What’s on in Vancouver

Vancouver International Jazz Festival photo

Vancouver International Jazz Festival

21 June — 1 July 2024

Various

The International Jazz Festival is the most popular cultural event in Vancouver, with performances by more than 400 talented international blues and jazz artists. The programme is …

Vancouver International Jazz Festival

21 June — 1 July 2024

Various

The International Jazz Festival is the most popular cultural event in Vancouver, with performances by more than 400 talented international blues and jazz artists. The programme is full of famous names that play at various venues throughout the city, from formal concert theatres to open-air stages and public squares. As one of the biggest celebrations of music in the world, the festival now attracts about 460,000 spectators every year and features world-class musicians. Lovers of jazz and blues will be spoilt for choice during this summer festival in Vancouver.

Website www.coastaljazz.ca

Bard on the Beach photo

Bard on the Beach

11 June — 28 September 2024

Vanier Park

One of Vancouver's most loved summer events is a picnic in Vanier Park followed by an evening performance of Shakespeare. Plays are performed in huge open-ended tents overlooking t…

Bard on the Beach

11 June — 28 September 2024

Vanier Park

One of Vancouver's most loved summer events is a picnic in Vanier Park followed by an evening performance of Shakespeare. Plays are performed in huge open-ended tents overlooking the picturesque English Bay with a mountain backdrop. Plays of past seasons have included Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Tempest and Titus Andronicus, and are consistently well performed and well received. The picnic setting makes it a laid-back and fun way to get to grips with Shakespeare, providing a good introduction for children.

Website www.bardonthebeach.org

Vancouver Folk Music Festival photo

Vancouver Folk Music Festival

19 — 21 July 2024

Jericho Beach Park

Set in the heart of Jericho Beach Park and spread over seven stages, the annual Folk Music Festival is one of Vancouver's favourite events. For nearly thirty years, it has entertai…

Vancouver Folk Music Festival

19 — 21 July 2024

Jericho Beach Park

Set in the heart of Jericho Beach Park and spread over seven stages, the annual Folk Music Festival is one of Vancouver's favourite events. For nearly thirty years, it has entertained both young and old. Day, evening and weekend tickets are available at varying prices, with early bird tickets on sale from April. Food stalls, a bustling market and a fantastic atmosphere all add to a wonderful weekend of entertainment.

For those who can't afford a ticket, the beach and the park on the edges of the fenced concert area are perfect places to picnic and still catch some of the music. People can browse the many stalls lining the beach, selling anything from corn on the cob to First Nations crafts and jewellery.

Website www.thefestival.bc.ca

Polar Bear Swim photo

Polar Bear Swim

1 January annually

English Bay beach

Icy winter swims may not be everyone's idea of fun; even so, the annual Polar Bear Race has been running for nearly 90 years in Vancouver. Thousands flock to English Bay every New …

Polar Bear Swim

1 January annually

English Bay beach

Icy winter swims may not be everyone's idea of fun; even so, the annual Polar Bear Race has been running for nearly 90 years in Vancouver. Thousands flock to English Bay every New Year's Day to take the plunge and celebrate the beginning of the year in this refreshing fashion. Outrageous costumes are the order of the day and many come to participate in the Peter Pantages 100 yard (90m) race, named in honour of the founder of the swim club in 1920.

Registration and participation in the event are free, and for those not brave enough, a good spot on the beach with a mug of hot chocolate is the perfect way to view the goings-on.

Vancouver Pride photo

Vancouver Pride

5 August 2024

Pride Parade starts at Denman and Robson Streets

The Vancouver Pride Week is a colourful, vibrant affair, celebrating the city's LGBTQI+ community and its many supporters in a variety of shows, festivals, parties and the ever-pop…

Vancouver Pride

5 August 2024

Pride Parade starts at Denman and Robson Streets

The Vancouver Pride Week is a colourful, vibrant affair, celebrating the city's LGBTQI+ community and its many supporters in a variety of shows, festivals, parties and the ever-popular Pride Parade. Each year, a special team comes up with a theme and specific image. In recent years, the focus has been on issues and battles faced by the gay community. For a week, beautiful Vancouver is transformed into a rainbow-coloured riot, fun is the order of the day and the more outrageous the costume, event or party, the better.

Website www.vancouverpride.ca