AS the final countdown to this weekend’s Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival kicks off, Dragon Boat BC announced that Vancouver’s first public drone show will showcase the spirit of the community.
Featuring images and music from local culture and artists, viewers will enjoy a multisensory celebration of imagery linked to dragon boat racing tradition, Chinatown, Vancouver, and artwork from renowned Squamish artists Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George and Skwetsimeltxw Willard Joseph this Saturday at 9:30 p.m. over False Creek.
“We’re honoured to recognize our roots and culture through this show, as well as our location on shared traditional, ancestral, and unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories in a way that will capture our community’s imagination,” said Dominic Lai, Senior Development, Marketing, and Operations Director, Dragon Boat BC.
“Dragon boat is here in Vancouver because of Chinatown organizations and volunteers banding together. We’re also excited to use this opportunity to uphold the long-standing relationships between Indigenous and Chinese communities, which dates back to when Chinese newcomers first arrived on these lands.”
This Saturday’s drone show is expected to start around 9:30 p.m. and will include traditional Chinese elements celebrating Chinatown, the dragon boat festival, and modern Vancouver culture. The show will be synchronized to a 100% local music soundtrack featuring local artists Lights, Felix Cartal, SABAI, and Sekawnee.
Viewers are encouraged to view the show on the seawall by the Concord Pacific Presentation Centre, and from Milton Wong Plaza in Olympic Village. Click here to view the site map. Capacity limits will be in place at the TD Main Stage Zone, and visitors may be redirected to other viewing zones in the area.
Jumbotrons broadcasting the show will be placed near Creekside Community Centre, the Concord Pacific Presentation Centre, and by the TD Main Stage. The broadcast will also be carried online at concordlive.ca. Visitors are encouraged to take public transit down to the site, with the closest SkyTrain stops being Main Street Science World and Stadium-Chinatown stations.
Preceding the drone show will be dragon boat races until 8 p.m., and Hey Ocean! and Blonde Diamond on the TD Main Stage until 9:15 p.m.
The event is the first public drone show in Vancouver, and the Festival has worked closely with the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Park Board, Vancouver Police Department, and other partners to ensure the show runs successfully. Through this event, new guidelines have been developed to support future presentations of eco-friendly aerial entertainment across the region.
In addition to the city’s first public drone show, the Festival will feature the biggest dragon boat race in North America; a larger-than-ever cultural programming lineup anchored by the TD Main Stage; expansions to the Pavilion program with the Pride Pavilion joining the Chinatown and Indigenous Pavilions; a new Concord Community Zone for families; and the city’s biggest outdoor patio, featuring waterfront views of downtown and the races.
