Home Special Events Vancouver’s Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks Venues

Vancouver’s Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks Venues

Sunset Beach Fireworks Sky

Where is the best place to watch Vancouver’s Honda Celebration of Light fireworks? Looking for the ultimate viewing location? Then check out our list!

Note: Organizers have indefinitely cancelled the this long-standing summer tradition in Vancouver. Consequently, this festival will likely not be happening in 2026.

The fireworks festival took place on July 19th, 23rd and 26th in 2025. For the first time ever, all competing teams were from Canada. There were also performances by the Canadian Snowbirds stunt planes on the first two nights. Unfortunately, this beloved annual Vancouver event is likely not returning in 2026. This is due to the high costs of running the show and the lack of private and public funding to keep it going. Stay tuned for further updates.

Should this event return, you can spend money to watch from exclusive venues, including Celebration of Light Cruises hosted by Vancouver Boat Parties. There are also lots of places you can watch the fireworks from for free, and not just at English Bay. Below you’ll find details about your various options.

 


Free places to watch the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, should it return in the future, include the following locations:

English Bay Beach | Sunset Beach | Vanier Park | Kitsilano Beach | Jericho Beach | Locarno Beach | Second Beach | Granville Island | Burrard Street Bridge | Granville Street Bridge | Boats in the Water


 

Continue reading for details about all of the above venue options, or click any of the above links to jump to a specific location.

Also, at the end of this article is a list of Fireworks Tips & Suggestions as well as a Fireworks Video showcasing some of Vancouver’s best free venues to watch the show from.

 

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Vancouver Canadians Fireworks

 

English Bay Fireworks Viewing Locations

The Honda Celebration of Light fireworks used to take place in late July. In 2025 all teams were from Canada. Yukon competed on July 19th. Quebec’s show was on July 23rd and Nova Scotia rounded out the celebrations on July 26th.

The pyrotechnics blasted off from a barge just off English Bay Beach. The venue was the most popular and crowded place to watch from. The shows were massive, though, and could be seen from all over the English Bay region.

Other premium venues to watch the fireworks from included Bard on the Beach (with its Bard Fireworks Nights), the Vancouver Maritime Museum (with its fundraiser event) and from the water with Vancouver Boat Parties. Attendees at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival could also watch the fireworks from Jericho Beach on July 19th this past year. At Theatre Under the Stars, the musicals started and ended an hour early on fireworks nights, which gave people time to walk to Second Beach or elsewhere along the waterfront to see the shows.

TIP: In addition to the Honda Celebration of Light pyrotechnics, there are also fireworks at the Vancouver Canadians baseball game at Nat Bailey Stadium on a few Saturdays in July.

Continue reading to learn more about the above and other fireworks-viewing areas in late July. Our list in this article includes primarily free venues.

 

Celebration of Light Fireworks Finale
Fireworks from English Bay Beach

 

Fireworks from English Bay Beach

English Bay Beach was arguably the most spectacular place to watch the fireworks from, other than from a boat out on the water, but it was also the most crowded. Well over 100,000 people covered every inch of sand on the beach, as well as all the surrounding grassy areas.

If you wanted to see the fireworks up close and love crowds, then English Bay Beach was one of, if not the best place to be.

Arguably the best places to watch the fireworks from were the Ticketed Venues at English Bay. In 2025 they included the Concord Pacific Grandstand and Inukshuk Point. Both of these venues were licensed. They were fabulous venues, but not inexpensive. We’ve viewed the fireworks from them before and really enjoyed the experience. On one of the nights in 2024, we watched from a dinner cruise event with Vancouver Boat Parties. The same company also hosted cruises on all three nights of the fireworks.

 


Location of English Bay Beach: 1790 Beach Avenue (in Vancouver’s West End halfway between the southern tip of Stanley Park and Sunset Beach).


 

The Concord Lounge at English Bay
English Bay Viewing Venues

 

Main Advantages of English Bay Beach

  • Unless you were on a boat out on the water (which was probably the absolute best place to watch from), English Bay Beach was the closest you could get to the fireworks.
  • The surrounding view was amazing, especially if there was a sunset.
  • You’re close to downtown so within walking distance of public transportation. There are shops and restaurants in the area as well as food trucks lining the beach on event nights.
  • Live music took place at English Bay at Morton Park most years.
  • Canada’s Snowbirds team performed in 2025 before the fireworks and that was fun to watch. It was likely best seen from English Bay Beach, as was the case with the drone show (although you could see both from all over the region).
  • English Bay was where you could find the premium seating at the Concord Pacific Grandstand and Inukshuk Point.

