Theatre Replacement and Company 605 recently revealed the program for the 2026 edition of HOLD ON LET GO, taking place Tuesday, February 3 to Saturday, February 7 at the Russian Hall in East Vancouver.
Curated by Maiko Yamamoto, Josh Martin and Lisa Mariko Gelley, HOLD ON LET GO is an annual, independently produced festival showcasing contemporary performance work by Vancouver and Canadian artists. Now in its 16th year, the festival has built a reputation as a vital space for artists and audiences to come together in the sharing of new, experimental works that seek to challenge what performance is and can be.
photo: Jennilee Marigomen
At a time when creativity is questioned and the Arts are under undue pressure, this year’s program celebrates the persistence and imagination of independent theatre, dance, and performance. HOLD ON LET GO protects and provides an environment to allow these independent works to develop in a space where artists and audiences lean into uncertainty, complexity, and dream new possibilities.
Programming for HOLD ON LET GO includes:
February 3 @ 8:30pm: Opening Night Party featuring a performance by Veda Hille Sisterhood
February 3 @ 7pm & February 7 @ 8:30pm: Today is the evening to strike lightning/Aaj To Bijiliyan Girane Ki Shaam Hai by Justine A. Chambers and Simran Sachar
February 4 @ 5pm: Artist Talk with Raven Grenier
February 4 @ 5pm: Emerging Artist Mixer, an opportunity to make new connections and meet other artists curated and hosted by Theatre Replacement’s Creative Producer Intern, Amanda Sum
February 4 @ 7pm & February 7 @ 2pm: it is for when you meet me by Anjela Magpantay
February 5 @ 7pm: Frankenkenstein by ellis Cheadle, an in-development work
February 5 @ 8pm: End of Greatness by Theatre Replacement/Maiko Yamamoto and musician/composer/theatre maker/performer Veda Hille
February 6 @ 5pm: Colliding and Creating Through Iteration and Relationship: A Panel with Anjela Magpantay and ellis Cheadle
February 6 @ 7pm: lost season by Conor Wylie, an in-development work
February 6 @ 8pm: Sleep Has Her House: A Live Score by Magazinist
February 7 @ 1pm: HOW TO TALK: The First Attempt – artist talk by Sarah G. Stanley (Ontario/Nova Scotia) and Dylan Robinson who spend 15 minutes trying to understand how to talk about music
February 7 @ 7pm: Not Quite Ready: a special edition of the series hosted by visual artist Jessie (Ungerleider) Nagel and musicians Mauricio Pauly and Veda Hille
Curated to move audiences – these works draw attention to what is right here and what still feels impossibly far away in this current cycle of reconstruction. Seen through the eyes of the artists in the program, collapse can reveal many things – transformation, connection, and renewal.
HOLD ON LET GO runs February 3 to 7, 2026 at Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Avenue, Vancouver.
Passes and tickets are available online at holdonletgo.ca/tickets. All Access Passes are $55. Emerging Artist All Access Passes are available for $35. Single tickets range in price from $20 to $30.