The Honda Celebration of Light is one of the biggest and most amazing events in Vancouver. You can enjoy the fireworks in style at one of its exclusive venues.
Note: On November 26th, 2025, the event’s organizers announced that they had cancelled the 2026 Celebration of Light. Unless a stable source of funding becomes available, the event will likely never happen again in the future.
Ticketed Events for the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival
The Celebration of Light, should it happen again, is a massive fireworks festival that takes place over English Bay.
The festival functions as a fireworks competition, and a pyrotechnic company from a different region performs a show on each of the three nights. Last year, for the first time ever, all participating companies were from Canada. They were Midnight Sun from Yukon, Royal Pyrotechnie from Quebec and Fireworks FX from Nova Scotia.
Hundreds of thousands of people attend the three nights of the event each year. English Bay Beach is the best place to watch the fireworks from, but it’s crazy crowded. For people wanting to pamper themselves, nice places to enjoy the shows from are the Concord Pacific Grandstand and Inukshuk Point. There are other exceptional places to watch from, however, including from Vanier Park at Bard Fireworks Nights, and from the water on a cruise with Vancouver Boat Parties.
Check out our article about the Celebration of Light to learn more about the festival itself. See our article about Free Celebration of Light Fireworks Venues for a list of free places to watch from. Otherwise, continue reading below for details about some of the most comfortable and exclusive places to watch the fireworks which we hope return in the future.
Ticketed Venues for the Festival
Last year’s festival dates were Saturday, July 19th, Wednesday, July 23rd, and Saturday, July 26th.
There are many places from which you can watch the fireworks as they are massive displays that can be seen from a long distance. Last year there were a couple of venues that offered ticketed events on the nights of the festival for those who wanted more of a VIP treatment. These venues were the Concord Pacific Grandstand and Inukshuk Point. Both are amazing and well worth the price should the event return this year.
Concord Pacific Grandstand
This section of seating is located just off the beach at English Bay. The Grandstand provides reserved seating that is elevated for better sightlines of the fireworks. This means you’ll avoid the large crowds of people who gather on and around the beach itself. The section is open to those of all ages. The venue has a liquour license along with a small alcohol-free zone available most years.
The Grandstand opened at 6:30 pm on each of the event dates last year. Along with the ability to reserve your seats, patrons also had private washrooms meaning much shorter lineups compared to the majority of those at the beach. Tickets in 2025 were $67.97. Private cabanas above the Grandstand could also be rented.
Fireworks Viewing from Inukshuk Point
Inukshuk Point is even closer to the water than the Grandstand. It’s set up around the large Inukshuk installation overlooking English Bay. In addition to providing a place to watch the fireworks from very close range, admission to the Inukshuk Point last year included a meal, one drink and access to a private bar for those who want to enjoy more.
Tickets in 2025 were $242.95 for those who wanted to reserve specific tables. Children under the age of 2 had free entry. Like the Grandstand, the lounge opened at 6:30 pm on event nights and had its own private washrooms.
Ticketed Venues from Previous Years
In 2025 there were two main ticketed areas. The year before, however, there was a third place too. Continue reading below for details.
Scotiabank Lounge at the Fireworks at English Bay
The third ticketed venue for the Honda Celebration of Light in 2024 was the Scotiabank Lounge. It was on the roof of the English Bay Bathhouse. Set a little bit further back from the water, the elevation of the lounge gave patrons a clear view of the fireworks as they blasted off into the sky.
The Scotiabank Lounge used to be for people ages 19+. Admission came with one complimentary drink as well as hors d’oeuvres provided by the Stanley Park Brew Pub. The lounge opened at the same time as the other venues and also had its own washrooms. Tickets in 2024 were $170.67 for general admission and $232.41 for reserved tables. Whether this venue returns, along with the festival, in future years is to be confirmed.
The Vancouver Maritime Museum hosted a special fundraising event on July 23rd last year. Evening at the Museum included food, drinks, live music and games. The 19+ event ran from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm and also featured wonderful views of the fireworks.
Fireworks Video
Check out the video below to give you a really good idea of what the fireworks look like, especially as viewed from near the Inukshuk.
As you’ll see, the premium venue from where this video was taken is beautiful. It wasn’t crowded and it had exceptional views. Guests there also got a delicious dinner and comfortable seating. They were also the only people who got the absolute best view of the fireworks behind the silhouette of Vancouver’s famous Inukshuk.
Other Information
Visit the Honda Celebration of Light website for more information about the fireworks event and its premium venues should this beloved Vancouver event return in future years.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- English Bay Beach
- Fireworks in Vancouver
- Vancouver’s July Calendar
- Vancouver’s August Calendar
- BC Day Long Weekend
- Shows & Entertainment Calendar