 

Fireworks Crowds Silhouettes
Fireworks Crowds and Boats Spraying Water in English Bay

 

Main Disadvantages of English Bay Beach

  • Unless the weather was really poor, there likely were over hundreds of thousands of other people with you on the beach. That meant it could be extra fun and exciting if you didn’t mind crowds, but also more competition for public transit on your way home. (TIP: You could spoil yourself by staying at a hotel overnight. It probably cost a premium, but heading straight to a nearby hotel would have been way better than fighting traffic and crowds on the roads and public transit on your way home. Check out StayVancouverHotels.com for deals and bonus perks.)

 

Tips & Advice for English Bay Beach

  • Should the fireworks return in the future, arrive early to find a good spot and put down a blanket to stake your claim.
  • Don’t forget about the tide if you plan to settle down anywhere near the water’s edge. Be far from the shoreline if it’s rising (or else you’ll have to move, and by the time you do so it might be hard to find a new place).
  • Book a spot at one of the premium ticketed venues. They are expensive, but worth it. You’ll have the best views without the crowds. Or better yet, book a cruise and watch from the water if these happen again.

 

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Fireworks Viewing from Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is just around the corner from English Bay Beach and the views from along the seawall between the two beaches were great for fireworks viewing.

If you planned to watch from English Bay Beach but then got overwhelmed by the crowds or felt claustrophobic, you could head south along the waterfront. There were still big crowds at Sunset Beach, but they got thinner as you made your way towards the Burrard Street Bridge.

 


Location: 1204 Beach Avenue (in Vancouver’s West End near the entrance to False Creek).


 

Fireworks View from Sunset Beach
Fireworks from Sunset Beach

 

Main Advantages of Sunset Beach

  • The fireworks from Sunset Beach were obviously further away than from English Bay Beach, but still close enough to be spectacular.
  • Because of the smaller crowds and distance from the main event, there was less post-fireworks competition for public transportation and parking lots within not too unreasonable walking distance.

 

Tips & Advice for Sunset Beach

  • Should the fireworks return in the future, take a blanket to sit on at the beach or a lawn chair if you don’t mind lugging it around.
  • If planning to sit on the ground or on a chair, choose your spot carefully. If sitting on or near the seawall especially, be warned that people often stand to watch the show. It gets crowded, so just because you arrive early with your chairs, if there’s open space in front of you, there’s a chance that tall people will fill the gap. In their defense, there isn’t always much choice as to where to go.

 

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Vanier Park Fireworks
Fireworks from Vanier Park

 

Pyrotechnic Views from Vanier Park

Vanier Park was another popular venue to watch the fireworks from. Tens of thousands of people filled the lawns and pathways along the waterfront, and sometimes there was even live entertainment.

Vanier Park is just a short distance across the water from Sunset Beach at the mouth of False Creek. Consequently, the views were pretty much equally spectacular.

Evening at the Museum is an event that usually happens annually around the same time as the Honda Celebration of Light festival. The event is a fundraising gala at the Maritime Museum with proceeds supporting the attraction. The gala typically begins at 7:00 pm and includes dinner, music and wonderful views of the fireworks display later at night.

Another event in the area is the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. It runs pretty much every day from early June until near the end of September. On days with Honda Celebration of Light events, Bard on the Beach hosted special events with Shakespearean theatre, a dessert buffet, and private views of the fireworks. Picnic bundles are also available. See our article about Bard Fireworks Nights for details about that.

 


Location: 1000 Chestnut Street (at the entrance to False Creek and across the water from Sunset Beach via the Burrard Street Bridge).


 

Firework Viewing from Vanier Park
Firework from Vanier Park

 

Main Advantages of Vanier Park

  • The waterfront area around Vanier Park was one of the closest places to watch the fireworks from, next to English Bay Beach and the western section of Sunset Beach.
  • Vanier Park is more accessible than most other venues for transportation, despite not being close to a SkyTrain station. First, it’s connected by the False Creek Seawall so easy to get to and from by bicycle from various locations. Second, there is paid parking in the area (and maybe even an empty space or two if you arrive early and make a day out of your trip). Third, it’s at the edge of Kitsilano, so faster to get out of than venues like Kitsilano Beach, Jericho and Locarno after the show if you headed east or north to get home.
  • The fireworks weren’t as close as if you were at English Bay Beach, but the views were still spectacular. The pyrotechnics were not that far away, plus you got the Vancouver skyline to enjoy too.

