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Why Celebration of Lights in Vancouver is a great cultural event in BC

The Honda Celebration of Light in Vancouver is the longest-running offshore fireworks festival globally. This annual exhibition of fireworks, which was named “Symphony of Fire,” has been running for 31 years now.

 

It is held on English Bay and takes place during July and August. In the afternoon, you can expect live music and entertainment. At night, the fantastic display of pyro-musical fireworks is sure to leave you in awe.

 

The multiple-day event has an estimated annual attendance of 1.4 million people.

 

History

 

The event had been previously sponsored by British American Tobacco (with the branding Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire). Still, after the Canadian federal government legislated tobacco advertising restrictions, there were fears that the event would fail to receive sufficient funding to continue operations.

 

The Vancouver event, with various sponsors, has been re-branded as the Celebration of Light.

 

British American Tobacco informed Ontario Place Corporation, the hosts of the Toronto exhibition, that they could continue holding the annual event, but under a different name, as the Symphony of Fire trademark vested with Benson and Hedges. The Toronto event has since been renamed the Canada Dry Festival of Fire. This year, the current Sponsor is Honda, and it has since been renamed again to Honda Celebration of Light.

 

Organizers of the Honda Celebration of Light said the three-day fireworks competition would be held on July 23, 27 and 30.

 

How cultural events like Honda’s Celebration of light make people happier 

 

This is one of those things you probably already knew but now have data to back up: Arts and culture make people happier in a big way.


A study in the UK has found out how much the arts affect people’s decisions about whether to move or stay in a city. And it turns out that the presence of arts and culture, like the Celebration of Light,  had a significant impact on how happy and satisfied people felt, how attached they felt to a place, and how much they felt like they were part of a community. In fact, people gave the presence of culture as much weight as the presence of good schools when deciding where to live.


The “Value of Arts and Culture in Place-Shaping” study looked at 1,756 responses to a 2017 survey done all over the UK. The report, which was done by the research firm Wavehill Ltd. and paid for by Arts Council England, makes a good case for community arts funding and suggests that the arts could help bring new people to smaller towns.


About 68% of the people who answered the survey said that arts and cultural events were critical to making them feel like they were part of their community. Over half of the people in their area would like to see more things to do. And almost two-thirds of them said that arts and culture were good for their own health. (It’s interesting that only 36% of people said that arts and culture were “essential to life.”)

 

At Art-bc, you can learn about cultural events happening in the Illinois area. Whether you live nearby or are planning a trip to visit, you can stay up to date on many of the annual cultural events.

 

Expand Your World by Attending a Cultural Event

These unique experiences offer insight into a group of individuals and the shared understanding they are bound by. Attending a cultural event lets you connect with your local community and the world over.

Filed Under: Blog

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Upcoming Community Events

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Reshaping Collections: Where History Meets Art | Chinese Canadian Museum

Chinese Canadian Museum
Vancouver
Date:
January 1, 2025
-
September 28, 2025
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Vancouver, BC (September 4, 2024) – The Chinese Canadian Museum is launching a brand new exhibition inside the Poy Family Gallery titled Reshaping Collections: Where History Meets Art from September 25, 2024 to September 28, 2025, featuring unique art creations by six diverse Chinese Canadian artists from across the country. These artists were invited to reinterpret historical and cultural objects and materials that explore Read more...
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Vancouver Art’s District – Self Guided Tour

Vancouver Arts District – Self Guided Tour
Vancouver
Date:
January 1, 2025
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December 31, 2025
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Welcome to the Vancouver Art Walk, an initiative designed to showcase the remarkable galleries and art spaces in the Vancouver Arts District. Our mission is to collaborate with commercial and non-profit galleries and creatives to provide visitors with an exceptional and well-curated tour that can be enjoyed at their own pace. Our carefully crafted map presents a selection of the most Read more...
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OPUS Workshops

Opus Art Supplies – Workshops & Classes
Vancouver
Date:
January 1, 2025
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June 24, 2025
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Our Workshops & Classes listings are a great way to find creative courses offered throughout British Columbia.  opusartsupplies.com/resources/events Resources for the Creative Individual Art Materials, Digital Printing, and Picture Frames Videos, Demonstrations, Workshops, and Community Events Friendly and Knowledgeable Staff Locations across BC plus a National Mail Order Service Opus Art Supplies are available at these BC Locations: Read more...
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Sunshine Coast Purple Banner Studio Tour

Sunshine Coast Purple Banner Studio Tour
Sechelt
Date:
January 1, 2025
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December 31, 2025
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Year Round Tour of Artists’ Studios Look for the flying PURPLE BANNERS all along the Sunshine Coast from Langdale to Powell River. Wherever you see a PURPLE BANNER, the arts are at work. In many cases, but not always, the banner is an invitation to drop in. Please refer to the specific listing to determine whether an appointment is required. See Read more...
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All Things Terry

Royal BC Museum
Victoria
Date:
January 2, 2025
-
December 31, 2025
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For 44 years, Terry Fox has been an inspiration to Canadians and the world alike. In April 2024, the Royal BC Museum entered into a 20-year loan agreement with the Terry Fox Centre and the Fox family to care for, manage and preserve the legacy and personal belongings of Terry Fox. The van and a series of informational panels are Read more...
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Jonathan Hunt House

Royal BC Museum
Victoria
Date:
January 18, 2025
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December 31, 2025
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This ceremonial house and museum installation allows visitors to enter a recreation of the house of Chief Kwakwabalasami, the late Jonathan Hunt, a Kwakwaka’wakw chief who was born and lived his life in the community of Tsaxis, near Fort Rupert, BC. To refresh the space, the museum brought in master carver and artist Richard Hunt, Jonathan Hunt’s grandson, who helped Read more...
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Emily Carr: Navigating an Impenetrable Landscape

Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver
Date:
January 25, 2025
-
January 25, 2026
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When Emily Carr (1871–1945) wrote about landscape paintings—her own and those of others—she would sometimes describe how an eye might move through the imagined space in the work. It is striking, then, that so many of her own paintings create an experience of dense, impenetrable forest that confounds such forward movement. In many cases, the viewer is tantalized with the Read more...
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Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White: Master Haida Artist I Bill Reid Gallery

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Vancouver
Date:
February 1, 2025
-
February 5, 2026
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Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents: Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White: Master Haida Artist This landmark exhibition celebrates 50 years of work by renowned Haida artist Kihl ‘Yahda, Christian White. Curated by Sdahl Ḵ’awaas, Lucy Bell, it features highlights from Christian’s career alongside pieces by his apprentices. Known for his masterful argillite carvings, jewelry, and monumental works, Christian began Read more...
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