Portugal’s radio-infused fireworks theme to launch 2024 Honda Celebration of Light

The green, yellow, and red national flag of Portugal is now flying high over the Honda Celebration of Light barge in the middle of English Bay.

As the sun sets over Vancouver’s picturesque English Bay on the evening of Saturday, July 20, 2024, all eyes will turn toward the horizon in anticipation of the inaugural fireworks show of the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light.

Team Portugal is promising a stellar show to kick off this year’s Vancouver international fireworks competition.

Andre Macedo, a show designer for Team Macedos Pirotecnia, the Portuguese pyrotechnics company behind the show on July 20, told Daily Hive today their show carries the theme of “Tune In.”

He says this will be a radio-themed show with a soundtrack that “talks about the weather and traffic,” with a song selection that naturally includes a mix of Portuguese tunes.

“The show is about a day in a radio station,” he elaborated.

honda celebration of light vancouver fireworks portugal july 19 2024

Team Macedos Pirotecnia, representing Team Portugal, and organizer Archangel Fireworks preparing for the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light on July 19, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Team Macedos Pirotecnia is synonymous with fireworks in its home country, a company that was founded in 1934, based near the city of Porto. Over the past three decades alone, the family-owned and operated company has participated in over 100 competitions and festivals, including last year’s Montreal fireworks festival.

This is Team Macedos Pirtecnia’s first-ever performance at the Honda Celebration of Light and the first show at the Vancouver fireworks festival designed by a pyrotechnics company representing Portugal since the mid-1990s.

Each year, the annual Honda Celebration of Light fireworks is organized and staged by local event production firm Brand Live, which contracts Winnipeg-based Archangel Fireworks to run the fireworks competition show of the event.

Team Macedos Pirotecnia, representing Team Portugal, and organizer Archangel Fireworks preparing for the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light on July 19, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

On the barge, crews from Archangel Fireworks work with a handful of members from each visiting pyrotechnics firm to carefully prepare the various mortar shells, shots, and effects. Each show takes between about three and four days to set up.

Kelly Guille, the president of Archangel Fireworks and the Fireworks Director of the Honda Celebration of Light, says Portugal’s show has thousands of components, including well over 1,000 single shots and the use of 12-inch shells, which are the largest legal fireworks in Canada and explode at an elevation of between 1,000 and 1,500 ft.

During each show, several members of Archangel Fireworks, including Guille, will remain on the barge, huddled within a bomb shelter at the very end of the barge, to closely monitor the show’s progress and safety. The bomb shelter is only about 20 feet away from the closest mortars, and the pyrotechnicians have a clear line of sight of the explosive activity through spare thick plexiglass windows provided by the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg.

Team Macedos Pirotecnia, representing Team Portugal, and organizer Archangel Fireworks preparing for the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light on July 19, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The other two countries participating in the 2024 Honda Celebration of Light are Malaysia, represented by Team Pyro Tact, on Wednesday, July 24, and the United Kingdom, represented by Pyrotex Fireworx, on Saturday, July 27.

Determined by a panel of judges, the winning competitor for the 32nd Honda Celebration of Light will be announced on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. The winner for 2023 was Team Philippines, represented by Blue Peacock Fireworks.

New to the Honda Celebration of Light in 2024 is the pre-fireworks entertainment of a major drone light show featuring 200 drones, which starts at 9:50 pm on each of the three nights. The fireworks will begin at 10 pm sharp for all nights and last 25 minutes each. Music simulcasts can be heard on radio station CFMI Rock 101.

This is in addition to the pre-fireworks entertainment of the Red Bull Airshow at 7:40 pm for all three nights.

Schedule and nations:
- Saturday, July 20: Portugal 🇵🇹, represented by Team Macedos Pirotecnia
  - With pre-fireworks Red Bull Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
- Wednesday, July 24: Malaysia 🇲🇾, represented by Team Pyro Tact
  - With pre-fireworks Red Bull Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
- Saturday, July 27: United Kingdom 🇬🇧, represented by Team Pyrotex Fireworx
  - With pre-fireworks Red Bull Air Show and BC Honda Dealers Drone Show
Nightly schedule:
- Red Bull Air Show: 7:40 pm
- BC Honda Dealers Drone Show: 9:50 pm
- Fireworks: 10 pm to 10:25 pm (25-minute duration each night), rain or shine. Music simulcasts can be heard on radio station CFMI Rock 101.
Location: English Bay, Vancouver

Daily Hive is a proud Media Partner of the
2024 Honda Celebration of Light

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