Indigenous-themed fireworks by Nova Scotia to close Celebration of Light | Daily Hive

Indigenous-themed fireworks by Team Nova Scotia to close 2025 Honda Celebration of Light

Preparations for Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics' Australia show for the 2023 Honda Celebration of Light, as of July 21, 2023. (Kenneth Chan)

The 2025 Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition will conclude with what promises to be a powerful and culturally resonant display by Team Nova Scotia, represented by Fireworks FX.

This final show of this year’s fireworks festival on Saturday, July 26, carries the theme of “Voices of Fire,” featuring an all-Indigenous artist soundtrack.

“We’re hoping that the soundtrack and our display will offer something unique to the competition this year, while also providing exposure for these incredible artists,” Fred Wade, president of Fireworks FX, told Daily Hive.

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“Our designer was originally toying with the idea of an Indigenous section to the display, but was overwhelmed by the power found in their music, making the decision to dedicate our entire presentation to Indigenous Canadian artists an easy one.”

honda celebration of light vancouver fireworks barge 2025 yukon

Team Yukon’s preparations for the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, as seen on July 18, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

Fireworks FX — a company based in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, about a one-hour drive outside of Halifax — is a family-run business with more than four decades of experience delivering pyrotechnic shows both at home and abroad.

They have staged fireworks shows in England, Japan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Canada’s Far North, and throughout the Caribbean. The company even operates a business in Barbados to support fireworks displays across the Caribbean islands, with a team from Nova Scotia sent south every December to help the local team execute dozens of New Year’s Eve fireworks displays.

Among their proudest achievements: two large-scale fireworks shows for the 500th anniversary of Havana, Cuba, in 2019.

“I think we are most proud of the two massive shows we did for the 500th anniversary of Havana, Cuba. Any company in the world would have given a kidney to have been given the opportunity but yet it was a Canadian company that they entrusted with this very high-proﬁle world event,” Wade told Daily Hive.

On what sets his team apart, Wade remains humble.

“I don’t think that we are much different than our peers in Canada, there are a number of Canadian companies that are very professional and do great work, and if we can count ourselves in that group, that is all that matters,” he continued.

The 33rd annual Honda Celebration of Light kicked off last weekend with the “20,000 Leagues Under English Bay” theme by Midnight Sun Fireworks, representing Team Yukon. Then this past Wednesday, Royal Pyrotechnie, representing Team Quebec, delivered the sports-themed “Champions” show.

This marks the first time in the history of Vancouver’s fireworks festival that all participating teams are Canadian, departing from the usual three-country format. Royal Pyrotechnie and Midnight Sun Fireworks previously represented Team Canada in 2017 and 2022, respectively.

As of the time of writing, the forecast for Team Nova Scotia’s show does not call for any precipitation through Saturday, with temperatures reaching a relatively cool 18°C under clear sky conditions at 10 p.m., when the BC Honda Dealers Drone Show — featuring 400 drones — begins. Just like the previous nights, the drone show will transition into an energetic countdown to the fireworks. Very low wind is also predicted.

For those planning to claim a spot on the beach early, be mindful of the tides and avoid setting up too close to the water. High tide will peak at 8:51 p.m., just over an hour before the drone show and fireworks show start times.

Historically, the final show of each year’s Honda Celebration of Light typically sees the largest crowd turnout, with upwards of 500,000 people gathered at the beaches and crowds in and around English Bay.

honda celebration of light fireworks yukon 2025

Team Yukon at the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light fireworks. (Vancouver Police Department)

Honda Celebration of Light Vancouver fireworks 2025

Schedule and provinces:
- Saturday, July 19: Team Yukon – Midnight Sun Fireworks
  - With pre-fireworks Snowbirds Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
- Wednesday, July 23: Team Quebec – Royal Pyrotechnie
  - With pre-fireworks Snowbirds Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
- Saturday, July 26: Team Nova Scotia – Fireworks FX
  - With BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
Nightly schedule:
- CF Snowbirds Air Show: 6:30 p.m. on July 19 and 23 only
- BC Honda Dealers Drone Show: Nightly at 10 p.m. on July 19, 23, and 26
- 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

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