The 39th edition of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition kicked off with an opening display designed by BEM Feux d'artifice on a set theme, Viva Latino, and a soundtrack prepared by the event organizers. These opening shows are regularly criticized by fans of the event for not being of the same caliber as those in competition, and perhaps because after a few months of deprivation, expectations are a little too high. Despite this, I think this one was below average, but still a good «amuse-bouche».
With a soundtrack made of 19 songs drawn (according to Paul Marriott's interview) from "new" Latin songs, I was certainly not in the target audience. In fact, during the evening, I had the impression that many of us didn't know any of the songs. It was a bold choice, undoubtedly aimed at a more niche audience. However, I have often discovered songs and musical pieces in these shows that I love and then enjoy listening to again. However, I noticed that these songs shared a similar beat, which gave the show a linear rhythm with little variation. This stability was also reflected in the rhythm of the pyrotechnic performance, which often lacked density and energy. In fact, the crescendo leading up to the final climax had still not begun when we reached the 29th minute of this 30-minute, 20-second show. The final tableau, slightly more powerful than all the previous ones, remained subdued, and the climax was brief.
This minimalist Latin music theme was not enhanced by a more complex technical design. The firing positions on the three main launch ramps were few and far between, which led to a certain repetition in the firing patterns. The two other ramps available to the pyrotechnicians were not used. However, fountains and nautical mines were launched onto the lake on several occasions. The arsenal included a few interesting pyrotechnic pieces, including ghost shells and cylindrical shells whose parts were well synchronized with the sound elements. Around the midpoint of the show, the crowd reacted loudly when they saw the clusters of colorful smoke lit up by small and bright pieces similar to horsetails that ignited a little higher up, a combination reminiscent of a sequence from last year's Japanese extravaganza. The show did not seem to suffer from any significant technical problems, but there were asymmetries in the white strobes, which only lit up on the left half of the firing zone for at least eight of the 19 tableaux.
As I sat in the Ferris wheel to watch the ramps a few hours before the show, I met a tourist from Georgia who, with her family, is visiting several amusement parks and had timed their visit to La Ronde to coincide with the opening of this competition, which she had heard a lot about. I have digested this first course well, partly because I am confident that a feast will unfold before our eyes in the coming month. However, I found the show disappointing for people like this tourist and her family, for whom this is the only fireworks display they see.
General admission tickets are on sale on La Ronde's website at the regular price of $15. That said, «last minute» tickets are once again on sale at the ticket office located near the Arcade, at the price of $10. New family packages (with children) are also available for $25 for three people and $30 for four people; however, I do not have any information on the criteria for a person to be considered a "child."
Paul has already explained why this show started at 10:13 p.m. It was preceded by a protocol ceremony similar to last year's, during which Sophie Émond gave a brief speech, and was introduced as "La Ronde general manager," a change from the title of "president," which is undoubtedly related to the organizational changes that took place across the Six Flags chain about a month ago.
Fred | 
