Huge Vancouver fireworks event closing major roads this week
Fireworks are bursting over Vancouver’s English Bay on Friday night, and residents and commuters are being warned of traffic impacts in the viewing areas.
The City of Vancouver’s “Summer Lights in English Bay” on July 31, 2026, will help kick off both the B.C. Day long weekend and Vancouver Pride weekend. No tickets are required for the free event.
Several road closures are planned for the West End. Festival organizers also stated congestion and delays throughout the neighbourhood, as well as areas around English Bay and the downtown core, are expected.
View this post on Instagram
Traffic controls in effect from 6 p.m. to midnight include Beach Avenue closing from Stanley Park to Pacific Street for event setup and operations.
Full road closures in place from 6 p.m. to midnight include:
- Davie Street from Denman Street to Burrard Street
- Denman Street from Alberni Street to Beach Avenue
Local access for vehicles may be available at Thurlow Street at Nelson and Burnaby streets, and on Denman Street at Alberni Street.
There will also be limited access to Stanley Park West of Pipeline Road after 6 p.m., and vehicle access and parking will be restricted.
Map of the barge location and road closures for Summer Lights in English Bay fireworks on Friday, July 31, 2026. (City of Vancouver)
TransLink will deploy extra services to help meet the surging demand of crowds arriving and leaving the area in and around English Bay for the fireworks.
SkyTrain will operate at high frequencies every two to three minutes before and after the fireworks. Bikes will not be permitted on SkyTrain after 10:30 p.m. until the crowds have cleared.
There will be a special pre-event shuttle bus service between Burrard SkyTrain Station and the intersection of Denman and West Georgia streets in the West End from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
TransLink
A special post-event shuttle bus service will run from the intersection of Bidwell and West Georgia streets in Coal Harbour. The service will drop passengers off at the intersection of Burrard and West Georgia streets (near Burrard Station) before continuing to Waterfront Station.
Post-event service to West Vancouver and North Vancouver will also run from the intersection of West Georgia and Denman Streets.
Due to the road closures, several bus routes will temporarily be rerouted, including routes 5, 6 (5 p.m. to midnight), and 23 (11 a.m. to midnight).
SeaBus sailings on July 31 will extend 10 minutes sailing frequencies from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Passengers can then expect a SeaBus sailing every 15 minutes until the last sailing from Waterfront Station at 1:22 a.m. on Aug. 1.
Team Philippines at the Honda Celebration of Light Vancouver fireworks on July 29, 2023. (Gabriel Lam/Meimento)
The Vancouver fireworks will have the usual runtime of 25 minutes and begin at the traditional start time of precisely 10 p.m., launched from a barge positioned in the middle of English Bay. The live simulcast of the fireworks will be made available on radio station Rock 101.
Food trucks will open at 3 p.m. along Beach Avenue next to English Bay Beach.
There will also be a live music lineup on the English Bay Bathhouse rooftop. DJ Remsta will start the evening at 6:30 p.m. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the rooftop stage will feature performances by Carlotta Gurl, Eva Lasting, and Celestial Seasonings.
2026 Summer Nights at English Bay Vancouver fireworks
When: Friday, July 31, 2026
Fireworks time: 10 p.m. to 10:25 p.m. (25 minutes), rain or shine
Where: English Bay, Vancouver
With files from Kenneth Chan