GREY CUP FESTIVAL DRONE SHOW INFORMATION

NOVEMBER 13th at 8:30pm

Catch the FREE 3D Drone Show viewing, presented by Destination Vancouver, consisting of 1,000 drones that will take place along the waterfront between the Vancouver Convention Centre West located at 1055 Canada Place Way and the Westin Bayshore hotel waterfront at 1601 Bayshore Drive in Vancouver.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE GREY CUP FESTIVAL DRONE SHOW?

This FREE 3D Drone Show consisting of 1,000 drones will take place along the waterfront between the Vancouver Convention Centre West located at 1055 Canada Place Way and the Westin Bayshore hotel waterfront at 1601 Bayshore Drive in Vancouver on November 13th , 2024 between 8:15 pm and 8:45 pm. Once the show begins, it will last approximately 12 minutes. It is weather and technology contingent so it is possible it could be cancelled on short notice. Please follow Pixel Sky Animations social media for real-time updates.

The Vancouver Christmas Market and the Grey Cup Festival Save-On Foods Street Festival Schedule of Events (greycupfestival.ca) will be open in the same area. Expect the area to be very busy, allow more time to get to your desired viewing area and expect viewing areas to reach capacity before the Drone Show.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO SEE THE GREY CUP FESTIVAL DRONE SHOW, presented by DESTINATION VANCOUVER?

The best viewing areas will be along the waterfront and Seawall between the Vancouver Convention Centre West and the Westin Bayshore Hotel waterfront. There is limited viewing space that will fill up so please come early. Once these areas are full, they will be closed to entry. See East, Central and West Viewing Area maps above. Canada Place and the promenades around Canada Place as well as Jack Poole Plaza will not be open for viewing due to construction and the Vancouver Christmas Market.

Although the drones will take off from Hallelujah Point in Stanley Park, there is no viewing area in Stanley Park. The drones fly 500 feet in the air and the show faces Coal Harbour. As a result, there is no good place to view the drone show in Stanley Park or west of the Westin Bayshore Hotel waterfront. These areas will only provide partial and obstructed views.

IS THERE PARKING AVAILABLE?

We encourage everyone to come by transit, taxi or ride share. There is no dedicated event parking and very limited street parking/parkades that will fill up earlier in the day to other events that are happening. Canada Place Way will be closed to vehicle traffic due to the Grey Cup Festival Save-On Foods Street Festival.

A note to Coal Harbour residents: Parking will be stripped on Cordova on the evenings of the 13th & 15th for public safety. This is to ensure emergency vehicle access/ staging for the event.

Cordova Street, 1100 & 1200 blocks, parking restricted on the north side only (from Jack Poole Plaza – 2 blocks west)

IS THIS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT?

Yes. Please note all viewing areas are along the waterfront where it can get windy and cold. There are no covered areas. Please dress in layers for the weather. If you have children or vulnerable people travelling with you to the event, please make sure you keep them close to you. We are expecting large crowds and it will be easy for people to become separated. Please make sure they have a contact telephone number on their person that they can give to police, security or volunteers to contact you if they get separated from you. If they are able to have a cellular telephone, please provide them with one so they can contact you and you can contact them.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET TO THE DRONE SHOW?

We encourage everyone to come by transit, taxi or ride share. The best drop-off location is along Pender Street between Howe Street and Cardero Street. Canada Place Way will be closed to vehicle traffic due to the Grey Cup Festival Save-On Foods Street Festival. If taking Skytrain, Waterfront Skytrain Station and Burrard Skytrain Station will bring you within a short walk of the viewing areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

IS THERE SEATING AVAILABLE?

There is no seating available in any of the viewing areas.

WILL THERE BE ANY AREA TO CHARGE MY CELLPHONE?

There will be no accessible plug-ins to charge a cellular telephone. Please make sure your phone is fully charged and consider bringing a portable battery pack.

WHERE IS LOST AND FOUND?

There will be Destination Vancouver volunteers, first aid and security staff on site. If you find an item, please turn it in right away to any of these staff. If you have lost an item, please approach any of them to see if the item has been turned in. After the event, please contact Destination Vancouver during regular business hours at 604-683-2000 to enquire about lost and found items.

HOW CAN I COME PREPARED TO THE EVENT?

We ask that you do not bring items that obstruct others view, may interfere with their enjoyment of the show or present any safety concerns. This includes anything that could be used as a weapon, noisemakers, selfie sticks, etc. No liquor is permitted. Please do not bring any glass containers.

Please bring a flashlight to illuminate your path in more dimly lit areas. Dress warm in layers and be prepared for cold, windy and wet/icy conditions; it is a great idea to check the weather forecast before leaving for the event. Opt for a poncho or rain jacket over an umbrella that will obstruct other’s view or possibly poke them. Bring a filled water bottle, snacks, food and medication you may need (NO glass please).

Please do not bring a chair unless you have accessibility needs as this impedes crowd movement.

IS THERE FOOD AND DRINKS AVAILABLE?

