EventsNewsSummerCelebration of LightDH Community Partnership

All-Canadian Honda Celebration of Light fireworks ends with bold Indigenous cultural tribute by Team Nova Scotia

Kenneth Chan
Kenneth Chan
|
Jul 27 2025, 5:58 pm
All-Canadian Honda Celebration of Light fireworks ends with bold Indigenous cultural tribute by Team Nova Scotia
Team Nova Scotia at the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light fireworks. (Gabriel Lam/Meimento)

FEATURED ON THE LISTED GUIDE

Arrow pointed left
Arrow pointed right
Blockbuster

Thu, April 16, 7:30pm

Blockbuster

House Teams

Sun, April 19, 7:30pm

House Teams

TJ Fest 2026

Sat, May 2, 11:00am

TJ Fest 2026

Music Is The Answer: ATM001

Fri, May 29, 9:00pm

Music Is The Answer: ATM001

Click to add your event to the Listed Events Guide

Click to add your event to the Listed Events Guide

The 2025 Honda Celebration of Light ended on a high note Saturday night with an emotionally charged fireworks performance by Team Nova Scotia that paid tribute to Indigenous culture through both its soundtrack and storytelling in the sky.

Produced by Fireworks FX, the Nova Scotian pyrotechnics company — based in the Annapolis Valley, about a one-hour drive from Halifax — delivered a carefully choreographed show that combined technical excellence with cultural reverence. The theme of the last night of this year’s Vancouver fireworks festival was “Voices of Fire.”

Drawing inspiration from the Indigenous artists featured in the soundtrack, the pyrotechnic sequences flowed with purpose — balancing moments of fierce intensity with quiet reflection.

A total of 11 Indigenous songs, from a diverse mix of artists from Canada’s Indigenous communities, were used to drive the theme of this pyromusical, including an Inuktitut cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.”

Throughout the performance, Fireworks FX skillfully filled and painted the sky over English Bay during key moments, deliberately choosing six-inch shells as their largest fireworks. While forgoing Canada’s largest legal pyrotechnic product — the 12-inch shell — the team still achieved a comparable, if not more impactful, effect by using multiple six-inch shells in unison.

No major issues were reported by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) on this final night of the 33rd annual fireworks competition. The final show each year typically sees the largest crowds; just before 9 p.m., VPD reported English Bay Beach had reached capacity.

Team Yukon, represented by Midnight Sun Fireworks, opened the festival last weekend with an imaginative “20,000 Leagues Under English Bay” theme. On the second night, Team Quebec, represented by Royal Pyrotechnie, delivered a high-energy “Champions” show, featuring sports anthems that celebrated victory and perseverance.

For the first time in the festival’s history, the Honda Celebration of Light featured an all-Canadian lineup, replacing the traditional three-country competition format.

The winning pyrotechnics company will be announced this week.

Relive Team Nova Scotia’s entire 25-minute show at the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bernice Chan (@thebernunithk)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Derrick Penner (@derrickpenner)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Royce Chwin (@roycevancouver)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chad (@frontrowchad)

Daily Hive is a proud media partner of the
2025 Honda Celebration of Light

ADVERTISEMENT