Vancouver Park Board approves one-night fireworks event in lieu of Celebration of Light

The Celebration of Light will not be returning to Vancouver in 2026, but it appears that there will be one night of fireworks fun at English Bay this summer.

Vancouver Park Board commissioners have given the green light to the City of Vancouver’s proposed $2 million fireworks show.

The event would be fully open and accessible to residents and visitors free of charge.

The proposal was spearheaded by Mayor Ken Sim, who proposed the idea after The Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society came to the decision to cancel its own annual event “indefinitely” due to lack of funding late last year.

“I think the mayor really stepped up this time,” said Commissioner Jas Virdi during Monday’s park board meeting. “The Celebration of Light was cancelled, and he stepped up and gave us an event, and I think it’s cost effective.”

Sim’s motion was approved by city council on Feb. 4, with up to $2 million of city funds earmarked to support the event.

While the park board voted in favour of the motion to use English Bay for the fireworks show, the use of city funds did draw some pushback—particularly after Sim and his fellow ABC councillors punted a request to restore lifeguard funding cut amid pressure from the mayor’s “Zero Means Zero” budget.

“I find it immensely frustrating that when we request a small $600,000 to keep our beaches safe, we are turned down,” said Laura Christensen. “There is a real problem that we’re spending $2 million on a fireworks show when we can’t find the money to properly lifeguard our beaches.”

Christensen did vote in favour of the motion, saying she would not stand in the way of an event she believes a lot of people want to see happen.

Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky voted against the proposal, saying the event would not capture the same entertainment as the Celebration of Light, citing the lack of competition.

This one-night event will not feature any grandstand seating, public liquor lounges or a drone show.

There will, however, be a small lounge space permitted to serve alcohol to a capacity of 100 invited guests, intended for government officials and potential sponsors for future events.

No official date has been set.