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 |
| Most recent | 2025 |
| Attendance | More than 130,000 (2024) |
| Patron(s) | hit 104.7 and other sponsors |
Skyfire is an amazing annual fireworks show held in Canberra, Australia. It takes place every March over Lake Burley Griffin. This exciting event has been happening since 1989. Local radio stations like hit 104.7 and Mix 106.3 help pay for it. The best part is that the fireworks are perfectly matched to music played on these radio stations!
Contents
The Story of Skyfire
How Skyfire Began
The very first Skyfire show happened on March 18, 1989. It was part of the Canberra Festival that year, put on by FM 104.7 radio.
The second Skyfire, on March 11, 1990, drew about 60,000 people. It cost around A$100,000 to put on. By 1991, Skyfire III launched over 2.5 tonnes of fireworks! That's like the weight of a small car in fireworks!
In 1992, the show used 3 tonnes of fireworks and lasted for 35 minutes. Imagine watching fireworks for that long!
Growing Bigger and Brighter
Skyfire V, in 1993, was a huge show with 436 separate firework shots. These were timed perfectly to music from popular 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, Skyfire featured 6 tonnes of fireworks, including special ones that went off in the water. These fireworks were worth almost A$250,000.
Skyfire X in 1998 attracted about 120,000 visitors. The next year, Skyfire XI in 1999, saw even more people, with an estimated 180,000 visitors coming to watch.
Skyfire in the 2000s
The 2006 Skyfire was called "Skyfire 18" because it was the eighteenth time the event had been held. It became a really big day with other fun activities. These included a display by the Roulettes aerobatic squadron, who are amazing stunt pilots. There was also a performance by singer Lee Harding. About 35,000 individual fireworks were used that year, including thousands of shooting comets and shells.
In 2007, over 170,000 people came to see Skyfire 19.
Skyfire 21 took place on March 21, 2009. The fireworks started at 8:33 PM and lasted for 21 minutes. The fireworks were launched from the center of Lake Burley Griffin, near famous landmarks like Anzac Parade and Parliament House. Fortunato Foti and his team from Foti International Fireworks put on the show. They said it was "at least 30 per cent bigger than previous years," with over 3,000 aerial fireworks and many shooting comets.
Recent Skyfire Events
On March 19, 2011, about 80,000 people attended Skyfire. To keep everyone safe, more police were present at the 2012 event, and special youth reception stations were set up. The 2012 show featured over 2,500 aerial fireworks.
Skyfire 25 in 2013 included exciting displays from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Federation Guard, and the Snowy Hydro Rescue Helicopter.
In 2014, Skyfire used about 3,000 individual cues (signals to launch fireworks) and around eight kilometers of cabling!
Skyfire 2018 was a huge show with 40,000 firework effects, 2,500 shells, and 25,000 shooting comets. The fireworks started at 8:30 PM, but fun events at Regatta Point began at 6:00 PM. These included music, displays by the Federation Guard, and a fast jet display by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Pauses and Return
Skyfire was cancelled in 2020 for the first time ever because of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. The 2021 show was also cancelled due to the pandemic.
But good news came on October 26, 2023! It was announced that Skyfire would return on March 16, 2024, after a five-year break. Hit104.7 and Mix 106.3 Canberra radio stations hosted the event live from Regatta Point and Lake Burley Griffin. The show on March 15, 2025, featured 40,000 effects, 2,500 shells, and 25,000 shooting comets, plus a cool flyover by an F35 Lighting fighter jet.
Skyfire by the Numbers
Here's a look at how many people have attended Skyfire and some details about the fireworks over the years:
| Date | Attendance | Details of pyrotechnics | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 March 1989 | 70,000 | ||
| 11 March 1990 | 60,000 | ||
| 10 March 1991 | 60,000 | More than 2.5 tonnes of fireworks | |
| 8 March 1992 | 70,000 | 3 tonnes of fireworks; display lasted 35 minutes | |
| 7 March 1993 | 70,000 | Featured 436 separate shots | |
| 13 March 1994 | 70,000 | Featured six tonnes of aerial and water fireworks worth almost $250,000 | |
| 12 March 1995 | 80,000 | Incorporated 4500 special effects | |
| 10 March 1996 | 70,000 | More than 1.5 tonnes of fireworks | |
| 9 March 1997 | 70,000 | ||
| 8 March 1998 | 120,000 | ||
| 7 March 1999 | 180,000 | ||
| 12 March 2000 | 80,000 | ||
| 3 March 2001 | 80,000 | ||
| 9 March 2002 | 80,000 | ||
| 8 March 2003 | 80,000 | ||
| 6 March 2004 | 70,000 | Two main barges and nine pontoons | |
| 8 March 2005 | 80,000 | ||
| 4 March 2006 | 80,000 | 35,000 individual fireworks used, with approximately 6,000 shooting comets and almost 3,000 shells | |
| 10 March 2007 | 120,000 | F-111 Jet performed a special display to begin the show, the National Carillon used to launch fireworks | |
| 15 March 2008 | 100,000 | ||
| 21 March 2009 | 120,000 | ||
| 20 March 2010 | 100,000 | Three main barges and eight pontoons, the first time the modern setup was used | |
| 19 March 2011 | 100,000 | ||
| 17 March 2012 | 80,000 | Featured more than 2,500 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and around 40,000 pyrotechnic effects | |
| 16 March 2013 | 100,000 | 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 | 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 | 110,000 | More than 2,000 aerial fireworks, more than 10,000 ground-based fireworks | |
| 18 March 2017 | 110,000 | More than 2000 aerial fireworks, 15,000 ground-based fireworks | |
| 17 March 2018 | 120,000 | 30th Skyfire show, celebrated with SKYFIRE30 spelled in pyro across the water | |
| 16 March 2019 | 120,000 | a primary barge had an issue | |
| 15 March 2020 | cancelled, show on hiatus | ||
| 16 March 2024 | 130,000 | First Skyfire in five years. 18 minute show featuring 40,000 effects, 2,500 shells and 25,000 shooting comets | |
| 15 March 2025 | 120,000 | 18+ minute show featuring 40,000 effects, 2,500 shells and 25,000 shooting comets preceded by a flyover of a F35 Lighting fighter jet |
Who Helps Make Skyfire Happen?
Skyfire is mainly a hit104.7 Canberra event. Over the years, other groups have also helped sponsor it. These include Casino Canberra, ActewAGL, and Canberra Airport. Their support helps keep this amazing fireworks show going for everyone to enjoy!
