South Africa crowned winner of the 2026 World Fireworks Championship Blackpool - but Germany miss out
“Judges particularly praised the South African team's soundtrack selection and their striking use of single-colour effects.”
Fireworks for Africa, representing South Africa, has been crowned the winner of the 2026 World Fireworks Championship Blackpool.
Over two spectacular weekends in September, teams from Wales and South Africa lit up Blackpool's skies as they competed for the prestigious title.
But for Germany, they didn’t get the chance to reveal their display as it was cancelled due to bad weather.
And despite exploring alternative options, a suitable replacement has not been found.
A combination of tide times, existing event commitments, road closure requirements and increasingly unpredictable autumn weather has made it impossible to safely reschedule the display this year.
A panel of judges assessed each display against a range of criteria, including quality, synchronisation, pyrotechnic and musical creativity and overall impact. Following the final scoring, Fireworks for Africa emerged as the winners.
Judges particularly praised the South African team's soundtrack selection and their striking use of single-colour effects.
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And for Blackpool itself, thousands of residents and visitors lined the Promenade to enjoy the two breath taking displays from Celtic Fireworks and Fireworks for Africa.
While this year's competition has drawn to a close, Blackpool's packed autumn and winter events programme is just getting started.
The award-winning Lightpool Festival returns on Wednesday 21 October to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Running for ten nights until 31 October, the town centre will be transformed by spectacular light installations, 3D projection shows, art trails and live performances.
Festive celebrations will then continue with the return of Christmas By The Sea from Friday 20 November to Sunday 3 January 2027. The popular event will once again transform the Tower Festival Headland into a magical winter wonderland, featuring a skating rink, festive cabins, family rides and seasonal food and drink.
For more information about upcoming events in Blackpool, visit visitblackpool.com.