Vancouver’s Celebration of Light has been cancelled permanently after 33 years, as organizers cite soaring costs and vanishing government and corporate funding.
Vancouver’s Celebration of Light Cancelled After Funding Collapse
Beloved Tradition Ends After 33 Years
Vancouver’s Celebration of Light, one of Canada’s most recognized summer festivals, has been permanently cancelled after more than three decades. Organizers confirmed the decision this week, calling it a painful but unavoidable end to a tradition that drew more than a million spectators to English Bay every summer.
Organizers Cite an Unfixable Funding Gap
Event producer Paul Runnals said the festival could no longer survive financially, despite months — and years — of efforts to secure support from all levels of government and the private sector. He described the decision as a “hard reality,” noting that organizers had reached the limit of what could be done to keep the fireworks operational. Every cost category, from labour to insurance, has climbed sharply in recent years, while revenue sources have steadily diminished.
Sharp Drop in Government Support
The financial collapse was driven in part by significant reductions to federal and provincial support. Federal funding fell from $450,000 in 2023 to $250,000 in 2024, before being cut entirely for 2025 and 2026. Provincial funding, stagnant at $250,000 for roughly 15 years, was set to drop to $100,000 next year. Organizers say these cuts left a hole too large for sponsorships or ticketed viewing areas to fill.
Rising Costs Push Budget Past Sustainability
The festival’s annual budget has grown by roughly $700,000 in the past four years — a 35% increase — driven by higher prices for labour, materials, equipment, and insurance. Inflation, borrowing costs, and tariffs have also made corporate sponsorship more difficult to secure. Last year, the event lost major sponsors Scotiabank and Seaspan and ended the season operating at a loss, despite reduced expenses and new revenue-generating initiatives.
Economic Impact Expected Across Vancouver
The cancellation is expected to affect local tourism and hospitality sectors that relied on the yearly summer crowds. The event attracted about 1.3 million people annually, including more than 200,000 out-of-province visitors. Organizers report that the festival generated an average of $214 million in economic activity over the past five years and produced around $6 million annually in tax revenue through hotel stays and tourism spending.
A Event With a History of Close Calls
The Celebration of Light has faced funding crises before. In 2000, the festival nearly ended after tobacco advertising restrictions forced its primary sponsor to withdraw. New corporate partners and support from the City of Vancouver kept the event afloat. Further cuts in 2011 reduced the festival’s schedule from four nights to three. Honda later became a long-term sponsor, helping stabilize the fireworks for several years.
Long-Term Revival Unlikely
Organizers say the chance of reviving the fireworks under current financial conditions is slim. They emphasized that the event requires a stable, long-term funding strategy to be sustainable, something no level of government or major sponsor has committed to. Despite the public’s strong attachment to the event, the Celebration of Light’s era appears to have come to a definitive end.
