VIDEO: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Celebration of Light barge

The Honda Celebration of Lights kicked off the first of three, dazzling pyrotechnic displays over Vancouver’s English Bay on Saturday, July 27.

India delighted the Vancouver audience on Saturday with a show that the Mumbai-based Amir Morani Fireworks team hopes will, “win people’s hearts.” And while the group has done a number of festivals and celebrations in India, it marked the first time that the team of five have performed at an international festival. In fact, it was the first time ever that India will be represented at an international fireworks festival.

“There will be a mix of Indian songs, English songs, a little bit of Coldplay – it’s a little bit of everything,” says Amir Morani, team owner told Vancouver Is Awesome earlier this week. “We are very excited.”

Morani adds that he’s received a great deal of support back in India, too.

“We have received a lot of messages on our Facebook page, and on our Instagram page.”

Of course, the Mumbai-based group won’t be orchestrating the event on their own. Kelly Guillle, President, Archangel Fireworks Inc, explains that the event involves months of preparation – as well as a great deal of effort in the final days. 

“We have catering feed us here so we don’t have to leave the barge to go for lunch,” he describes.

“If every day could be eight to five that would be wonderful – but life isn’t like that during fire week.”

Guille notes that although a great deal of the products are imported, many of them simply can’t be. In these cases, Guille sources products from his facility in Winnipeg and others from Quebec. Further, he works directly with the directors of each team to ensure that the products work with their vision.

Before any of that happens, however, Guille says teams must meet a standard to simply be considered for the competition.

“I need to vet the teams if I haven’t worked with them before. We don’t just bring teams to Vancouver who have a fireworks company. We need to know that they are capable of putting on a show.”

All together, Guille reports between 16 to 20 crew help assemble the show on the barge.

“Once the shells are in the gun, we put foil on them so that each one is protected from sparking,” he notes.

Have a look at how the pyrotechnicians create the dazzling effects over English Bay.

– Elana Shepert, Vancouver Is Awesome