It should be a spectacular fireworks show in the Tilburg city center to ring in the new year, but on Saturday the plans were canceled due to the stormy wind. Instead of shooting countless arrows into the air, the company that was supposed to provide the show is now tearing everything down again.
They wanted to go all out tonight with very different types of fireworks, an overwhelming show that would leave the people of Tilburg breathless. “We worked for two to three months to design and produce everything,” says pyrotechnician Remco Stolzenbach of Cafero Event Fireworks from Kleve, Germany. “Very versatile, with unique products that we are the only ones to shoot in the Netherlands.”
Since nine o’clock on Friday morning they were busy setting up the fireworks show in the Piushaven. Remco and his colleagues are very disappointed that the event has been cancelled. “We were looking forward to it ourselves, we really wanted to be there with a great show.”
“Suppose you still have to cancel one minute before midnight.”
The company will provide even more fireworks shows in our country next New Year’s Eve. It is not yet clear whether these will continue. For such large-scale events to be canceled due to the weather, it is the first time that Caffero has experienced this.
“As a technician, I would have dared to deal with this weather,” says Remco. “But I fully understand the decision of the municipality. Suppose you still have to cancel it one minute before midnight. Then it will be full of disappointed people here.”
“There is a danger that a flare will blow into the audience.”
“It’s just the law,” he continues. “You can shoot fireworks up to a wind speed of nine meters per second. If the wind blows harder, there is a danger that the fireworks will change direction and blow into the audience.”
The extent of the financial loss for the company is still unclear. “We may have to throw away fireworks because they can no longer be used,” said the technician.