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 in 2025

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

See below for information about the Vancouver Canadians Fireworks Nights, Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival, Halloween, New Year’s Eve Celebrations, Canada Day, Celebration of Light, and BC Day 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) are the ones at Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain.

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 12:00 am. That, however, doesn’t happen anymore.

The fireworks at Canada Place didn’t happen in 2019. The event took a one-year break and planned to return in 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 in 2022. That event also got cancelled, and it hasn’t happened since then.

For details about fireworks events that are happening in 2025, see our articles about Grouse Mountain on NYE or Cypress Mountain on NYE.

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, those fireworks don’t happen anymore. Fireworks displays do, however, still take place in other communities in the Lower Mainland.

In 2025 there are Canada Day fireworks at events in Surrey, White Rock, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Delta, Harrison Hot Springs and Abbotsford. There are also Drone Shows in Chilliwack and the Township of Langley. 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 fireworks competition that takes place in English Bay.

The Celebration of Light is a three-day event that happens in late July. The competition usually features three different countries. However, the 2025 events feature three different Canadian teams instead. The displays take place on July 19th, 23rd and 26th. Competing teams are from Yukon, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The fireworks start at around 10:00 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. There are also Drone Shows prior to the fireworks each night.

One of the best places to watch the fireworks displays from is on a boat. In 2025, Vancouver Boat Parties hosts a cruise on all three nights of the fireworks.

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 2025 the festival runs from the Friday to Sunday of August 1st to 3rd. The fireworks display typically happens on the Sunday night. Admission is free.

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 were nine fireworks nights in the 2025 season. They took place on April 15th, May 27th, June 26th, July 3rd, July 19th, July 26th, August 9th, August 23rd and September 6th. 2026 will likely be comparable.

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

Summer Music & Fireworks Festival

The Summer Music & Fireworks Festival used to be called the Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival. It started in 2022 and changed its name in 2025. The event takes place at Westminster Quay in New Westminster. In 2025 the festivities happened on Saturday, August 23rd, from 3:00 until 9:30 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.)

Halloween Fireworks

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

Celebrate the Night is a Halloween-themed community festival and fireworks night in Maple Ridge. It happens in mid-October and the fireworks usually blast off at around 8:00 pm. Other activities include a costume contest, games and live music.

Another good event is Central Spark in Burnaby. It usually happens a week before Halloween. The event features various Halloween celebrations and a fireworks finale at about 7:30 pm. The event is held at Central Park along Patterson Avenue and it is free to attend.

Halloween fireworks also take place in Richmond’s Minoru Park. The venue is located at 7191 Granville Avenue. The event happens on October 31st and includes free family-friendly activities. Click Richmond Halloween Fireworks for more information.