Friday 17 June 2016

New Brighton Pier still home to Guy Fawkes 2016

Christchurch’s Guy Fawkes Fireworks Spectacular will go ahead in its traditional home at New Brighton Pier in 2016, despite repairs to the popular landmark getting underway in the spring.

“Repairs will be in full swing by November, and there were questions around whether we’d be able to get the fireworks display set up in such a busy worksite,” says David Adamson, Christchurch City Council’s General Manager City Services.

“Our Guy Fawkes events are particularly dazzling, and involve a lot of preparation and hardware that normally wouldn’t be feasible on such a busy worksite. Fortunately, the Council’s Events Production and Capital Delivery teams have been working hard to ensure that things can be done safely, and we can confirm that everything’s full steam ahead for 2016.”

The free event is set to be held on Saturday 5 November, and the 24 hours required for setup and shut-down is not expected to delay or disrupt New Brighton Pier’s repair programme.

“We were determined to keep Guy Fawkes in the east – New Brighton Pier is a picturesque venue that works for audiences from all over the city, and we’re pleased to be able to keep it at its traditional home this year,” Mr Adamson says.

“Usually, the crowds gather on the beach to watch the spectacle, and access to the Pier is always restricted anyway for safety reasons, so the logistics of the 2016 show will be no different to any other year as far as the audiences are concerned.

“We also intend to host the 2017 event at New Brighton Pier – it all depends on how advanced the repairs are at that stage, but we will be working towards this goal.”

New Brighton Pier may be closed for a period of between 12 and 18 months, depending on the chosen repair method and the sea conditions. New Brighton Library will also be closed for repairs for an estimated six months beginning in spring, but the Salt on the Pier café will remain open throughout the majority of the works. This timeframe will be confirmed when a contractor is appointed to work on the Library.

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