New Year's Eve Firework - Madeira

At midnight on 31 December, the sky over Funchal explodes into an eight-minute fireworks display fired from dozens of points ringing the bay — from the city's amphitheatre and the seafront between Cais 8 and Praia Almirante Reis, to platforms out at sea and even the island of Porto Santo. The launch points are spread around the bay and on the water, so the display rises as one continuous arc across the whole city rather than from a single spot.

The tradition traces back to a Madeiran banker who revived the island's old custom of wealthy families competing to fire the most spectacular rockets, a rivalry that eventually grew into today's coordinated citywide show. In 2006, it was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest fireworks display in the world.

Funchal's natural shape — a bowl of hillside facing the sea — is part of what makes the show stand out: cruise ships anchored in the bay join in too, with their horns sounding in harmony with the twelve bell chimes of Funchal Cathedral at midnight.

The evening builds up well before midnight, with concerts in the city's squares and a countdown show on the pier in the final twenty minutes before the display begins.

Many people watch from Cais 8 or the Avenida do Mar promenade in downtown Funchal, but walking a little further up the hillside gives a better, more spectacular vantage point over the bay.