Will NYE fireworks return to Vancouver? A corporate sponsor could be the savior

New Year's Eve in Vancouver pales in comparison to cities around North America.

Thousands of people flooded downtown cores and landmarks in Toronto, Calgary and Seattle to ring in 2025 with a fireworks show, but B.C.'s largest city went without any public celebration.

The Dec. 31 tradition was cancelled seven years ago and has yet to be revived.

The City of Vancouver told CTV News on Thursday that the last permit for this event was obtained in 2018, and that the city assists organizers to ensure the area is fun, memorable and safe.

Coun. Peter Meiszner explained that both the public and the city are eager for the celebration to return, but help covering the costs of policing and security is needed to help ensure everyone's safety.

“'It’s not just the cost of hosting the event. It's things like security, and what we're really looking for is for someone in the Vancouver corporate community,” said Meiszner about finding a sponsor.

“We are open to that. If you are interested, please reach out to any of the councillors.”

Meiszner went on to say that a group of locals may be interested in reviving the event, and a meeting is scheduled in the coming weeks.

The City of Vancouver could not provide the cost of past New Year’s Eve celebrations. Meiszner explained that the major cost in Vancouver is for policing, not the fireworks show itself.

The City of Calgary says its 2025 fireworks show cost $45,000 and had no sponsor.

Concord Pacific, the former sponsor of the Vancouver NYE fireworks show, explained over the phone that it is willing to consider proposals to sponsor another event, but the organizer has yet to contact it.

CTV News attempted to contact the Vancouver New Year's Eve Society, but its website no longer works, and the group's social media hasn’t been updated in years.

On Tuesday evening, as the countdown to midnight began, the area around Canada Place was filled with people; traditionally, this is where the fireworks took place. The community appears to have an appetite for events to ring in the new year, but other Vancouverites have concerns with fireworks and the noise they produce.

A solution could be in the neighbourhood. Vancouver-based Pixel Sky Animations deployed thousands of drones in November for the Grey Cup Festival, during which spectators could watch a story unfold in the sky ahead of the big game.

The show featured thousands of drones forming a beaver, a Mountie, football players playing catch, and more.

“We can depict so much with precision where fireworks are just a blast,” said Jeff Clarmo, the COO of Pixel Sky Animations.

The company says the cost is about double that of a fireworks show, but a drone show doesn’t leave debris behind and isn’t a fire risk.

Seattle managed to feature both a drone show and fireworks side by side for its New Year’s Eve extravaganza on Tuesday night at the Space Needle.

Organizers of the festival told CTV News that it was made possible by the sponsor, Alaska Airlines.

“Through the years, we have funded the event with a combination of private and sponsorship funds. We collaborate with city partners including local fire, police and Seattle Center for their support regarding safety and event co-ordination,” said Randy Coté, the Space Needle’s chief marketing officer.

It remains unclear what the future holds for NYE events in Vancouver, but with 12 months to go before 2026, the wheels appear to be moving in the right direction.