Celebration of Light Fireworks Road Closures, Viewpoints in Vancouver
byHundreds of thousands of spectators will look to the sky over English Bay this week as the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks in Vancouver return for three nights this summer. Here are a few more details about the evening events that include some traffic impacts, road closures, and more:
Fireworks Road Closures | Fireworks Viewpoints | Viewing Tips
This post has been updated for 2024*
Fireworks Schedule
Red Bull Air Show 7:40pm | Drone show 9:50pm | Fireworks 10:00pm
- Saturday, July 20 Portugal – Team Macedos Pirotecnia
- Wednesday, July 24 Malaysia – Team Pyro Tact
- Saturday, July 27 United Kingdom – Team Pyrotex Fireworx
Related: Food Trucks at the Fireworks in Vancouver
Fireworks Road Closures in Vancouver
Event load-in/load-out – July 17-19, 2024
- Full road closure
- Burnaby St from Beach Ave to Bidwell St
Event – July 20, 24 , and 27
- 9:00am to 6:00pm: Traffic controls in effect
- Periodic traffic control for load-in on Beach Ave, Pacific to Davie
- Beach Ave closed to traffic, bike lane detour 5:00pm to midnight
- 6:00pm to 11:00pm: Public vehicle access restricted
- Stanley Park – west of Pipeline Road
- 6:00pm 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
Viewpoints in Vancouver
Anywhere with a view of the barge is going to be a great view! All along the Seawall from about Sunset Beach to about where it meets Park Lane; from the Burrard Bridge; around by Vanier Park, Kits Point, Kits Beach, clear over to Jericho Beach will have nice views in the sky. The Cypress Lookout in West Vancouver is also a popular spot with a panoramic view of the whole area – but be warned it goes get very busy on that road.
For a premium experience, tickets are available for the following reserved seating options in the Concord Pacific Grandstand (reserved bleacher seating); the Scotiabank Lounge; Inukshuk Point; English Bay Grandstands and private luxury cabanas and private patios.
More Fireworks Viewing Tips
- Many get to the beach earlier in the day to secure their viewing spot. Be sure to protect yourself during hot weather.
- Walk, bike, roll, or take transit whenever possible
- Be aware of fireworks viewing point markers, especially those marking the high tide points along the beach
- Put waste in its place. Walk, bike or roll with waste to the nearest garbage, recycling or organics bin
- Use the “Pack-In, Pack-Out” method, especially for large gatherings. Group gatherings often result in excess waste and can quickly overfill waste bins. Bring waste home with you to properly sort and dispose of
- Be considerate of the community and keep noise to a minimum when leaving
- Respect the no smoking ban in Vancouver parks and refrain from using barbeques
- Watching from the water? Follow safe boating guidelines, carry your boating license with you and refrain from consuming alcohol on the water
- Canoes, kayaks and other non-powered vessels should stay close to the shore to avoid interfering with larger vessels
- Boaters should also be aware of the exclusion perimeter in English Bay; this will be marked out by marine buoys
- Leave your pets at home. Fireworks and large crowds can be very frightening for animals. If you choose to bring your dog with you, make sure it’s wearing proper identification: 97 per cent of dogs that are licensed and wearing tags are returned to their owner. If your dog gets lost, phone 3-1-1 to inform Animal Services
- Drinking alcohol is not permitted at Sunset Beach, English Bay, and Third Beach.
- Glass beverage bottles and containers are also not allowed on parks and beaches.
“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!”
Follow the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks on Facebook for the latest updates and news.
