Home Special Events Drone Shows in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

Drone Shows in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

Drone Shows in Vancouver

Drone light shows are becoming increasingly common in Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland. They are fun entertainment and affordable.

The drones can be very tightly choreographed, and in most cases there is no charge for the public to see the show. They are also arguably more environmentally friendly than fireworks.

 

Lower Mainland Drone Light Shows in 2024

Multiple drone light shows take place in Vancouver and the surrounding region in 2024. These types of shows can be used either as a replacement for fireworks or as a fun way to add some extra flare to an event.

Drone shows aren’t a new thing in the Lower Mainland, they’re just becoming more popular and common. In 2017 the PNE had a drone show to end each night at the fair. There was also going to be a Christmas-themed show at Canada Place in 2022, but it was cancelled last minute.

A series of drone light shows take place this year. Keep reading to learn where and when.

 

Drone Show at False Creek

 

Grey Cup

The Grey Cup is taking place in Vancouver for the first time since 2014. It’s the final match of the Canadian Football League (CFL) season. The game happens on November 17th in 2024, but there’s also the Grey Cup Festival from November 10th to 17th.

One of the many events to check out is the Grey Cup Drone Show on Friday, November 15th. It’s held along the Vancouver waterfront in Coal Harbour. Views are best from between the Westin Bayshore Hotel and the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre. The drone show begins at 9:30 pm. It’s expected to last for about 12 minutes.

For more details about the festival, see our article about the Grey Cup.

 

Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival

In 2024 the Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival took place at False Creek on June 22nd and 23rd. This year there was a drone light show at 9:30 pm on the 22nd. It was the first of its kind at the festival.

The drone show promoted itself as a celebration of Vancouver, the festival and Chinatown. There were traditional Chinese elements mixed in with Squamish art, all synchronized with a music soundtrack.

One of the best parts of the Dragon Boat Festival is that it’s free to attend! Everyone is welcome to go down to False Creek and enjoy both the races and the show. A video of the drone show can be watched on Vimeo.

For more details about the event, see our Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival article.

 

Canada Day Shows

Canada Day festivities take place all over the region on July 1st. This year there were two places that had evening drone shows! Chilliwack hosted the city’s first-ever drone light show to cap the evening’s entertainment.

The show happened at around 10:00 pm at Exhibition Park. The Canada Day event as a whole began at 5:00 pm and included live music, a beer garden, food trucks, a Kids Zone and other activities.

Also on July 1st, there was a drone show at 10:15 pm over Willoughby Community Park in Langley. The Township of Langley expanded its Canada Day festivities this year with activities in two different parks. The night at Willoughby Community Park concluded with a drone show following the event with live music, food trucks and brewery stations.

To learn more see our articles about Canada Day in Chilliwack and Canada Day in the Township of Langley.

 

Drones at False Creek at Night

 

Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival

One of Vancouver’s most popular events is the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition at English Bay. The 2024 festival took place on July 20th, 24th and 27th, with fireworks on each of those nights.

An electric drone light show took place before the main event each night. The drones acted as a warm-up for the big fireworks show that followed. This was the best way to see both drones and fireworks on the same night!

The schedule of events for each of the three Honda Celebration of Light nights this year included an air show at 7:40 pm, a drone show at 9:50 pm, and then the famous fireworks show blasting off at 10:00 pm.

For more information, see our article about the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival.

 

Drone Show at English Bay

 

Bootleggers x Pixel Summer Festival

Another drone show that happened in 2024 was at the Bootleggers x Pixel Summer Festival. It took place on Saturday, July 13th, at Concord Pacific Place along the False Creek Seawall.

The festival features both free and ticketed activities. There’s an outdoor art gallery, marketplace and live entertainment, all of which are open to the public. Folks with tickets get to enjoy music on the main stage. They also get the best viewing experience of the drone show, which happens at around 9:30 pm.

To learn more about the event, click Bootleggers x Pixel Summer Festival.

 

Abbotsford Airshow

The Abbotsford Airshow is an annual event that takes place near the end of the summer. The 2024 dates were August 9th to 11th at 1595 Townline Road near the Abbotsford Airport.

The event is all about great aerial performances. This year there was a drone show on top of all the planes. The show was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It took place in the evening of Friday, August 9th.

To learn more about this event, see our article about the Abbotsford Airshow.

 

Other Information

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

 

 

author avatar
Jake McGrail