Skyfire (Canberra) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skyfire |
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| Genre | Fireworks display |
| Date(s) | March |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Canberra |
| Inaugurated | 1989 |
| Attendance | More than 100,000 (2014) |
| Patron(s) | FM 104.7 and other sponsors |
Skyfire is an exciting annual fireworks show held in Canberra, Australia. Every March, the skies above Lake Burley Griffin light up with a spectacular display. This amazing event has been happening since 1989. A local radio station, FM 104.7, helps pay for Skyfire. The fireworks are perfectly timed to music played on their station, making it a truly magical experience!
Contents
The History of Skyfire: A Dazzling Tradition
Skyfire began on March 18, 1989. It was FM 104.7's special gift to the Canberra Festival that year. People loved it so much that it became an annual tradition!
Early Years of Sparkle and Growth
The second Skyfire, held on March 11, 1990, attracted about 60,000 people. Just a year later, in 1991, Skyfire III launched over 2.5 tonnes of fireworks! Imagine how many explosions that would be! In 1992, the show grew even bigger, using three tonnes of fireworks and lasting for 35 minutes.
Skyfire Mark V in 1993 was very special. It featured 436 separate firework shots, all timed to popular music from artists like Madonna and Prince. More than five tonnes of fireworks were used, launched from 10 floating platforms in the middle of the lake. By 1994, the show used six tonnes of fireworks, including special water effects!
Skyfire Gets Even Bigger!
By 1998, Skyfire X drew an estimated 120,000 visitors. The next year, Skyfire XI in 1999 attracted an incredible 180,000 people! This shows just how popular the event had become.
The 2006 Skyfire, known as "Skyfire 18," was a huge celebration. Besides the fireworks, there were other fun activities. The Roulettes aerobatic squadron performed amazing stunts in the sky. There were about 35,000 individual fireworks used that year, including thousands of shooting comets and shells. In 2007, over 170,000 people came to see Skyfire 19.
Recent Skyfire Spectacles
Skyfire 21 took place on March 21, 2009. The fireworks started at 8:33 PM and lasted for 21 minutes. The show was "at least 30 percent bigger" than previous years. It included over 3,000 aerial fireworks and many thousands of shooting comets. The fireworks were set off from the center of Lake Burley Griffin, reaching towards Anzac Parade and Parliament House.
In 2011, about 80,000 people enjoyed Skyfire. The 2012 event featured more than 2,500 aerial fireworks, creating a truly grand display. Skyfire 25 in 2013 included special displays from the Royal Australian Navy and the Federation Guard. The 2014 show used about 3,000 individual cues and eight kilometers of cables to make everything work perfectly.
Skyfire's Return!
Sadly, Skyfire was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But there's great news! On October 26, 2023, it was announced that Skyfire will return on March 16, 2024, after a five-year break! Hit104.7 and Mix 106.3 Canberra will both help host this exciting comeback event.
Skyfire by the Numbers: Attendance and Fireworks
Skyfire has grown a lot over the years. Here's a look at how many people have attended and the amazing fireworks used:
| Date | Attendance | Details of Pyrotechnics |
|---|---|---|
| 18 March 1989 | 70,000 | First Skyfire event |
| 11 March 1990 | 60,000 | |
| 10 March 1991 | More than 2.5 tonnes of fireworks | |
| 8 March 1992 | 3 tonnes of fireworks; display lasted 35 minutes | |
| 7 March 1993 | Featured 436 separate shots | |
| 13 March 1994 | Featured six tonnes of aerial and water fireworks worth almost $250,000 | |
| 12 March 1995 | Incorporated 4500 special effects | |
| 10 March 1996 | More than 1.5 tonnes of fireworks | |
| 8 March 1998 | 120,000 | |
| 7 March 1999 | 180,000 | |
| 12 March 2000 | 80,000 | |
| 6 March 2004 | 70,000 | Two main barges and nine pontoons |
| 4 March 2006 | 35,000 individual fireworks used, with approximately 6,000 shooting comets and almost 3,000 shells | |
| 10 March 2007 | More than 170,000 | |
| 21 March 2009 | 130,000 | |
| 19 March 2011 | Around 80,000 | |
| 17 March 2012 | Over 100,000 | Featured more than 2,500 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and around 40,000 pyrotechnic effects |
| 16 March 2013 | Featured 40,000 individual pyrotechnics | |
| 15 March 2014 | 120,000 | More than 2000 aerial fireworks and 10,000 shooting comets, display lasting 18 minutes |
| 14 March 2015 | More than 100,000 | Featured more than 20 tonnes of equipment set up in 11 positions along 400 metres of the lake's central basin, and more than 2,000 kilograms of explosive content. |
| 19 March 2016 | Featured more than 2,000 aerial fireworks and more than 10,000 ground-based crackers from 11 platforms in the lake's basin. | |
| 16 March 2019 | A primary barge exploded (minor incident) | |
| 15 March 2020 | Cancelled due to pandemic | |
| 20 March 2021 | Cancelled due to pandemic | |
| 16 March 2024 | First Skyfire in five years |
