CEBU CITY – Cebu City’s night skies will light up in spectacular fashion as Cebuanos attempt to break the world record for the “Most Firework Rockets Launched in 30 Seconds” by unleashing 120,000 rockets on May 8 at the South Road Properties (SRP).

The event, dubbed as Cebu Fest and organized by Pyroworks, will try to break the record set at the 10th British Firework Championship in Plymouth in 2006 where 56,405 rockets were launched in 30 seconds.

On August 20, 2009, Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers launched 110,000 fireworks in less than 10 seconds (specifically 6.5 seconds). But the record was not confirmed as of press time by the Guinness World Records to support this new world record claim.

Specific guidelines were already outlined for the attempt. Each rocket must be launched separately from its own tube or platform, must be launched within a 30-second window from the instant of the first launch and must be designed to reach a minimum altitude of 30 meters.

“The world record attempt will bring recognition to the ingenuity of our local talents. It will prove that we are very much capable of competing with players of the global pyrotechnic industry. I urge Cebuanos to come down and enjoy this once in a lifetime spectacle that no one else in the world has witnessed before,” Cebu Fest Chairman Brian Benjamin Lim said.

Open to the public, the record attempt will be held on May 8, Saturday at 7 p.m. at a special launch area several meters away from the Sugbu administration building at the SRP.

The focus will be on the number of rockets launched and not much on the display, said Lim, adding that it will be over in less than 30 seconds. The public, however, will be further entertained by a grand fireworks show at 9 p.m. on the same night.

The week-long Cebu Fest, an idea initially hatched by Lim, is envisioned to be an annual event, much like the Sinulog, with the multitude of sporting events, bazaar, carnivals, barbeque cook out and car shows to significantly boost Cebu’s economic and tourism industries.

The 1st Cebu Fest roster of activities from May 1 to 8 include sports events such as Motocross, Kart race, Cock Derby, Drag Race, Flag Football, Softball and baseball matches, Soccer, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and a sundown marathon; social activities such as nightly variety shows and concerts, night bazaars, food bazaars, an agricultural fair, an auto show and more.