The season of light might have Indians making a beeline to get their own truckload of firecrackers. but when it comes to illuminating the skyline with fireworks, these are the most expensive displays to have ever happened...
Sydney: One of the first to celebrate New Year thanks to its proximity to the international date line, Australians are obligated to put on a good show. The festivities over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House cost around $6.3 million annually!
Abu Dhabi: No longer the world record holder for size but way ahead of the rest in cost, Abu Dhabi’s fireworks display from December 2009 cost a massive $20 million. Phew!
Dubai: The world’s most expensive single firework 13.40 kg cost a whopping $6,000 and it was in the opulence of Dubai to bring in the New Year 2014. But there’s something even more mindblowing and wallet busting. In 2007, Dubai promised to take home the Guinness World Record for the largest and most artistically detailed fireworks display during New Year 2007/2008. The display, meant honour Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision for The New Middle-East, was set up in over 20 locations along the Dubai beachfront and all of Dubai’s private sector were invited to support the project.
Kuwait City: Kuwait City is still famous for its massive shows. There were a total of 77,282 fireworks set off in its once-record breaking display which lasted over an hour and cost a whopping $15 million.
Beijing: The Opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics wowed the world. The display in a country which is perhaps the spiritual home of the firework cost around $1.3 million.
Philadelphia: The city’s brotherly love took a back seat as their love for the crackles came full circle. Fireworks, a gigantor display at that cost around $2.1 million as they exploded over the Philadelphia Museum of Art during an Independence Day celebration in 2013.
Addison, Texas: The Kaboom Town Independence Day celebration in the Dallas suburb costs a mere $220,000 but it is an annual favourite of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
Washington DC: Widely recognised to be one of the most extravagant July 4th displays in the country, DC also keeps its firecracker figure under wraps. But they illuminate the sky for what seems like forever!
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