Fireworks Bursting Over Coal Harbour

Vancouver hosts several fireworks events including at New Year’s, Canada Day, Halloween and the English Bay fireworks competitions in July.

Fireworks in the Lower Mainland

Attracting hundreds of thousands of people, Vancouver’s various fireworks events are all first-rate and highly recommended.

See below for information about the New Year’s Eve Celebrations, Canada Day, Celebration of Light, BC Day, Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival, Vancouver Canadians Fireworks Nights and Halloween fireworks events.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Vancouver

The only New Year’s Eve fireworks in Metro Vancouver (not including ones set off by private individuals) were the ones at Grouse Mountain on December 31st in 2023. In other years, there are usually fireworks at Cypress Mountain as well. Hopefully fireworks happen on both mountains in 2024.

Up until 2018, some of the Lower Mainland’s finest fireworks displays each year were set off from a barge in Burrard Inlet just off Canada Place on New Year’s Eve at 12 am.

The fireworks at Canada Place didn’t happen in 2019. The event took a one-year break and planned to return on December 31st, 2020, but at a new location – at False Creek near Science World. Because of COVID-19, however, that event got cancelled, as did the festivities in 2021. The plan was going to be for the fireworks to take place at the new venue on December 31st in 2022. That event also got cancelled, and for 2023 too. Hopefully it returns in 2024.

In past years, on New Year’s Eve, tens of thousands of people turned out for the show and accompanying entertainment around Canada Place, the Vancouver Convention Centre and along the waterfront in Coal Harbour. Smaller numbers of people also watched from the southeast shore of Stanley Park and from across the water in North Vancouver.

Vancouver’s New Year’s Eve fireworks used to be short but impressive, lasting for around a dozen minutes. Live music and other entertainment also took place in the plaza outside Canada Place in the evening.

For more information, see New Year’s Eve Fireworks at False Creek.

Canada Day Fireworks

One of the most popular days of the year for fireworks around the Lower Mainland is Canada Day.

The main pyrotechnics on July 1st used to launch from a barge in the water just off Canada Place in Vancouver. Unfortunately, in 2023 the organizers of the event announced that the fireworks were permanently cancelled. Fireworks do, however, still take place in other communities in the Lower Mainland.

For more information about the Canada Day celebrations in downtown Vancouver, click Canada Day at Canada Place.

In recent years Canada Day fireworks have occurred at events in Surrey, White Rock, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Steveston Village. For more information about Canada Day fireworks and other festivities throughout the Lower Mainland on July 1st, click Canada Day Fireworks. Another article that might be of interest is Drone Shows in the Lower Mainland.

Celebration of Light Fireworks

Vancouver’s biggest and most famous fireworks event is the Celebration of Light international fireworks competition that takes place in English Bay.

The Celebration of Light is a three-day event that happens on the last two Saturdays and last Wednesday in July or beginning of August in the lead-up to the BC Day Long Weekend.

In 2024 the fireworks competition took place on July 20th, 24th and 27th. Competing countries were Portugal, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

The fireworks normally start at 10 pm. Each of the three nights’ sets of pyrotechnic displays lasts for close to 25 minutes most years. During the shows people can listen to accompanying music on their radios as well. New for 2024, there were also Drone Shows prior to the fireworks each night.

For more information on this world-famous three-day pyrotechnics event, click Celebration of Light.

English Bay Fireworks — Fireworks at English Bay

BC Day Fireworks

The Celebration of Light takes place in the lead up to the BC Day Long Weekend, but it’s not the only fireworks that take place close to BC’s first-Monday-of-August statutory holiday.

White Rock usually has its own fireworks that weekend during its White Rock Sea Festival. In 2024 the festival ran from August 2nd to 4th. The fireworks display happened at 10:15 pm on the Sunday. Admission was free.

Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival

The Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival is a fairly new annual event that started in 2022. The event takes place at Westminster Quay in New Westminster. In 2024 the festivities happen on Saturday, August 24th, from 3:00 until 10:00 pm.

The end-of-summer celebration features a market and a family-friendly beverage garden. There’s also live entertainment and the event concludes with a fireworks display. Admission to the festival is free.

For an idea of what to expect at this year’s event, see the video below. It includes footage of the fireworks from 2022.

(Note: The music in this video is Milkshake by Yurii Semchyshyn from Pixabay.)

Vancouver Canadians Fireworks Nights

The Vancouver Canadians play baseball games from April to September each year. Their home games take place at Nat Bailey Stadium. Some games have special themes, including Family Fun Sundays, RBC We Care Wednesdays, and of course, Fireworks Extravaganzas.

There are six fireworks nights in the 2024 season. They take place on June 27th, July 20th, August 1st, August 8th, August 22nd and September 7th.

For more information about the special games, click Vancouver Canadians Fireworks Nights.

Halloween Fireworks

Municipal government-hosted events with Halloween fireworks usually take place in Maple Ridge and Richmond. There was also a new event in Burnaby last year. Smaller less formal events happen in other places too.

Celebrate the Night is a Halloween-themed community festival and fireworks night in Maple Ridge. In 2024 the event happens on Saturday, October 19th. The fireworks blast off at 8:00 pm. Other activities include a costume contest, games and live music. For full details about this event, see the City of Maple Ridge‘s website.

New for 2023 was Central Spark in Burnaby. The event takes place again on Friday, October 25th in 2024. It features various Halloween celebrations and a fireworks finale at 8:15 pm. The event is held at Central Park along Patterson Avenue and it’s free to attend.

Halloween fireworks also take place in Richmond’s Minoru Park most years. The venue is located at 7191 Granville Avenue. Last year’s event happened on October 31st and included free family-friendly activities from 6:30 until 8:45 pm. 2024 details are to be confirmed. Click Richmond Halloween Fireworks for more information.