Planning a show
A good show starts with the right location
The setting shapes the view, the scale and the rhythm. What to look for before choosing your fireworks.
Before choosing colours or music, picture the people who will be watching. Where will they gather? What will they see? A well-chosen location gives the display room to unfold and the audience a clear view.
If you are planning a display with consumer fireworks, the points below will help you think through the layout. Always follow each product’s instructions and the rules that apply at your location.
Start with the audience’s view
Choose the audience position as carefully as the firing area. It needs to be outside every safety zone, with a clear view of the display. If you are using music, plan the listening position here too.
Give the fireworks the space they need
The firing area must be open and large enough for the products you intend to use. Each firework has a stated safety distance. Keep people outside that zone while it is firing; a clear view never justifies moving the audience closer.
Walk the site in daylight and consider how people could enter it:
- Are paths, neighbouring properties or other access points close to the firing area?
- Will the boundary be clear to someone who has not seen your plan?
- Do you need barriers, warning tape or someone to keep watch?
Put the layout on paper
A simple plan makes the relationship between the fireworks, the audience and your own movements easier to see. Mark:
- Each firing position and its safety zone, drawn to scale.
- The intended firing order.
- The audience area and any sound equipment.
- Safe waiting positions and routes outside the zones of fireworks that are firing.
Several firing positions may be possible if the site has enough space. Check the clearance for every product and every movement. The original diagrams below illustrate layouts; they do not replace the instructions for your fireworks or an assessment of your site.
Let the location set the scale
The available space influences how the show can be arranged and how you can move between firing positions. With consumer fireworks, pauses may be necessary. Allow for them in the plan rather than trying to hurry from one product to the next.
Have a location in mind? Start there.
For a professional JoHo Pyro display, tell us where the event will take place, the date and the audience you have in mind. A few photographs or a site plan give us a useful starting point for the conversation.
Further reading: Tukes — how to light fireworks safely.
