Celesta, pyrotechnics for local authorities
Towns, inter-municipal bodies, departments: we design and produce your fireworks displays, drone light shows and multimedia set-ups, from the first site survey to restoring the site.
- Free quote
- Registered F4-T2 pyrotechnicians and drone pilots
- Prefecture application processed
- France and abroad
They entrusted us with organising their celebrations
Local authorities, inter-municipal bodies and departments in Île-de-France, Normandy and beyond.
The events of the municipal year
We write each event of the municipal year separately: here are the four that our teams produce most often.
14 July
National Day
Traditional fireworks, a light drone show or a combination of both: we tailor the display to your venue, your audience size and your approved budget.
December
End-of-year celebrations
The New Year brings your residents together in the same square. Fireworks, drone displays and lighting of heritage sites.
Spring and summer
Heritage Festivals
We start from the history of the place, from the grand fireworks display to the drone show that redraws your monuments.
All year round
Official ceremonies
Inaugurations, commemorations, twinning ceremonies: the show follows the ceremony’s protocol and its safety constraints.
Pyrotechnics, drones and mapping
Our teams practise all three disciplines: we write the fireworks, the flight and the projection on one running order.
Pyrotechnics
F4-T2-qualified pyrotechnicians, written firing plans with timecodes, and a licensed storage facility. We transport the products ourselves, from the depot right through to their deployment on site.
Drone light show
A fleet flown as a swarm, registered drone pilots and overflight authorisations processed with the DGAC. With no detonation or fallout, we offer our drones for constrained sites and historic centres.
Mapping and special effects
A monumental projection onto the façade, cold flames, theatrical water jets and stage machinery. Enough to set the scene before the launch, or to carry the entire show when open flames are prohibited.
How does it work? a project
From the first meeting to the debriefing: five stages that your departments follow while our teams handle the administrative burden.
01
Framing
Site visit, expected audience size, neighbourhood constraints and approved budget. From it, we work out what is feasible before making any promises.
02
Artistic writing
Letter of intent, choice of disciplines and soundtrack. We start from local history and the town’s identity.
03
Authorisations
Notification to the town hall, prefectural application, safety zones and overflight authorisations. Our teams submit and withdraw the application.
04
Editing
Setting up the launch pad or take-off area, technical rehearsals, and coordination with technical and emergency services.
05
D-Day
Running the show using timecode, followed by site restoration. A debriefing brings the project to a close and paves the way for the next edition.
The price of a fireworks show
Before comparing suppliers, event organisers need an idea of the scale of costs involved. Here is what we see in the French market, broken down by the type of local authority.
Figures representing the general price range observed on the market, provided as a guide only and not as a Celesta price list. Details of the items and the decision-making timetable can be found on the 14 July fireworks display page.
A municipality with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants
€2,500 to €5,000
A medium-sized town or a multi-municipal area
€5,000 to €20,000
Major city
€20,000 to €50,000
Drone light show from €10,000
The procedures we handle
A show put on by a local authority engages the town’s responsibility. Our teams prepare the application and see it through to the end. Your departments keep the decision.
- Notification to the town hall and application for a pyrotechnic show
- Prefecture file, security perimeters and orders
- Flight clearance from the DGAC for drones
- Transport and storage of products from our licensed storage facility
- Coordination with technical services and the emergency services
- Restoring the site to its original condition after the performance
Compliance and implementation
- ICPE-licensed storage facility
- F4-T2 Pyrotechnicians
- DGAC-compliant drones
- Aigremont and Normandy
- France and abroad
If the prefecture call a ceasefire
Droughts are leading more and more prefectures to ban pyrotechnic displays, sometimes a few days before the date. We plan a fallback from the outset, a drone light show or a flameless multimedia set-up, to keep the date with residents even if a ban comes late. As we practise all three disciplines, we switch to the fallback without changing provider or date.
Our shows in a group setting
A selection of recent events, designed and produced for local authorities and inter-municipal bodies.
Your questions about local authority shows
How much does a show cost a local council?
The typical price ranges observed in the market are between 2,500 and 5,000 euros for a village with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, between 5,000 and 20,000 euros for a medium-sized town or a local authority group, and from 20,000 to 50,000 euros for a large city. A drone light show starts at 10,000 euros. The price depends on the venue, the audience size, the duration, the quality of the equipment and the level of artistic creativity.
How long should I allow for this?
We allow three to six months before the event date. This timeframe covers the creative design, technical planning, any necessary consultations and prefecture declarations, including overflight authorisations where drones are involved.
Who is responsible for authorisations?
Our teams prepare the regulatory documentation and submit it: a declaration of a pyrotechnic show to the town hall, safety perimeters, the application to the prefecture, and overflight authorisations from the DGAC for drones. These procedures have their own deadlines: a fireworks display must be declared at least one month before the event date, and authorisation for a drone flight must be obtained at least forty-five days in advance. Your organisation will be kept informed at every stage and retains the final decision.
Who funds a local council’s show?
Funding is rarely provided by the local authority alone. It frequently involves the inter-municipal authority, the festivals committee, private partners, local shopkeepers and, on occasion, a casino or a tourism operator. This arrangement determines both the decision-making timetable and the amount of funding available.
Drones or fireworks display: which to choose?
We choose according to the site and the audience size. For a dense historic centre, a listed site or sensitive neighbours, we recommend light drones: no detonation, no fallout. For a large open-air gathering, we recommend fireworks, visible and audible from afar. Based on our experience in the field, combining the two remains the most striking format.
Do you operate throughout France?
Yes. Our teams are based in Aigremont, in the Yvelines, with a base in Normandy, and work throughout France and abroad. Our ICPE-classified depot lets us transport and store our products ourselves, from the depot to the site.