Happy Pride Vancouver! We’re in the midst of Pride Week with the main festivities coming this weekend adding to an already busy assortment of picks all around town.
Pier: The Shipyards District in North Vancouver starts the weekend with Pride at the Pier on Friday from 5pm to 10pm hosted by the Unstoppable Conni Smudge, with drag performances by Carlota Gurl, Phyllis Hull, Aria Reddy and Virgina Slim.
PrideFest: Vancouver Pride is in full swing with the new expanded and extended VanPrideFest taking over Concord Pacific Place Saturday and Sunday with Main Stage entertainment, street food, vendors and more from Noon – 7pm
Parade: The Main Event, the Vancouver Pride Parade features a new route – from Denman Street, along Beach Ave and Pacific Blvd leading to the VanPrideFest at Concord Pacific Place.
History: Forbidden Vancouver’s brilliant Really Gay History Tour, regularly on Sundays, has added extra tours on August 3, 4, 5, 7. (no tour August 6 due to Pride Parade)
Funk: Marking their Ten Year Anniversary Show, local icons Queer as Funk make their annual return to the Commodore Ballroom on Friday August 4th
Happy: Back for a second year, HAPPYLAND Festival, a fully-inclusive Pride celebration featuring drag, musical acts and carnival rides, takes over the PNE Amphitheatre and Playland on August 6th from 5:30-9pm
House: Part of Menagerie XL Pride Weekend Festival Saturday at Commodore Ballroom House of Pride: Feat. Guy Scheiman takes over the dance floor
Cup: Whitecaps FC and their fans look to advance beyond the Leagues Cup round of 16 when they host Mexican side Tigres UANL on Friday at BC Place
Maverick: Wednesdays in August, Vancouver Civic Theatre’s Sunset Cinema roars back onto the big screen outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with Top Gun: Maverick kicking things off
Festival: West Vancouver’s long weekend tradition, Harmony Arts Festival fills Ambleside with music, food, family activities, artists and vendors
Bard: Bard on the Beach continues to bring in crowds for its two brilliant mainstage productions; As You Like It is in repertoire with Julius Caesar throughout the summer. Meanwhile, Henry V reigns over the Howard Family Stage until August 13.
Stars: Theatre Under the Stars takes audiences to school for its 2023 season that is both hilarious and heartwarming, featuring The Prom and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, until August 26, 2023.
Festival: The Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival celebrating women in music is underway until August 5th at various venues
Dance: Friday August 4th, Dance Dance Dance by joining Vancouver Civic Theatres for a FREE Brazillian Zouk dance class with Javi Monsalve /DJ Javi outdoors at šx???ex?n Xwtl’a7shn (formerly the QET Plaza) at 630 Hamilton Street
Golden: Thursday at The Vogue Theatre, singer-songwriter and social media sensation JVKE brings is pop hits to the stage
Carole: Before it wraps up this weekend on August 6th, ‘Feel the Earth Move’ and more as you hear some of pop’s greatest hits and the story of Carole King in The Arts Club presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.
Rock: The Arts Club Granville Island Stage welcomes Million Dollar Quartet giving audiences a peak into the famed jam session that brought together rock and roll legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, extended until August 20th!
Culture: The 47th Annual Powell Street Festival takes over Oppenheimer Park and surrounding streets August 5-6 to celebration Japanese Culture with food, entertainment and demonstrations.
Movies: Free Summer Movie Nights downtown are on! Thursday August 3 do the Time Warp with The Rocky Horror Picture Show playing in front of the Art Gallery
Laughs: Full your weekends with laughter at The Improv Centre’s new family-friendly summer show – Tall Tales: The Quest Is Up To You!, running Fridays and Saturdays on Granville Island at 7:30pm until August 19.
Amusement: This summer spend less screen time and get more SCREAM time with the thrilling rides, food and fun at Playland, open Wednesday through Sunday