International Fireworks Competition begins June 13th

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years already since Montreal launched its first International Fireworks Competition, which has turned into a renowned and respected event with entries from countries around the world. The season begins June 13 and will end with a grand spectacle on August 15th, in partnership with Quebec’s Cirque de Soleil.

When: Every Saturday night for 30 minutes. I’m not sure of the exact start times, but I’ll find out and post them.

Where: You can buy tickets to watch the show from the LaRonde site, or you can spend the day at LaRonde and stay to watch from a spot you’ve found in the park. Or, you can do what thousands of others do, find a vantage point from somewhere in the city and watch for free. The Jacques Cartier bridge is closed to vehicular traffic so pedestrians can stand on the bridge to watch the delightful shows.

You can also watch the show from many good vantage points in Old Montreal and on the other side of the river from Longeuil. You could always try to get a job in one of the highrise office buildings and go in to work on Saturday night…

The drawback from watching offsite is you may get a delay on the explosions in the air, since you will see it before you hear it. As well, the explosions are choreographed to music that you can hear when you’re on the site. I’m told there is also an FM radio station that broadcasts the music though.

If you do go onsite to watch, the strongest recommendation anyone can make is TAKE THE METRO. Thousands of people will be leaving the park at the same time as you. The bridge can’t be opened until all the pedestrians leave. Therefore, the best thing to do is park somewhere near a metro station elsewhere on the island and use public transit to go to LaRonde.