Although there are some food vendors in the area, they may be closed during the event. Feel free to bring your own snacks, food and non-alcoholic beverages. Please do not bring anything glass.

WHERE ARE THE WASHROOMS?

The only public washrooms available in the area will the Grey Cup Festival porta potties on Thurlow Street between Pender Street and Canada Place Way and the public washroom in Harbour Green Park. All other washrooms belong to local businesses and are reserved for their customers.

CAN I SMOKE/VAPE?

There is no designated smoking or vaping area. All city parks have a smoking/vaping bylaw prohibited smoking and vaping. Please be considerate of those around you and smoke/vape away from other people outside City Parks.

ARE SERVICE ANIMALS ALLOWED?

Yes, certified service dogs are allowed. The person in control of the dog assumes all liability for their behaviour.

IS THERE AN ACCESSIBLE VIEWING AREA?

Although there is no dedicated accessible viewing area, all viewing areas are accessible to all persons. Accessible entrances include but are not limited to the west side of the Vancouver Convention Centre West building (sloped ground), the elevator at Jack Poole Plaza to Harbour Green Park Seawall, the Bute Street Entrance to Harbour Green Park (west and east ramps inside the entrance), and the Broughton Street, Nicola Street and Cardero Street Entrances to the Seawall at Coal Harbour Marina.

WHAT IF I PLAN TO ATTEND THE VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET AND/OR GREY CUP FESTIVAL SAVE-ON FOODS STREET FESTIVAL THE SAME DAY?

Please plan to attend these events BEFORE the Drone Show, expect the area to be very busy and arrive early.

The Vancouver Christmas Market is only open from 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm this date with last entry at 8:30 pm. They do not allow in and out privileges. You will not be able to see the Drone Show from inside the Market and if you leave, you will not be able to re-enter. Going to a viewing area closer to the Drone Show start time will likely result in either not being able to get into the viewing area because it is at capacity or possibly having an obstructed view due to the crowd already present. The best option is to book an earlier time to give you plenty of time to enjoy the Christmas Market and go to a viewing area well in advance of the Drone Show.

The Save-On Foods Street Festival opens this day and is scheduled to run from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The headliner on the Payworks Stage located at Burrard Street and Canada Place Way this night is Felix Cartal, a Canadian electronic dance music DJ who plays house and electro house music. He is scheduled to finish his set at 7:45 pm.

HEALTH & SAFETY

IS THERE MEDICAL/FIRST AID AVAILABLE?

Health & safety at our event is our number one priority. There will be roving first aid staff and security guards in all viewing areas. There will also be stationary Destination Vancouver volunteers placed at entrances to the viewing areas to answer any questions you have and help direct you to what you need.

FAN CODE OF CONDUCT

We are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for everyone. We ask that your conduct contribute to everyone’s enjoyment of the event, be legally appropriate, and not be offensive or abusive to others. For your safety and comfort, security and police will be on site in all viewing areas.

Unacceptable conduct is subject to ejection and includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Use of foul, threatening, offensive or abusive language or gestures.
Discrimination, bullying or hate that harasses, victimizes, degrades, or intimidates an individual or group of individuals based on the 13 Prohibited Grounds of Discrimination identified in the Canadian Human Rights Act and Regulations. These are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, or conviction for which a pardon was granted.
Harassment, including unwelcome or hostile behaviour, physical contact or sexual attention.
Fighting or any other type of violence.
Wearing or using clothing, signs, and banners which are offensive in nature.
Excessive intoxication or impairment due to alcohol/cannabis or consumption of illegal substances.
Throwing objects or interfering with the progress of the event.
Being in possession of alcohol.
Being in possession of weapons, illegal substances or any other prohibited items.
Smoking (including e-cigarettes, personal vapourizers, and cannabis) around others and in City Parks.
Unauthorized vending.
Any other conduct that may be deemed by event staff to be inappropriate or which may adversely affect the safety of persons, property, or disruption of the event.

Destination Vancouver and Pixel Sky Animations will not tolerate any unsafe, offensive behaviour that violates our Fan Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by this Code may result in ejection from the area by security and police.

Each of us has a responsibility to report any act that goes against the values that we stand for. So, if you see something, say something. Report any safety concerns to us right away by finding any volunteer, security guard, first aid staff or police officer. If it is an emergency and you cannot find a security guard, first aid staff, police officer or volunteer, call 9-1-1.

HOW CAN I GET REAL TIME UPDATES REGARDING AN EVENT DELAY OR CANCELLATION?

Please follow us on X and Instagram:

We will post any scheduled changes on social media. Destination Vancouver volunteers, security guards, first aid staff and police in the viewing areas will also have up to date event information for you.

HOW WILL INFORMATION BE COMMUNICATED IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY?

Staff in the viewing areas will be equipped with whistles and megaphones to communicate information to everyone in the event of an emergency. They will also use their voices. In the event of any incident or emergency, please remain quiet and listen for staff direction. We will also communicate as soon as possible on our social media handles (see “How Can I Get Real Time Updates Regarding An Event Delay Or Cancellation” section for a list of social media handles).