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The largest fireworks competition in the world is returning to Vancouver for three nights between July 20 to 27.

Vancouver skyline to shine during Honda Celebration of Light

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 2:35 PDT, Thu July 18, 2024

Last Updated: 2:36 PDT, Thu July 18, 2024

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The most anticipated summer event and largest fireworks competition in the world returns to Vancouver this weekend. The Honda Celebration of Light will illuminate Vancouver's skyline and draw thousands of residents and visitors to the West End and Kits Point.

"Vancouver's summer season wouldn't be complete without the iconic Honda Celebration of Light where our city comes alive with music, culture and spirit from around the globe," said Mayor Ken Sim. "I can't wait to join in the excitement and see our skies light up with amazing shapes, colours and music."

This year, the long-standing fireworks competition will see displays from the following countries on the following three evenings:

Saturday, July 20 – Portugal
Wednesday, July 24 – Malaysia
Saturday, July 27 – United Kingdom

To ensure this event remains an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone, the city is working closely with partners at the Park Board, Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Emergency Management Agency.

Traffic impacts

Various road closures will be in effect with traffic disruptions anticipated downtown, the West End, Stanley Park, and Kitsilano. Those attending the event or travelling through those areas are encouraged to walk, bike, roll, Mobi or take transit. View map of road closures in the area.

Mobi by Rogers is helping to make biking to the fireworks even easier by adding docking capacity in English Bay at the Bidwell & Burnaby station. On event dates, Mobi staff will be helping end rides at busy stations in both English Bay and Kitsilano.

Wednesday, July 17 – Friday, July 19

All day: Full road closure for event preparations
One block of Burnaby St from Beach Ave to Bidwell St

Saturday, July 20, Wednesday, July 24 and Saturday, July 27

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Traffic controls in effect
Periodic traffic control for load-in on Beach Ave, Pacific to Davie
Beach Ave closed to traffic, bike lane detour 5 pm to midnight

6 to 11 p.m.: Public vehicle access restricted

Stanley Park - west of Pipeline Road

6 p.m. to midnight: Full road closures
Beach/Pacific St from Stanley Park to Thurlow
Davie St from Denman to Burrard
Denman St from Alberni to Beach

Local traffic access points

Burnaby St at Thurlow St.
Nelson St at Thurlow St.
Denman St at Alberni St.

Vehicle access in the West End and Kits Point event areas will be limited to residents with a local parking decal or vehicle registration displaying a local neighbourhood address.

Transit Reroutes:

Bus #2, #5, #6, #23 to reroute west of Burrard St.

Plan ahead to attend

To help ensure that the events run as smoothly as possible, the city asks residents and attendees to follow these tips:

Stay safe in hot weather, find tips at vancouver.ca/hotweather.
Avoid sitting in high-tide areas: look for fireworks viewing area signs on the beach.
Respect the no smoking and open fire ban in Vancouver parks and refrain from using barbeques throughout English Bay Beach Park.
Respect drinking regulations:

Drinking alcohol is not permitted at Sunset Beach, English Bay, and Third Beach.
Glass beverage bottles and containers are also not allowed on parks and beaches.
Learn about when, where and how to safely enjoy alcohol in Vancouver parks and on beaches.

Don't let waste become litter: use the "Pack-In, Pack-Out" method.

Group gatherings at large events often result in excess waste and can quickly overfill waste bins.
Attendees are asked to take waste with them and dispose of it at home.

Be considerate of the community and keep noise to a minimum when leaving.

Watching from the water

Follow safe boating guidelines, carry a boating license and refrain from consuming alcohol on the water.
Watch the fireworks at a safe distance without interfering with larger vessels.

Leave pets at home

Fireworks and large crowds can be very frightening for animals.

Any dogs in attendance must be wearing proper identification as 97 per cent of dogs that are licensed and wearing tags are returned to their owner.
To report a lost dog, call Animal Services by dialing 3-1-1.

Getting to and from the event

Those travelling in and around the event areas, should plan ahead and expect delays.

Follow all detours and abide by no parking signs in the area.  
Learn more about road closures across the city.  
Follow #VanTraffic or use our traffic cameras to check traffic conditions along your commute.  
Get live updates on X: @CityofVancouver, @TransLink, @VancouverPD, @VanFireRescue, @CelebOfLight.
Visit translink.ca/alerts for changes or disruptions to your bus service.