City guides
Canada
British Columbia
What’s on in Vancouver
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
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
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
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
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