L'International des Feux Loto-Québec

The Montreal Clock Tower during L'International des Feux Loto-Québec.

L'International des Feux Loto-Québec, also known as the Montreal Fireworks Festival, is the most prestigious and largest fireworks festival in the world. (It was formerly known as Le Mondial SAQ, and l'International Benson & Hedges.) It has been held yearly in La Ronde over the Dolphins lake, since 1985, and is named after its main sponsor, Loto-Québec. It hosts an estimated 3 million spectators each year, with approximately 6,000 fireworks set off during each show. Each summer, eight or nine pyrotechnical companies from different countries present a 30-minute-long pyromusical show, competing for the Gold, Silver and Bronze Jupiters or trophies.

For the 20th anniversary in 2004, eight of the previous top competitors (all of whom had won the Gold Jupiter) were invited to fight for the unique Platinum Jupiter in June and July 2004, which was won in the end by the German company WECO.

The competition takes the form of a series of biweekly fireworks shows usually beginning in late June and ending in late July. The fireworks are synchronized to music which is also broadcast over a provincial radio station (RockDétente in 2005, Rythme FM 2006-onwards). Spectators can purchase tickets to have reserved seats in La Ronde: they can buy them on site, on-line or through the Admission group to obtain an exceptional view of the lower altitude display and the whole perspective. However, tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free from nearby locations (see Where to watch). In 2009 and 2010, the shows have been held on Saturday nights only, from June to August, however in 2011 shows were again held on Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning end of June until end of July.

Jupiter winners

Year Gold Jupiter Silver Jupiter Bronze Jupiter
1985 France France Italy Italy Japan Japan
1986 Spain Spain France France *
1987 United States United States Germany Germany Spain Spain
1988 Spain Spain Germany Germany United States United States
1989 Germany Germany United States United States Spain Spain & Canada Canada
1990 France France Spain Spain Switzerland Switzerland
1991 United States United States Netherlands Netherlands Switzerland Switzerland
1992 China China United States United States Spain Spain
1993 Spain Spain China China France France
1994 United States United States Australia Australia Japan Japan
1995 Netherlands Netherlands France France Italy Italy
1996 United States United States Spain Spain Germany Germany
1997 Italy Italy Germany Germany Austria Austria
1998 United States United States Italy Italy Spain Spain
1999 United States United States Canada Canada Spain Spain
2000 Germany Germany Spain Spain Australia Australia
2001 Spain Spain Australia Australia Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei
2002 France France Portugal Portugal Canada Canada
2003 Canada Canada Australia Australia Hong Kong Hong Kong
2004 Germany Germany * *
2005 Argentina Argentina United States United States Canada Canada
2006 United States United States France France Australia Australia
2007 England England Germany Germany United States United States
2008 United States United States Australia Australia China China
2009  Canada Hong Kong Hong Kong, China United States United States
2010  Canada  Sweden  France
2011  Italy  France  Australia
2012  United States  Portugal  Italy
2013  Italy  Croatia  Spain
2014  Canada  Australia  France
2015  England  France Hong Kong Hong Kong, China
2016  Spain  Sweden Switzerland Switzerland

* Not awarded.

Gold Jupiter winning teams

Summer 2014 schedule

Summer 2015 schedule

Where to watch

Although the fireworks are shot at La Ronde on Île Sainte-Hélène, they can easily be seen from many points in the Montreal area: elsewhere on Île Sainte-Hélène; Longueuil; on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, which is closed to traffic from around 8 p.m. until the end of the show;[1] the Old Port of Montreal; or locations along the side or on a boat on the Saint Lawrence River.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "L'International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS". Internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
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