The barge—no, not *that* barge—sits across English Bay, ready for action. The team from Archangel Fireworks Inc. is working hard in preparation of a few thousand shells that will be shot into the air to specially curated music at the 31st annual Honda Celebration of Light.

Fireworks producer crew chief Kelly Guille has been doing this for over 30 years. “It’s the only job I’ve ever had,” he says. He typically does about 150 shows a year between July 1 and New Year’s Eve.

Set-up for the Festival of Light takes about three days and consists of burying the fireworks in sand on the barge, so that detonating one shell doesn’t affect the ones beside it. Guille says that as long as rules and regulations are properly followed, it’s (perhaps surprisingly) not dangerous at all.

To prepare the fireworks, Andrew Howard, director of Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics, loads the aerial shells. Gunpowder at the bottom launches them over 450 feet into the sky.

“Everything’s timed to the millisecond, really, to the music—all the timing is imperative to the show design,” says Howard, whose company is producing Australia’s show to kick off the festival on Saturday (July 22). “The theme for our show, it’s a good night out at the disco—it’s a feel-good soundtrack. There are some uniquely Australian songs in the soundtrack; there are some sound effects and Indigenous Australian music—there are even sound effects of Australian native animals that are mixed into the soundtrack.”

The annual festival is a competition that sees participating countries putting on their best fireworks displays, and a series of judges choosing the winner. Last year Canada took the win over Japan and Spain with a Midnight Sun fireworks display.

This year, Australia will be followed by Grupo AVACON from Mexico on July 26, and the Blue Peacock Fireworks from The Philippines on July 29.

The festival started in the 1990s with people congregating at English Bay with blankets; back then it was called the Symphony of Fire (cue the nostalgia for long-time locals). It has since evolved into a must-attend event—as well as one of the province’s largest festivals. Venues offer premium viewing experiences and an exclusive place to view the fireworks on each of the three nights; Inukshuk Point and the Scotiabank are selling tickets to lounge events, which include food and drinks to accompany a stunning view of the show.

Cost-free locations to watch the fireworks include English Bay Beach, Second Beach, and Kitsilano Beach.

Honda Celebration of Light

Australia: July 22 at 10pm

Mexico: July 26 at 10pm

The Philippines: July 29 at 10pm