Competitors announced for 1st Celebration of Light since the start of the pandemic

Organizers of the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks festival have announced the countries that will compete when the popular event returns this summer following a two-year absence.

Japan's Akariya Fireworks, Canada's Midnight Sun Fireworks and Spain's Pirotecnia Zaragozana are set to dazzle spectators across Vancouver's waterfront on July 23, 27 and 30.

Summer 2020 would have marked the festival's 30th year before the COVID-19 pandemic forced crowded events to be cancelled or postponed for public safety. Organizers said they will be celebrating the milestone this year instead.

"It’s always a momentous occasion when hundreds of thousands of people can experience something as magical as the Honda Celebration of Light. However, this occasion will be especially meaningful as we return to light up the sky after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic,” Michael McNight, co-chair of the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society, said in a statement.

"So, we encourage the people of Vancouver, the province and this country to treat this as an opportunity to come out and truly celebrate this spectacular event."

Apart from the fireworks, the Red Bull Air Show will return for pre-show performances on each night. The Canadian Snowbirds will also perform formation flyovers at English Bay on July 27.