The 2015 Honda Celebration of Light will shoot off with a (literal) bang Saturday, July 25, when China鈥檚 team Lidu kicks off the annual festival at 10 p.m.
China plans to change things up a bit for the event鈥檚 25th anniversary year. Instead of concentrating on one all-encompassing theme, it will focus on seven smaller ones, according to Lidu representative Jason Deng through translator Rancy Zhang. The team鈥檚 theme will include 鈥淐hinese-style鈥� colouring, lights, and music, such, as the Yellow River Cantata, and incorporate a variety of other styles into the show to match its explosiveness with themes like a song from the movie, Avatar.
鈥淧eople always want to see the Chinese team and they want to be the star for this year鈥檚 [celebration],鈥� said Zhang translating for Deng.
Fireworks, manufactured by Lidu itself, lined the inside of the Seaspan barge off English Bay during a preview tour Friday morning. The team is ready for the show rain or shine.
Kelly Guille, technical director of the celebration, will be on the barge and in charge of shooting off the fireworks on opening night by accepting the time code 鈥� initiation of the fireworks versus the music 鈥� sent from shore.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no more or less work for anybody in that shack once we get the signals,鈥� said Guille.
If the rain persists like it did on Friday, they plan to shoot the fireworks right through the polyethylene covers used now to keep the fireworks dry from the precipitation. Guille said it wouldn鈥檛 affect the show at all and he said he鈥檚 seen them shoot through plywood in other countries.
Brazil competes July 29 and Canada competes Aug. 1.
Viewers can enjoy a salmon BBQ at the Stanley Park Brewing Bistro in Sunset Beach Park at 2 p.m. and musical artists will be playing LG 104.3鈥檚 Shorefest all day from 2 p.m. as well. Get a spot early before the estimated 400,000 spectators show up at English Bay. Third and Second beaches, Sunset beach, and Kitsilano and Jericho beaches, offer great views of the fireworks for each evening show.
Police will patrol each show. Liquor laws will be strictly enforced and any alcohol consumption in public could result in a $230 fine. Licensed venues that surround this year鈥檚 Celebration of Light include the YVR Fan Zone (1,200 seats), one at Sunset Beach (750 seats), and the Inukshuk (300 seats).
