Did you know that the worldÂ’s largest single firework was set off at a festival in Japan in 1988? The shell weighed over half a tonne and the burst was over a kilometre wide!
Keen to learn more? Then head to the fireworks festival at the Experimentarium where they aim to educate, entertain and give the audience a bang of a good time this December. Now in its 21st year, the festival is becoming something of a great tradition Â… much like fireworks on New YearÂ’s Eve.
The Experimentarium’s very own ‘fireworks master ’Kristoffer Bredahl will hold six exciting indoor shows over three days. Amid the smoke, colours and loud bangs, Bredahl will explain the fascinating chemistry behind these historic and celebrated creations. He promises that it’s always a captivating show as it “combines stunning aesthetics with hard core science”.
This is also BredahlÂ’s sixth year. With a background in physics and chemistry, he dissects the fireworks and explains (in Danish) each different component. HeÂ’ll provide the answers to questions such as how does gunpowder get its black colour, where do the sparkles come from, and how do you get the firework up in the air.
While it’s a show for everyone, “it’s usually the dads with their two boys that enjoy it the most,” Bredahl said. “There’s something about fireworks that appeals to them as they are both beautiful and dangerous much like racing cars. Fireworks have this mysterious quality to them that bewilders people when they see so much power coming from a rolled up piece of cardboard.”
A big aim of the show is to push the safety messages around how fireworks should be handled. “Every year there continues to be a lot of accidents relating to fireworks around the New Year period,” said Experimentarium marketing co-ordinator Maria Holst Mouritzen. “If we can teach children from a young age how to treat fireworks with respect then hopefully we can help prevent unnecessary injuries.”
From Bredahl’s point of view it’s the parents that are most in need of a safety message reminder. “People in the 30-40 age group have often forgotten how dangerous fireworks can be. I don’t tell them anything they don’t already know, but merely remind them to wear goggles and not to return to the firework if it doesn’t go off.” He wants people to remember that fireworks are and will always be unpredictable, no matter how many years experience you have with them.
One of Bredahl’s big focuses this year is to dispel the myth that dousing fireworks with water will render them dead. “Fireworks and water are a dangerous combination; water can actually ignite a firework and increase the flames on an already lit one. As part of my show I pour water on a firework and let the audience see for themselves the havoc it can wreak.”
An explosively beautiful experience, this year’s fireworks festival isn’t one to be missed. From young to old, everyone can discover something more about these mysterious, bright and banging explosions that we all love so much. As Mouritzen said: “No matter what age you are there is a fascination with fireworks that everyone has.” So come and satisfy your curiosity at this year’s fireworks festival!
Experimentarium Fireworks Festival Main stage, Experimentarium, Tuborg Havnevej 7, Hellerup; shows on Dec 28, 29 & 30 at 12:00 & 15:00 everyday; free adm with paid entry: over-11s 160kr, under- 11s 100kr; shows are in Danish; www.experimentarium.dk
