Vancouver’s biggest event of the summer, the Celebration of Light, is back July 20, 24 and 27! And we’ve got extra transit service to get you there, including a special West Coast Express train on Saturday, July 27.

Watch the fireworks from English Bay Beach and all along the English Bay for free! Want an elevated experience, literally? Purchase a ticket for the grandstand and lounge.

Celebration of Light

📅 Dates: Saturday, July 20 (Portugal); Wednesday, July 24 (Malaysia); and Saturday, July 27 (United Kingdom)
🕕 Time: 10 p.m.
📍 Location: English Bay
🎟️ Admission: Free

Take transit to the Celebration of Light

You can watch the fireworks from various points around English Bay — including Second Beach, Sunset Beach, Vanier Park, and Kitsilano Beach.  The main activation zone is at Morton Park in Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood.

Here’s the key things you need to know for taking transit to the Celebration of Light:

Extra SkyTrain and SeaBus service

The SkyTrain is operating peak levels (trains every 2-3 minutes) leading up to and following the fireworks on all three nights. The SeaBus is operating 15-minute service until 11:15 p.m. with the last sailing at its usual times.

For full details, please visit translink.ca.

Ride the shuttle bus from Burrard Station to the West End

🕡 Time: 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
📍 Pick-up location: Burrard Station
📍 Drop-off location: Denman Street and West Georgia Street

🕡 Time: after the fireworks
📍 Pick-up location: Bidwell Street and West Georgia Street
📍 Drop-off location: Burrard Station (Burrard Street and Georgia Street) and Waterfront Station

The shuttle will be busy, so customers should be prepared to wait. We’ll have extra staff SkyTrain Attendants, Transit Supervisors, Transit Security officers, and Transit Police officers.

July 27 only! Ride the West Coast Express to the Celebration of Light

The train leaves Mission City Station at 7 p.m. and arrives at Waterfront Station at 8:15 p.m. The return begins boarding at 11 p.m. and departs Waterfront Station at midnight.

Tips for riding transit to the Celebration of Light

Plan your trip to the Celebration of Light using our Trip Planner

Tell us where you’re starting from and where you want to go, and our Trip Planner will find the best route to get you there! Sign up for Transit Alerts and we’ll text/email you about any changes to the services you take.

The beaches in the West End are the most popular location to watch, but you can more or less watch the Celebration of Light from anywhere where there’s a view of English Bay.

Use a Compass Card for discounted fares and kids 12 and under ride free!

Unlock discounted transit fares by purchasing a Compass Card from a Compass Vending Machine at SkyTrain stations/SeaBus terminals or select London Drugs locations, at Compass Retailers, or online. You will be charged a $6 refundable deposit for each Compass Card.

Once you have a Compass Card, load it with Stored Value to pay for transit. It can take up to two hours for the Stored Value to be available for use on your Compass Card if it’s purchased online or by phone. Stored Value purchased at Compass Vending Machines are available right away.

Bonus! We’ve teamed up with an incredible line-up of local businesses to offer exclusive discounts for transit riders. Simply show your Compass Card or proof of fare at participating businesses to receive a special offer.

Tap to pay with your contactless credit or debit card

No Compass Card? No worries! You can tap to pay an adult cash fare at Compass readers onboard buses and at faregates with your contactless credit or Interac Debit card. This includes American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards along with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

If you don’t have a contactless credit or credit card, you can purchase a Compass Ticket from a Compass Vending Machine at a SkyTrain station or SeaBus terminal using cash or debit. A Compass Ticket is different from a Compass Card; the ticket is single use only, while the card is multi-use.

On buses, you can pay with cash, but remember paper transfers (tickets) issued on buses do not open the faregates at SkyTrain stations and SeaBus terminals; only Compass Cards, Compass Tickets, and contactless credit cards open them.

Travel after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends with a 1-Zone fare

If you are travelling from outside of Vancouver on Wednesday, July 24 before 6:30 p.m., you will need to pay for a two- or three-zone depending on where you trip begins if you are riding SkyTrain or the SeaBus. For example, trips originating from Surrey will be a three-zone fare, while trips from the North Shore will be a two-zone fare. Travel after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, as well as weekends and holidays are a one-zone fare.

Remove backpacks and move to the back

The firework evenings are among the busiest times on transit during the year. A few simple actions can ensure we have more room on board transit for more people.

Remove your backpack while riding transit — place it on the floor if you are standing. Move away from the doors when the SkyTrain and all the way to the back of the bus.