EventsNewsSummerCelebration of LightDH Community Partnership

You could be a judge at this year's Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition

Kenneth Chan
Kenneth Chan
|
May 10 2025, 6:22 pm
You could be a judge at this year's Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition
United Kingdom's fireworks show at the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light. (Gabriel Lam/Meimento)

Each year, a small panel of approximately half a dozen judges is tasked with scoring every fireworks show at Vancouver’s Honda Celebration of Light competition.

These select judges determine the winner of the annual fireworks competition, with their individual scores tallied at the end of the event’s three-night run.

The panel of judges typically includes select representatives from the event’s sponsors and media partners, along with two elected officials from the City of Vancouver. As a long-standing proud media partner, Daily Hive will once again have a seat on this year’s judging panel.

However, for the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light, local developer Concord Pacific — a longstanding major sponsor of Vancouver’s annual summertime fireworks extravaganza tradition — is giving up its seat on the judging panel for one lucky family to become a judge.

Concord Pacific Generational Jury Draw

For the first time ever, this opportunity is being open up to the public. And for this lucky family, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime-experience.

This initiative celebrates Concord Pacific’s 25th anniversary as a key sponsor of the fireworks competition — British Columbia’s largest public spectator event. The developer has supported the event for most of its 33-year history, making it the longest running sponsor of the event.

“Concord Pacific has been supporting our communities for generations through 50 events and charities and is committed to putting Canada on display at this year’s Honda Celebration of Light,” said Concord Pacific president and CEO Terry Hui.

When tobacco company Benson & Hedges was no longer legally permitted to serve as the event’s title sponsor — back when the fireworks competition was originally known as the Symphony of Light — Concord Pacific stepped in to help save the event from being extinguished.

“To mark our 25-year partnership with the fireworks, we will be giving our official judging position to one lucky Metro Vancouver family through the Concord Pacific Generational Jury Draw,” continued Hui.

To be the lucky family, online applications for the Concord Pacific Generational Jury Draw are now open through 12 p.m. on June 3, 2025, at which point a draw will be held with a Vancouver city councillor. The winning family will be publicly announced on June 4, 2025.

Requirements and perks for an experience of a lifetime, and how to apply

There are some strict requirements for eligible entry into the Concord Pacific Generational Jury Draw: the composition of the family must be of at least two generations, such as parents with their children or grandparents with their grandchildren. Furthermore, this family must have at least one child between the ages of six to 12 and at least one parent or grandparent over the age of 19. Up to five family members can apply to be a part of this experience. All members of the family must live in the Metro Vancouver region.

Above all, as this is a rare and unique privilege, the selected family must commit to physically attend all three nights of the event, with on-site judging taking place at English Bay Beach in downtown Vancouver’s West End. All family members will make one collective vote representing Concord Pacific’s single judging seat after all three nights.

The 2025 event is scheduled for July 19 (Saturday), July 23 (Wednesday), and July 26 (Saturday). The fireworks shows start at 10:15 p.m. sharp each night (15 minutes later than previous years), rain or shine. There will also be pre-fireworks entertainment of a nightly drone show (not part of the fireworks competition) at 10 p.m., and a Canadian Forces Snowbirds air show earlier in the evening on July 19 and July 23 only.

For all three nights, the lucky family will enjoy VIP food and beverages from atop the Concord Pacific Grandstand at English Bay Beach — enjoying optimal close-up sightlines of the fireworks with ample creature comforts.

As an added perk, they will also receive a daytime VIP tour of the fireworks barge, timed to coincide with the pyrotechnicians’ preparations for one of the evening displays. This includes a pleasant private boat ride to reach the barge positioned in the middle of English Bay.

While it may be tempting to judge a fireworks competition purely by the loudest “oohs” and “ahhs” resulting from the show with the biggest bangs in the sky, there is actually a structured methodology behind it. The typical panel of judges evaluates each show based on several criteria, including the overall scale and balance of the display — such as effective use of highs, lows, and a strong finale.

Judges also pay attention to the design and artistry, including visual structure, rhythm, and synchronization with the soundtrack. Originality plays a key role, with points awarded for innovative or novel effects. The soundtrack itself is judged on its quality, integration, and emotional resonance, while technical precision and the quality of the fireworks used round out the scoring criteria.

If you think your family meets all of the requirements to be the official Concord Jury, apply online here. As noted above, the deadline to apply is 12 p.m. on June 3, 2025.

It is also worth noting that, for the first time in the event’s history, the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light will not feature an international competition of three countries. Instead, this year’s fireworks showdown will be a uniquely Canadian affair, with three pyrotechnic teams representing their home provinces and territories. The 2025 competition will see the Yukon, Quebec, and Nova Scotia go head-to-head in a spectacular display of national talent.

Honda Celebration of Light fireworks 2025

  • Schedule and provinces:
    • Saturday, July 19: Yukon – Team Midnight Sun
      • With pre-fireworks BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
    • Wednesday, July 23: Quebec – Team Royal Pyrotechnie
      • With pre-fireworks Snowbirds Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
    • Saturday, July 26: Nova Scotia – Team Fireworks FX
      • With BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
  • Nightly schedule:
    • CF Snowbirds Air Show: Start time TBA (July 19 and 23)
    • BC Honda Dealers Drone Show: 10 p.m.
    • Fireworks: 10:15 p.m., rain or shine. Music simulcasts can be heard on radio station CFMI Rock 101.
  • Location: English Bay, Vancouver

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

ADVERTISEMENT