 

Bard Village Tents and Fireworks
Fireworks from Bard Village at Vanier Park

 

Tips & Advice for Vanier Park

  • If you like Shakespearean theatre, then consider attending the Bard Fireworks Nights at Bard on the Beach. You can enjoy an early evening play, food and live entertainment. The fireworks were somewhat in the distance, but the event is exceptional and often sells out.
  • In the area are the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Maritime Museum and Museum of Vancouver, all of which can be interesting places to visit if arriving early. (TIP: If you use the promo code BESTVANCOUVER when purchasing tickets to the Maritime Museum online, you can save 25%!)
  • If you have a bicycle and bike rack (or don’t mind a long walk), you could park towards Granville Island or on a road further east or south and then cycled or walked back to your car once the fireworks were done. Wherever you parked, though, you wanted to make sure of the direction you wanted your car to be facing and take into consideration accessibility to intersections with traffic lights. Post-fireworks congestion could be insane, so a bit of parking forethought would have been valuable (assuming you had any choice).

 

Fireworks Displays from Kitsilano

The fireworks from Kitsilano Beach were similarly amazing. Tens of thousands of people turned up there for the Honda Celebration of Light. It’s a big place, so it could accommodate the crowds. The beach and shoreline stretch from close to Vanier Park all the way past Kitsilano’s giant outdoor swimming pool. Unlike some venues, the fireworks were visible from all over. The park is also where you’ll find Kitsilano Showboat and its free entertainment on weekend evenings in the summer.

 


Location: 1499 Arbutus Street (in Kitsilano just west of Vanier Park).


 

Fireworks from Central Kits Beach
Fireworks from Kitsilano Beach

 

Main Advantages of Kitsilano Beach

  • Kitsilano is a spectacular beach. Things to do include going for a swim in either the ocean or outdoor pool, playing or watching beach volleyball, taking kids you’re with to the playground, or just hanging out at the beach.
  • On the two Saturdays when the fireworks played, there are normally Kitsilano Showboat concerts to check out as well. They are free to attend and they also used to feature a simulcast of the fireworks music.

 

Main Disadvantages of Kitsilano Beach

  • Parking could be a challenge. Fireworks attendees were encouraged to take public transit if they could and to prepare for long lineups for the bus afterwards.
  • Post-fireworks traffic could be a nightmare, but at least not as bad as some other venues depending on where you had to get to. (Jericho and Locarno beaches could be even worse if headed east after the show.)

 

Kitsilano Showboat Venue and English Bay
Kitsilano Showboat Stage

 

Tips & Advice for Kitsilano Beach

  • Watch out for the tide! Don’t settle down anywhere near the shoreline on any of the evenings if the tide will be rising. If you do, you’ll need to get up and find somewhere else (likely after all the other best spots get filled up).
  • Take a picnic or make dinner reservations. On fireworks nights, it was best to arrive early to get a good spot and improve your chances of finding parking that was not overly-ridiculously far away. Planning for food, though, was essential. A picnic could be a great idea (although you’d need to carry it in with you). There are also a number of great restaurants in the area, or further up the way on West Broadway. Thousands of people would be looking for food, however, so if there was a special place you wanted to eat, it was best you made advanced reservations on a fireworks night.
  • Take your swimsuit, sunscreen, hat, blanket and beach toys. Kitsilano is an amazing beach. Enjoy all it has to offer.

 

Fireworks Exploding from Kitsilano
Fireworks as Seen From Near the Kitsilano Outdoor Pool

 

Fireworks Viewing from Jericho Beach

Jericho is another exceptional beach. There are grassy lawns, a huge sandy beach and a few trails to explore.

The main eastern section of the beach is beautiful, but views of the fireworks were blocked by the marina at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. The views were okay, though, from the far western end of Jericho Beach.

 


Location: 3941 Point Grey Road (about halfway between Kitsilano Beach and the University of British Columbia).


 

BC Day Long Weekend

 

Main Advantages of Jericho Beach

  • Jericho Beach is a beautiful place to spend time on any sunny summer day (or evening).
  • The venue was less crowded than other major venues including Kitsilano, Vanier Park, Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach, except for the first Saturday of the fireworks because that’s when the Vancouver Folk Music Festival happens at Jericho Beach Park.
  • The fireworks were quite a way in the distance, but that was made up for by the spectacular night view of the city lights. Jericho Beach was a great spot to watch from.

