Newcastle’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is set to go off with bigger bangs, more colours and more “high-velocity” pyrotechnics.
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Fireworks Factory chief Chris Solomou, who has been launching fireworks for New Year’s Eve celebrations for the best part of two decades, says Monday night’s display will be “more intense” than last year.
“We’re going to take it up a notch,” Mr Solomou said from Fireworks Factory’s base in Maitland on Friday.
“We’ll be using more of the larger, high-velocity, high powder weight shells in a greater range of colours.”
The council-funded fireworks display will start at 9pm and be the finale of a night of entertainment on Newcastle Foreshore that officially begins from 5pm.
Mr Solomou said the fireworks production would last about 13 to 14 minutes and utilise a total weight of about “three quarters of a tonne” of some of the best pyrotechnic product available.
The fireworks will be launched from Griffiths Park at Stockton and burst at heights up to 300 metres.
“Essentially they are fired vertical,” Mr Solomou said.
“We do actually askew them a bit but with the [predicted] north-easter it’s going to blow them back into the harbour anyway.
“So during the travel time they will arch a bit over the water. If the wind was in the wrong direction would tilt them back over the harbour.”
Mr Solomou said weather had only ever prevented one of his New Year’s Eve productions from going ahead.
He said the city’s display, which has taken more than three months to plan, design and put together, would be best viewed from the southern side of the harbour.
“You get to see the whole width of the display across the water and the reflections on the water,” he said.
“It’s great for photographers. On the Griffiths Park side they are a lot more up close and personal, but you get more of a side view.”
Newcastle Foreshore will have a cardboard funzone, inflatable land, sensory zone, food trucks, markets and live music led by Dragon.
Maitland’s fireworks display on the Hunter riverbank commences at 9pm.
“It’s a more personalised display, very colourful,” Mr Solomou said.
