Spectacular explosive night at Stanford Hall’s Firework Champions

Published on by Karl Quinney - Copywriter

If you thought fireworks were just for Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, wedding days and other special occasions, think again.

Having seen it promoted a number of times over the last few years, we made the short trip across from Rugby over the Warwickshire county border into Leicestershire to Stanford Hall near Lutterworth for the 2023 Firework Champions event.

Billed as the UK’s leading firework event (and not to be confused with the British Firework Championships), the event was apparently first born at Stanford (although I can’t pin point exactly when) and judging by the crowds – many of whom return year-after-year, and make a weekend of it by camping over – is extremely popular.

Stanford Hall
Calm before the storm lakeside at Stanford Hall

And you can see why.

The premise is that once darkness falls, three professional firework/pyrotechnic companies get the opportunity to show off their wares by delivering a timed display of explosive elegance set to music in a competition format. Without researching the rules too deeply, one presumes it is based on a time allocation to produce and execute the display and a budget to spend on the actual fireworks (feel to correct me for clarity or if I’m wrong). Once all three competitors have had their display, the audience get to choose the winners of who they think is the best display. There was also a drone show planned but the weather conditions meant that had to be pulled from proceedings which was a shame.

Before the action kicks off for what is essentially a family event, the idea is to basically find yourself a suitable vantage point on the field (minding the sheep and duck ‘do-do’), pitch up your chairs and in some cases table, tents and gazebos (unless you have paid for premium parking and you basically ‘camp out’ of your car and boot for the night), eat, drink, chat and be merry. There are the obligatory food, drink and merchandise stalls available, music playing to keep the masses entertained, the event host/announcer does occasional walkabout and with mic in hand chats with the crowd, plus there was the sight of a Teddy Bear ‘Conga’ which in aid of charity partners, The Bruce Green Foundation, is apparently a popular and now-regular feature of the evening to further get people in the mood (apologies, but no picture was taken)

So there is plenty to keep everyone entertained before the main event, which thankfully the rain eased off and the skies became clearer for in the nick of time.

Now it’s early August and more often than not you would think the weather conditions for this time of year would be conducive for a warm clear evening to sit back, relax and take in the Show.  Well, not quite on this occasion. The British Summer has been playing its tricks this year as we know and lo and behold it rained, drizzled, and then rained and rained again. That I can cope with, but throw in the cold and a general feel of it being more like mid-November and it was testing our powers of endurance (and no doubt everyone else’s too)

But we prevailed and it was worth it as the three competition displays from – in order – Komodo Fireworks Ltd , Smart Pyrotechnics & AJ Pyrotechnics Ltd were quite something, as was the closing salvo from organisers MLE Pyrotechnics Limited

(All images © Diana Quinney)

The audience vote went to Team 2 of Smart Pyrotechnics (personally I thought AJ got the nod, but it was close), and everyone went home happy from an entertaining evening.

Would we go again? Probably as it is an enjoyable evening, and we would probably look to take other family with us too. And to hope that the weather and temperatures are more summer-like too which the event and venue deserves.

  • The Firework Champions return to Stanford Hall next year over the same weekend on Saturday 3rd August 2024. Before then, they have other remaining events in August and in September. Find out more on their website HERE.

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