Carol Ships Parade of Lights
LightsDec 6, 2025Seasonal
The Carol Ships Parade of Lights sends lit-up boats past English Bay and Deep Cove on December evenings, and it suits anyone happy to stand on a cold shoreline for a free show. The 2026 route schedule was unpublished on 16 October 2026, and fog or rough weather keeps the boats in.
Photo Vince Alongi from Delta, B.C., Canada · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Dates and hours
- December 6, 2025Confirmedsourcechecked Oct 16, 2026
Boat owners string their vessels with lights and sail set routes on Friday and Saturday nights. FanVancouver says the 2025 sailings ran from 29 November to 20 December and mostly kept to 7 pm to 9 pm. It points viewers to the English Bay seawall and to Ambleside in West Van. Watching from shore costs nothing.
On Vancouver's North Shore the boats loop past Deep Cove a couple of times. North Vancouver Recreation & Culture lit a bonfire in Panorama Park for the 2025 sail-past on Saturday 6 December and laid on live music and hot drinks from 7 pm to 9 pm. The boats pass in the distance and stay in view for only a few minutes, so be at the water before 7 pm.
Quick answers about Carol Ships Parade of Lights
When are the Carol Ships in Vancouver in 2026?
The Carol Ships had not published their 2026 route schedule by 16 October 2026. In 2025 the sailings ran on Friday and Saturday evenings from 29 November to 20 December and mostly kept to 7 pm to 9 pm.
Where can you watch the Carol Ships?
FanVancouver points viewers to the English Bay seawall and to Ambleside in West Vancouver. On the night of North Vancouver's Deep Cove bonfire the boats also loop past Panorama Park.
Do the Carol Ships sail in bad weather?
No. FamilyFun Canada's listing for the 2025 sail-pasts says the boats stay in when it is foggy or the weather turns.
When is Carol Ships Parade of Lights?
Carol Ships Parade of Lights takes place friday and Saturday evenings from late November to about 20 December, mostly 7 pm to 9 pm. The latest dates we have are December 6, 2025, confirmed.
Is Carol Ships Parade of Lights open all year?
Carol Ships Parade of Lights opens for part of the year. The 2026 route schedule had not been published by 16 October 2026.