Your 14 July, written by Celesta
For 14 July, we design and fire shows that combine fireworks, video mapping, light drones and special effects, from the first site survey to dismantling.
- Without an intermediary
- ICPE-licensed storage facility
- F4-certified pyrotechnicians
- France and abroad
A flexible range to mix and match your 14 July show
Celesta is a provider of fireworks displays and drone shows for local authorities: the company designs, produces and manages the 14 July display, from the artistic concept right through to obtaining prefectural authorisations.
Our services work like artistic and technical building blocks that are assembled. You put together a show suited to the size of your local authority, the site, the expected audience and the budget voted. We adapt the production to each local authority, from the rural village to the large city.
Our 14 July celebrations recent cases in care homes
The disciplines of a 14 July
Fireworks displays
Fireworks displays and pyro-musical displays
From the traditional fireworks display to the pyromusical show set to a soundtrack, our pyrotechnicians write each sequence to the time-code. In town centres, we first study the available space, the safety perimeters and the possible calibres.
Products in category F4 – Decree No. 2010-455 of 4 May 2010, implemented by an operator holding an F4-T2 certificate.
Light drones
Light drone shows 14 July
Our drone shows draw republican symbols in the sky: the tricolour flag, Marianne, the town’s coat of arms, animated murals. Each choreography is designed for the venue and set to the soundtrack.
Complies with Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and, from 1 January 2026, with the European standard scenarios or a DGAC authorisation.
Special effects
Special effects and multimedia devices
Lasers, architectural lighting, stage flames, cold sparks, heavy fog and immersive sound extend the story on the ground, close to the audience. With cold sparks, we place effects very close to spectators, and even indoors.
Each installation complies with the fire safety regulations for public access buildings and has been approved by the relevant authorities.
Video mapping
Mapping on the town’s monuments
For the 14 July celebrations, we project images onto town halls, castles and monuments, fitted to the millimetre to the relief of the stone. Precise survey of the building, discussion with the architect of the Bâtiments de France, original graphic design, voice-over and soundtrack are written for the occasion.
The mapping opens the evening, before the light drones and the fireworks.
Performers
Performers and performing arts
Our performers and artists step in between the pyrotechnic, drone and lighting sequences, close to the audience.
We manage the whole evening, artistic side and safety, with no intermediary.
The stages of a 14 July
01
Framing
We set the aim, the site and the budget with you.
02
Artistic writing
We write the running order and choose the soundtrack.
03
Design and approvals
Technical design and prefecture declarations.
04
Rehearsals and staging
Setting up the firing area and technical tests.
05
D-Day
The production control room synchronises pyrotechnics, drones, sound and light using timecode.
06
Feedback
Review with your departments and first ideas for the next edition.
One contact for the whole evening
We bring these disciplines together in one show, written on a single running order. A single point of contact follows the creative, technical and safety sides, which simplifies coordination on the day and exchanges with your departments.
- Small, medium and large local authorities
- Measures that can be scaled up or down in line with the approved budget
- A creation written for each town
Location, logistics and environment
01
French expertise and logistical autonomy
Our teams bring together professionals from the performing arts, pyrotechnics and stage technology. Our ICPE-classified depot lets us transport and store our products ourselves, from the depot to the site. In this way we hold the lead times and the regulatory chain, from the authorisation request to compliance with the perimeters approved with the prefecture and the civil protection services (DGSCGC). Based in Aigremont, in the Yvelines, and present in Normandy, we work in France and abroad.
02
Less noise, emissions and fallout
Our approach to the 14 July show favours set-ups designed to limit nuisance. Light drones reduce noise and emissions, optimised firing plans reduce fallout, and each creation draws on the town’s local history, heritage and visual identity.
Compliance and implementation
- ICPE-licensed storage facility
- F4-T2 Pyrotechnicians
- DGAC-compliant drones
- Compliance with prefectural regulations
- Aigremont and Normandy
Budget and timing for a town’s 14 July
Three questions keep coming up in town hall events departments: how much to budget, who pays and when to start the project. Here are the benchmarks seen on the French market.
3 to 6
Months before the date: The deadline for writing, staging and completing the prefecture declaration for the performance.
01
Who is funding the show?
Funding is rarely provided by the local council alone. It is most often shared between the local council, the inter-municipal authority, the festival committee, private partners, local businesses, and sometimes a casino or a tourism operator. This arrangement determines both the decision-making timetable and the amount of funding available.
Planning the financing arrangements
02
When to launch the project
We allow three to six months before the event date. This timeframe covers the artistic design, technical planning, any necessary consultations and prefecture declarations, including overflight authorisations for a light drone show.
Three to six months before the date
03
If the prefecture bans shooting
Droughts are leading an increasing number of prefectures to suspend pyrotechnic displays in July, sometimes just a few days before the event. We plan a contingency option from the outset, such as a drone light show or a flameless multimedia display, so that the event can go ahead as planned for local residents, even in the event of a last-minute ban.
A lacklustre decline, as expected
Figures indicative of price ranges observed on the French market, provided as a guide only and not as a Celesta price list.
The price depends on
- The website
- The gauge
- The duration
- The quality of the products
- The standard of creative writing
Prepare your town’s 14 July
Organising your town’s 14 July? Tell us about your site, your audience size and your budget: our teams send you a letter of intent and a tailored estimate.
- Free quote
- Quick reply
- Prefecture application handled
Your questions about 14 July
How much time should you allow to organise a 14 July show?
Launch the project several months before the event date. A timeframe of three to six months allows time for creative writing, technical design and prefecture declarations, including regulatory orders and overflight authorisations for drones. These procedures have their own minimum timeframes: 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 beforehand.
Drones or fireworks display: which should a local authority choose?
We choose according to the site and the audience size. For a dense historic centre or a sensitive site, we recommend light drones, quieter and with fewer emissions. For a large open-air gathering, we recommend fireworks, readable from very far away. Based on our experience in the field, combining the two remains the most striking format for 14 July.
Who is responsible for administrative authorisations?
Our teams prepare the regulatory application and file it with the prefecture: pyrotechnic show declaration, safety perimeters, drone overflight authorisations with the DGAC. Your departments are kept informed at every stage.
Can you combine fire, drones and video mapping in a single show?
Yes. We open the story with mapping on a façade, then follow with the drones and the fireworks finale, synchronised to the time-code.
How much should you budget for a 14 July show?
Allow between 2,500 and 5,000 euros in a town with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, between 5,000 and 20,000 euros for a medium-sized town or a local authority group, and between 20,000 and 50,000 euros for a large city. A drone light show starts at 10,000 euros. These figures are not a substitute for a quote: the price depends on the venue, the audience size, the duration and the artistic ambition. We provide a quote once the scope of the project has been defined.
Who is funding the 14 July fireworks display?
Funding is rarely provided by the local council alone. It frequently involves the inter-municipal authority, the festival committee, private partners, local shopkeepers, and sometimes a casino or a tourism operator. We tailor the scheme to the budget actually approved, regardless of its source.
What should you do if the prefecture bans the fireworks display?
In the event of a drought, prefectures may suspend pyrotechnic shows, sometimes just a few days before the event. A drone light show – with no flames or incandescent fallout – allows the event to go ahead as planned for local residents. We plan for this contingency from the outset, whenever the circumstances warrant it.
Do you operate throughout France?
Yes, throughout France, from our offices in Aigremont (Yvelines) and Normandy, and abroad. Our ICPE depot lets us carry our products ourselves.