 

Main Disadvantages of Jericho Beach

  • Unless you live in the area or somewhere around Point Grey, Jericho Beach was a bit out of the way. That wasn’t not normally a problem, but it was when you had to drive along 4th Avenue or West Broadway to get home when tens of thousands of people from other venues were on the road as well.
  • The fireworks were pretty far in the distance.
  • Visibility was poor at the main beach area, but got better the further west you went.

 

Tips & Advice for Jericho Beach

  • On fireworks nights, it was great to spend the day at the main part of Jericho Beach, but it was best to head far over to the west end so that the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s marina didn’t block your view of the pyrotechnics displays. Or better yet, you could head a tiny bit further west, to Locarno Beach on the other side of the Jericho Sailing Centre.
  • If you live in the Point Grey area, or around UBC, then Jericho Beach is a fabulous venue. If you had to drive east along Marine Drive, 4th Avenue or West Broadway to get home afterwards, though, you’d need to rethink your routhe. When we were there a few years ago, post-fireworks traffic was so bad we pulled over and slept in our car for an hour until the roads cleared.
  • Attend the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. The festival doesn’t always coincide with the Honda Celebration of Light when the latter used to happen. When it does, though, on the first Saturday of the fireworks, the music festival paused everything during the fireworks so attendees could watch. The festival then continues for a while, which, on fireworks nights, allowed a bit of time for traffic to improve before the festival-goers needed to head home. The music festival is terrific and highly recommended.

 

Pyrotechnic Views from Locarno Beach

Locarno Beach is just past the eastern end of Jericho Beach, so the views were pretty similar to those at Jericho (although without the yacht club in the way). Locarno too is a stunning beach with miles of sand, especially at low tide.

 


Location: 4445 NW Marine Drive (just west of Jericho Beach and the Jericho Sailing Centre).


 

Advantages & Disadvantages of Locarno Beach

The main advantages and disadvantages for Locarno Beach were the same as they are for Jericho Beach (as listed above). The venue is stunning and the city is pretty, but the fireworks were in the distance. Traffic could also be a nightmare if you had to pass through the Kitsilano area to get home.

 

Celebration of Lights from Locarno Beach
Fireworks Views from Locarno Beach

 

Tips & Advice for Locarno Beach

  • Head south before east when driving home. If you had to go east through Kitsilano to get home after the show, then you had to drive a bit of way south first, well past 4th Avenue, before turning east. Many people would have been watching the pyrotechnics from Jericho Beach, Kitsilano Beach and Vanier Park. Consequently, post-fireworks traffic along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway was terrible.
  • Watch the tide schedule. If high tide was predicted prior to the fireworks, wet seating would free up as the evening progressed. If that was the case, bringing a low chair or waterproof blanket was a good idea. On the other hand, if high tide happened after you arrived, it was best not to settle in too close to the waterline as it would keep moving up the beach.

 

Fireworks Displays from Second Beach

A few years ago Second Beach in Stanley Park was the main venue for the daytime festivities during the Honda Celebration of Light on all three days of the festival. Since 2022, though, the main daytime activities happened at Morton Park at the north end of English Bay Beach (or at least that was the case the past couple of years).

Views of the fireworks from Second Beach were pretty good. They were about as close as they were from Kitsilano Beach to the south, or possibly even closer. Views from English Bay were definitely better, but the view from Second Beach wasn’t bad, and it was far less crowded.

The fireworks barge was so far out in the water from English Bay Beach that it was actually not so far from Second Beach. It was easy to see from a long stretch of the seawall. The barge faced English Bay Beach, though, so it was sort of perpendicular to Second Beach. Consequently, when the fireworks made a smiley face, heart or other shape, sometimes all you saw from Second Beach was a line. The view, though, was still overall quite impressive.

The main attraction at Second Beach during the Honda Celebration of Light used to be the daytime entertainment. Bands played from mid-afternoon until well into the evening most years. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.

 


Location: 8501 Stanley Park Drive (on the southwestern shore of Stanley Park between Third Beach and English Bay).


 

Second Beach Early Bird Fireworks Seats
Waiting for the Fireworks at Second Beach

 

Main Advantages of Second Beach

  • Second Beach has a nice beach, an outdoor swimming pool, a couple of children’s playgrounds, and a large open field to play on. It was also nowhere near as crowded on fireworks nights as English Bay and many of the other venues along Vancouver’s English Bay-facing waterfront.
  • If you could find parking at or near Second Beach, if you left right away and lived on the North Shore, you were likely to find the traffic on your way home better than if you watched from somewhere closer to English Bay.

