 Preparations begin early in the morning when people begin to decorate their boats, or the small wooden terraces on rooftops from where they can admire the fireworks.At sunset, Saint Mark's basin begins to fill with up with boats of all kinds, festooned with balloons and garlands, and thousands of Venetians await the fireworks while dining on the boats.Around 10 o'clock at night, from pontoons placed nearby the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the fireworks begin and Saint Mark's basin becomes one of the most atmospheric stages in the world.