Fireworks over English Bay

Vancouver skyline to shine during Honda Celebration of Light

July 18 2024 –

The most anticipated summer event and largest fireworks competition in the world returns to Vancouver this weekend. The Honda Celebration of Light will illuminate Vancouver’s skyline and draw thousands of residents and visitors to the West End and Kits Point. 

“Vancouver's summer season wouldn't be complete without the iconic Honda Celebration of Light where our city comes alive with music, culture and spirit from around the globe,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “I can't wait to join in the excitement and see our skies light up with amazing shapes, colours and music!"  

This year, the long-standing fireworks competition will see displays from the following countries on the following three evenings:

  • Saturday, July 20 – Portugal 
  • Wednesday, July 24 – Malaysia 
  • Saturday, July 27 – United Kingdom  

To ensure this event remains an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone, the City is working closely with partners at the Park Board, Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Emergency Management Agency.

Traffic impacts 

Various road closures will be in effect with traffic disruptions anticipated downtown, the West End, Stanley Park, and Kitsilano. Those attending the event or travelling through those areas are encouraged to walk, bike, roll, Mobi or take transit. View map of road closures (753 KB) in the area. 
 
Mobi by Rogers is helping to make biking to the fireworks even easier by adding docking capacity in English Bay at the Bidwell & Burnaby station. On event dates, Mobi staff will be helping end rides at busy stations in both English Bay and Kitsilano.

Wednesday, July 17 – Friday, July 19 

  • All day: Full road closure for event preparations 
    • One block of Burnaby St from Beach Ave to Bidwell St  

Saturday, July 20, Wednesday, July 24 and Saturday, July 27 

  • 9 am to 6 pm: Traffic controls in effect  
    • Periodic traffic control for load-in on Beach Ave, Pacific to Davie  
    • Beach Ave closed to traffic, bike lane detour 5 pm to midnight  
  • 6 pm to11 pm: Public vehicle access restricted 
    • Stanley Park - west of Pipeline Road 
  • 6 pm to midnight: Full road closures  
    • Beach/Pacific St from Stanley Park to Thurlow  
    • Davie St from Denman to Burrard  
    • Denman St from Alberni to Beach 

Local traffic access points

  • Burnaby St at Thurlow St  
  • Nelson St at Thurlow St 
  • Denman St at Alberni St  

Vehicle access in the West End and Kits Point event areas will be limited to residents with a local parking decal or vehicle registration displaying a local neighbourhood address.  
 
Transit Reroutes: 

  • Bus #2, #5, #6, #23 to reroute west of Burrard St 

Plan ahead to attend

To help ensure that the events run as smoothly as possible, the City asks residents and attendees to follow these tips:

  • Stay safe in hot weather, find tips at vancouver.ca/hotweather. 
  • Avoid sitting in high-tide areas: look for fireworks viewing area signs on the beach.
  • Respect the no smoking and open fire ban in Vancouver parks and refrain from using barbeques throughout English Bay Beach Park.  
  • Respect drinking regulations: 
  • Don’t let waste become litter: use the “Pack-In, Pack-Out” method. 
    • Group gatherings at large events often result in excess waste and can quickly overfill waste bins.  
    • Attendees are asked to take waste with them and dispose of it at home. 
  • Be considerate of the community and keep noise to a minimum when leaving.  

Watching from the water

Leave pets at home

Fireworks and large crowds can be very frightening for animals.

  • Any dogs in attendance must be wearing proper identification as 97 per cent of dogs that are licensed and wearing tags are returned to their owner. 
  • To report a lost dog, call Animal Services by dialing 3-1-1. 

Getting to and from the event 

Those travelling in and around the event areas, should plan ahead and expect delays.