 

Main Disadvantages of Second Beach

  • There isn’t a ton of space at Second Beach to actually see the fireworks when they played. The grounds at Second Beach are huge, but the main fireworks-viewing area was the strip of waterfront along the seawall, the beach and outside the outer edges of the pool. Not much of anything was visible from the large grassy field.
  • Parking in the area could be near impossible on fireworks night.

 

Tips & Advice for Second Beach

  • On fireworks nights, it was best to park elsewhere in Stanley Park, like somewhere along Pipeline Road in the middle of the park. From there, you could walk or cycle to Second Beach. It was a bit of a trek, but it was a beautiful route and exiting the park by car afterwards was probably easier. Arguably even better, and closer, there was usually lots of parking at Third Beach. There was a tiny bit of parking in front of the Teahouse Restaurant. There was much more, however, in the larger parking lot just to the north of the restaurant.
  • If you wanted to see the fireworks up close, you could watch them from English Bay. If you wanted to see the fireworks and the Vancouver skyline, however, you could watch them from someplace like Vanier Park or Kitsilano.
  • It was best to arrive early if you hoped to find parking anywhere even remotely nearby.
  • If you walked about five or 10 minutes along the Seawall (in the direction away from English Bay Beach), there were more good places to watch the fireworks from. These included spots where you could see more of the downtown city lights than you could from Second Beach. It was a nice area to watch from, and not so far from Third Beach (which, again, was a good place to park your car).

 

Honda Celebration of Light from Granville Island

Granville Island is a wonderful place in the summer, and it wasn’t a bad place to watch the fireworks from either.

Granville Island wasn’t really known as a fireworks venue, which meant it didn’t usually get crowded. Granted, the view was obstructed somewhat by the Burrard Street Bridge, but the venue did have a number of advantages.

 


Location: 1669 Johnston Street (on the south side of False Creek under the Granville Street Bridge).


 

Celebration of Lights Fireworks from False Creek
Fireworks From the Docks at Granville Island

 

Main Advantages of Granville Island

  • The Burrard Street Bridge may have obstructed the view of the fireworks a bit, but it also makes for a fabulous scene itself. The night time view of Vancouver from the waterfront at Granville Island is stunning any evening, but especially when there were fireworks not too far away.
  • Granville Island is full of restaurants, theatres and other things to do, plus it’s connected to other places in the region by the False Creek Seawall.

 

Improv Centre

 

Main Disadvantages of Granville Island

  • The views of the city and Burrard Street Bridge are incredible, but the fireworks were obstructed somewhat by the bridge. They were largely visible, though, and still very pretty.
  • There aren’t many people around at the waterfront on Granville Island at 10:30 pm. There are some, but not so many (at least not when we’ve been). This can make it very pleasant, but not necessarily so if you’re on your own and need to walk back to your car. Fortunately, though, it’s generally a fairly safe part of town.

 

Tips & Advice for Granville Island

  • The best place to have watched the fireworks from was at the waterfront outside the Public Market, so from the northernmost tip of Granville Island. You could watch from just outside the market, or from down below on the docks. If on the docks, however, it’s dark so you had to be careful and not fall in!
  • Spending the day at Granville Island is a wonderful thing to do. Go for a bike ride during the day or early evening, explore the False Creek Seawall, take in some theatre or enjoy a nice dinner while you’re there.
  • Attend the early show at The Improv Centre on Granville Island. The live comedy theatre there is excellent. If you saw an early show, you would be out in time to watch the fireworks (and maybe had time in between to grab a drink somewhere too).

 

Burrard Street Bridge and Fireworks
The Burrard Street Bridge from Granville Island

 

Fireworks from the Burrard Street Bridge

The west side of the Burrard Street Bridge was an amazing place to watch the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks from. It was close to the heart of the action, although it was also a bit out of the way as you needed to walk to get there.

The bridge isn’t a huge venue to have watched the fireworks from as it’s an active bridge with car traffic. Spectators simply had to line the sidewalk on the western side for the view. The night time scenery from the Burrard Street Bridge is exceptional, however, especially when there’s an evening sunset.

 


Location: (Just south of the 1400 block of Burrard Street and crossing False Creek between Vanier Park and the southern tip of Sunset Beach).


 

Main Advantages of the Burrard Street Bridge

  • The view of English Bay, the sunset, boats in the water, the city at night and the fireworks (when they happened) are all amazing!
  • You were close enough to English Bay for a spectacular view of the fireworks, but far enough away to avoid most of the crowds.

