The 2023 Honda Celebration of Light will spark up the Vancouver sky on July 22, 26, and 29 with fireworks displays from across the world.
Teams from Australia, Mexico, and the Philippines will battle it out in the sky to determine who will take the top prize for 2023.
"It takes three days for each team to set up," said Kelly Guille, an expert in pyrotechnics and president of Archangel Fireworks Inc., who conducted a demonstration tour of the barge used to fire off the pyrotechnics.
Howard & Sons from Australia, whose display takes place on Saturday, July 22, has the theme of a night out at the disco.
"There are some uniquely Australian songs in our soundtrack, there is some indigenous Australian music and there are even sounds of Australian native animals mixed into the soundtrack," said Andrew Howard, director of Howard & Sons.
"We want people to feel good, get up and have a dance and tap their feet and clap their hands to the music."
Howard & Sons has performed previously in Vancouver in the 90s with Andrew's father.
Safety precautions
When asked about the dangers of fireworks and safety hazards, Guille acknowledged that dry weather conditions make them more cautious.
"We wet everything down in advance and have got three fire pumps on the barge," Guille explained.
"I try not to rely on luck and more on experience," said Guille, who has been working with fireworks for 30 years.
Jasprit Khandal from B.C. Emergency Health Services said that they would be working closely with their emergency services partners and the event organizers to ensure public safety throughout the event.
Additional paramedics will be on hand, said Khandal.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services Captain Matt Trudeau said that they recognize and acknowledge the dry conditions throughout the city and province.
"We are working hard with our partnered agencies to identify these risks and mitigate them with clear action," said Trudeau.
The Honda Celebration of Light takes place of July 22, 26, and 29 with the fireworks show starting at 10 p.m. The barge is located in English Bay and the fireworks can be seen from beaches and seawalls that border the English Bay.
Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 26 C in Vancouver's Downtown Centre and 23 C at V.I.A.'s Jericho Beach weather station, with partly cloudy skies expected.
