More than a million people are expected to visit Vancouver's English Bay during the 2018 Honda Celebration of Light.

The Celebration of Light is billed as the city's biggest event of the summer. Organizers expect 1.4 million people to attend over the three nights of the fireworks competition.

The South African pyrotechnic team Fireworks for Africa lit up the sky at 10 p.m. Saturday, an event which drew an eager crowd early in the afternoon.

After South Africa, Sweden’s Unique Pyrotechnic dazzled viewers on Wednesday, and before the team lit up the sky, crowds got a show from the Canadian Forces' Snowbirds team.

Two people were taken into custody becasue they'd had too much to drink, and police did 150 liquor pour-outs – up from 100 on Saturday. Officers remind the public that the events are family-friendly, and that drinking and smoking at the beaches and in parks are not permitted.

Carrying open containers of alcohol during the Celebration of Light will garner a $250 citation, and because of the ongoing heat wave and high local fire danger rating, smoking at the event carries a fine of up to $500. That’s double the fine for smoking last year.

The event will conclude with a display from South Korea’s Daehan Firework Co. on Saturday.

The 25-minute displays begin at 10 p.m. each night, and the music can be heard from the festival's mobile app.

Fireworks barges are set up in the water between Second and English Bay beaches. There are several ticketed viewing areas directly across from the barges for those who wish to avoid the crowds, but viewers are also able to see the shows from surrounding areas, including Vanier Park and Kits Beach.

Viewers with young children may want to watch the shows from Second Beach, where organizers are offering family-friendly activities leading up to each display.

On each night of the celebration, road closures will be in effect on streets leading to Kits Point beginning at 6 p.m., and on Davie, Denman and Pacific streets and Beach Avenue in the West End starting at 7 p.m.

TransLink will be running extra buses and SkyTrains until 1 a.m. to help people get to and from each of the displays smoothly. That said, there are always long lineups at SkyTrain stations after the event. This year, organizers encourage visitors to skip lines at fare machines by tapping their credit cards at the fare gates.

As in previous years, Vancouver police and other emergency services will have a large presence downtown on the three nights of the celebration.

“We encourage everyone to enjoy the event responsibly and remember that in large crowds your individual actions can have an impact on those around you,” said VPD Const. Jason Doucette.