 

Main Disadvantages of the Burrard Street Bridge

  • You needed to arrive early to get a good view, but there wasn’t a whole lot to do while you waited (except admire the view, play on your phone and chat with your friends). Also, unless your brought a chair, the only thing to sit on was the sidewalk.

 

Tips & Advice for the Burrard Bridge

  • On fireworks nights, it was bes to arrive early to get a spot near the railing.
  • You could take your camera (and your tripod). The view is stunning!

 

False Creek and English Bay Fireworks
Fireworks View From the Granville Street Bridge

 

Pyrotechnic Viewing from the Granville Street Bridge

Similar to the Burrard Street Bridge, the view of the pyrotechnic displays from the west side of the Granville Street Bridge was good.

 


Location: (Just south of the 1400 block of Granville Street above Granville Island and overlooking False Creek).


 

Advantages & Disadvantages of the Granville Street Bridge

The main advantages and disadvantages of the Granville Street Bridge venue were pretty much the same as from Burrard Street Bridge.

The main differences were that (1) the fireworks were slightly further away, (2) the Burrard Street Bridge blocked some of the view of the fireworks, and (3) the view of the Burrard Street Bridge with fireworks in the background was beautiful.

 

Boats Waiting for English Bay Fireworks
View of English Bay Boats From the Burrard Street Bridge

 

Watching the Fireworks from the Water

Not everyone has access to a boat, but those who did and could watch the fireworks from the water arguably had the best seats in the region.

Hundreds of people could watch the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks from the comfort of a boat. Sometimes it is their boat or that of a friend, and sometimes it was a special charter like on one of Vancouver’s Harbour Cruises. One of our favourite companies offering waterfront excursions is Vancouver Boat Parties. We watched the fireworks from one of their boat parties in the past, and in 2025 there was one boat party on each night of the fireworks.

 

Main Advantages of Viewing from a Boat

  • The view of the fireworks and the city were second to none!
  • The water could get crowded with boats, but nothing compared to the crowds of people on land.
  • Traffic on the water could be bad, but, again, nothing like the post-fireworks traffic on the roads.

 

Tips & Advice for Viewing from a Boat

  • Should the fireworks return in the future, if you get a chance to watch from a boat, do it!
  • Take something warm to wear as it can get cold out on the water.
  • If you like dinner cruises and nightclub-style boat parties, book an excursion with Vancouver Boat Parties.

 

Pre-Fireworks Sunset at English Bay
Boats and an English Bay Sunset

 

General Fireworks Tips & Advice

The following tips and advice are good to know should the fireworks return in the future, and we hope they do.

  • Have patience when traveling home. The roads and public transit will both be packed and moving at a snail’s pace.
  • Beware of the bridges! Downtown bridges can be a nightmare to cross after the fireworks. Traffic can be insane!
  • Watch from close to home if you can. The absolute best place to watch the fireworks is from somewhere close to your home or hotel. If you can walk home after the fireworks are finished, you’ll be in bed an hour or more earlier than people who drive or take public transit.
  • Either plan a quick getaway or hang around and relax after the show. If you don’t mind staying up really late, unless you can make a quick escape and beat the traffic, don’t be in a rush to get home. Consider going for walk, visiting a late-night restaurant, chatting with your friends or playing on your phone for an hour or so after the show while you wait for the traffic chaos to die down.
  • Take appropriate clothing. Take a sweater or something extra to wear. Early evenings can be warm, but it can get cool as night progresses. Also, take good walking shoes. Sandy beaches are great for flip flops, so take them too, but expect to have to walk a fair ways to and from your car or public transit.
  • Choose a distant venue if you have respiratory issues. Pyrotechnics generate a lot of smoke, and the Celebration of Light fireworks are big and go for a long time. The smoke isn’t generally a problem. Dust and debris, if any, fall mostly on the water. Occasionally, however, depending on the wind, smoke can drift ashore, so over the beaches and into town.

 

Fireworks Locations Video

The following video showcases the top places to watch the fireworks, should they return in the future, as well as how to spend the day leading up to the show.

 

 

Other Information

Click Celebration of Light for more information about the pre-BC Day long weekend fireworks.

See Vancouver Fireworks for fireworks at other times of the year.

Click BC Day in the Lower Mainland or Vancouver’s August Calendar to learn about other events taking place around the August long weekend.

Check out Festivals & Events for a list of other major events in the Lower Mainland throughout the year.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

 

BC Day Long Weekend

 

 

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