Here's what you should know as Celebration of Light returns after two-year pandemic hiatus
It's shaping up to be a summer of festivals, fun and crowds following two years of COVID-19 shutdowns.
Now Vancouver's annual Honda Celebration of Light has announced its dates and lineup for the annual fireworks competition at English Bay, after a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021. The last show was in 2019 and included Canada, Croatia and India.
Here's what to know to plan your trip to see the show:
Q Which countries are competing and when?
A Celebration of Light organizers have announced that this year's competitors will be Japan, Canada and Spain.
Japan's Akariya Fireworks will perform Saturday, July 23, followed by Canada's Midnight Sun Fireworks on
Wednesday, July 27. Finally, Spain's Pirotecnia Zaragozana will go on Saturday, July 30.
Q Do I need to buy tickets?
A No. Every year, lots of people flock to Vancouver's West End beaches to watch the sky light up. However, there are also plenty of ticketed places to comfortably watch the event.
Tickets will go on sale May 2 at 10 a.m.
Both early-bird pricing and reserved tables are limited in quantity and are available on a first come, first served basis.
Q Which ticketed locations can I choose from?
A
Scotiabank Lounge
The Scotiabank Lounge provides guests with premium VIP viewing in this 19-plus venue with food and beverages from the Stanley Park Brew Pub. Located on the bathhouse roof in English Bay, this venue offers both general admission and reserved table ticket options.
▪ Early-bird pricing: $119 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Regular (GA): $139 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Reserved seating: $199 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
Concord Lounge at the Inukshuk
Located at the Inukshuk peninsula overlooking English Bay, the Concord Lounge offers the closest viewing position to the fireworks, with food and beverages.
▪ Early-bird pricing: $149 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Regular: $169 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Reserved seating: $209 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
English Bay Grandstand
The English Bay Grandstand offers reserved seating with elevated and direct sight lines to the fireworks barges, making it the most popular of the festival's ticketed venues for visitors, families or groups.
▪ Early-bird pricing: $49 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Early-bird, limited visibility: $44 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Regular: $54 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
▪ Regular, limited visibility: $49 plus applicable service charges and taxes.
The festival, which was first held in 1990 under the Symphony of Fire name, has grown to be the longest-running offshore fireworks festival in the world, drawing up to 400,000 spectators a night.