next. But Calentita is a much longer display, which really stretches the range of suitable material to avoid repeating effects during the show. It took all of our expertise to design a show that would be interesting and high-impact and last nearly 20 minutes while working within all the health and safety restrictions of the venue and the limited footprint of the firing site itself.
On top of this we also worked with a Spanish laser company to produce a show that seemlessly integrated the fireworks, lasers, lights and music to produce a son-et-lumiere that was definitely greater than the sum of its parts. And for all the restrictions and challenges of limited safety distances, it’s great to hear the audience reaction close-up, not only at the end but throughout the display. That’s one of the great things about working in Gibraltar – the people there do love their fireworks. And our end client was on the phone straight after the display to confirm to thanks us for a safe and spectacular job well done.