spectacular

ALEXANDRA PALACE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL | London, Ally Pally

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Remember, remember, Tuesday the fifth of November… But every Londoner knows that the real celebration happens the weekend before (Fri 1 Nov — Sat 2 Nov 2024), at Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival. Lighting up Ally Pally’s iconic view of the capital’s skyline, and taking over the 196 acres of parkland, London’s biggest and best fireworks display will this year be preceded by a spectacular drone show, marking an exciting first for the venue.

Alongside the legendary display, the festival also presents big top Cafe De Pally, which includes a plethora of live music and singalongs aided by a brass band, and choir. Some of London’s best street food, cocktail and craft beer vendors make up the StrEATlife Festival Village, soundtracked by funk-fuelled, comedy duo The Cuban Brothers (Fri 1 Nov), and by UK garage legends Artful Dodger (Sat 2 Nov).

As part of the festivities, the UK’s largest German bier festival returns to the Palace’s Great Hall, with oompah bands, live music, and lederhosen aplenty. Oasis tribute act, Definitely Mightbe (Fri 1 Nov) and Abba Revival (Sat 2 Nov) take to the stage, with more DJs to be announced.

The Park will also play host to a huge bonfire, funfair and entertainment for all the family, and visitors can also step inside the Palace, with the ice rink featuring a variety of skating sessions and an ice disco.

Book online for all activities Friday 1 November and Saturday 2 November 2024.

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DISNEY IN CONCERT: A DREAM IS A WISH | Hong Kong, KITEC Star Hall

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The Hong Kong Symphonic Winds (HKSW) Symphony Orchestra are once again putting on a spectacular new concert that combines the thrill of a live orchestra with a cast of singers and clips from classic Disney movies on a cinema-style screen.

With only four special performances over the New Year’s Day public holiday weekend, audiences of all ages can enjoy orchestral selections from The Little Mermaid (1989); Beauty and the Beast (1991); Aladdin (1992); The Lion King (1994); Frozen (2013); and many more.

Although the HKSW Symphony Orchestra is a majority amateur ensemble, the standard is unbelievably high, conducted by celebrated conductor Fung Ka Hing. The gigantic ensemble fills the cavernous Star Hall at Kowloonbay, ably supported by extra percussion and rock instruments, in addition to wonderful sound tech.

The name of this concert is taken from the title song in Cinderella (1950): “A dream is a wish your heart makes”. This festive season, enjoy the magic of classic Disney songs, played as they’re meant to be played, in this family-friendly concert for all ages.

Playing 1 – 2 January 2022, 3rd Floor, Star Hall, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Kowloon.

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TORUK: THE FIRST FLIGHT | London, O2 Arena

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Cirque du Soleil’s 2015 arena spectacular, based on James Cameron’s Avatar (2009), is coming to London. Still the highest-grossing film of all time at $2.8 billion, Avatar is about how, on the planet Pandora, a local tribe of Na’vi become endangered by the expansion of a mining colony. This contemporary circus show is a sort of prequel, set thousands of years before the events of the film.

In Avatar, Jake Sully becomes the sixth person to successfully ride a great leonopteryx, also known as a toruk: any rider is then named Toruk Makto. But who was the first Toruk Makto? Set around 837 BC, the show follows the journey of Entu, the first Na’vi to become a Toruk Makto, in order to save the Tree of Souls from being destroyed by a volcano.

Cirque du Soleil are globally renowned as the greatest circus on earth, and audiences can expect plenty of jaw-dropping acrobatic stunts. However, this differs from most Cirque du Soleil shows in that there is a narrative core. The show also has a large focus on puppetry, animating the wild and diverse creatures of Pandora: viperwolves, direhorses, austrapedes and turtapedes. The leonopteryx/toruk flies using reverse-string puppetry, with the puppeteer beneath the creature.

Toruk also features multimedia audience interaction, where audience members use a mobile app to to influence visual effects and interactive content during the performance. It’s Cirque du Soleil pushing their art to the limits: no wonder this has been such a global hit show for the last four years. Book now!

Take flight with the ancient Na’vi in London for seven performances only, 26 — 30 June 2019.

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DISNEY ON ICE: DREAM BIG | London, The O2

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Feld Entertainment’s all-new production assembles a collection of inspiring stories about Disney’s greatest heroines, featuring highlights from Moana, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tangled, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and — of course — Frozen.

The title comes from Disney’s recent “Dream Big, Princess” campaign, a video series encouraging girls to follow their passions and “be students; be teachers; be politicians; be preachers; be believers; be leaders; be astronauts; be champions”.

Feld Entertainment Regional Vice President, Steven Armstrong, says, “The stories of Moana and Frozen, in particular, inspire a new generation of young girls through self-reliance and a belief in themselves. Our greatest wish for our guests is that they will be inspired by these tales of bravery and see that anything is possible if you follow your dreams.”

But the title of the new ice spectacular shows that it’s just as much for boys as it is for girls. Executive Vice President and Producer, Nicole Feld, says, “Having both a daughter and son at home, I knew it was important to present a variety of Disney stories as well as show the connection between these stories and illustrate how a journey can unfold in many ways.”

2018 also celebrates 90 years since the creation of Walt Disney’s ‘True Original’, Mickey Mouse. Guests should arrive early to join a special 90th birthday celebration! High-flying jumps, breathtaking skating and lovable Disney friends make Disney On Ice presents Dream Big an experience your family will never forget, so book now.

https://youtu.be/-mTilRa_k_c

Disney On Ice presents Dream Big will be skating into Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham and London from the 21st September 2018 to 6th January 2019.

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