Picks of the Week – April 15, 2026

Mid-April brings another week of blooming great entertainment picks!

Teens: It’s tough being a teenager, even more so when you’re the new kid. The Arts Club presents the acclaimed Tony-Award winning Kimberly Akimbo, a musical comedy about seizing the day, growing-up and finding yourself at Stanley BFL Canada Stage until May 3rd.

Elizabethan: Comedy, love, and a bit with a dog, is exactly what the audience wants, and gets at the Metro Theatre presentation of Shakespeare in Love until April 25 –based on the 1998 film the lavish, period comedy is full of Shakespearean tropes, easter eggs, regal costumes and a grand set.

Green: From April 17 to May 3, Royal City Musical Theatre turns The Massey Theatre green with its presentation of Shrek The Musical  – the fun, family-friendly production follows Shrek and gang on a heartwarming journey of self-acceptance and inclusivity in a spectacular musical extravaganza packed with hilarious adventure, dazzling costumes, and characters.

Land: At the York Theatre, until April 19, The Cultch welcomes the debut of On Native Land, Corey Payette’s new musical is a powerful tale of identity, land, and love, produced by Raven Theatre in collaboration with Urban Ink

FOX: Opera Unbound presents the world premiere of The Fox.  An evocative new chamber opera from emerging Vancouver composer Roan Shankaruk’s taking the ANNEX stage April 17-19. 

Kicks: Can league-leading Whitecaps FC continue their streak as they play host Sporting Kansas City on Friday April 17 at BC Place

Fans: Saturday night at Rogers Arena, NLL Vancouver Warriors host Philadelphia Wings for Fan Appreciation Night

Circus: April 16 to 19, head to the circus centre ring as Europa Super Circus continues its West Coast tour under the big top at Surrey’s Element Casino.

Tango: Solidaridad Tango presents Tango Fantasia, a passionate tango journey from the grand salons of Buenos Aires to the streets of Toronto, performed by Canada’s only all-women tango ensemble at Shadbolt Centre For Arts on Saturday April 18

Premiere: DanceHouse and Vancouver New Music present the BC Premiere of Manifesto, the genre-defying sensation from Australia’s Stephanie Lake Company, at the Vancouver Playhouse, April 16–18, 2026.

Dream: The Chinese Canadian Museum’s award-winning feature exhibition; Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s–2000’s has been extended by two months to allow more visitors to experience the acclaimed installation, held over until July 19, 2026.     

Indie: April 16, Fox Cabaret hosts PRYVT, an indie-rock/alternative band that blends ballads and jazz, with English and Korean lyric and style.

Chemical: Sam Roberts Band: Chemical City 20th Anniversary Tour commemorates the 20th anniversary of their Platinum-selling 2006 album, Chemical City, which they will perform the record in its entirety at Commodore Ballroom on Thursday April 16

Folk: Richard Thompson co-founder of the cutting-edge British folk-rock act Fairport Convention makes his way to the Vogue Theatre on Friday April 17 in support of his 2024 album Ship to Shore

Virtual: Saturday MIKU EXPO: 2026 Tour brings the virtual singing software character Hatsune Miku to Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

Punk: Goldfinger LA-based punk rock band comes to the Commodore Ballroom on Friday April 17

Horse: Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers celebrate Bringing Down the Horse 30th Anniversary Tour, performing their sophomore album in its entirety on Sunday April 19 at The Commodore

Andes: The Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA) is bringing the world premiere of Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision, exploring MOA’s collection of ancient Andean artifacts showing until January 3, 2027. 

Tulips: Spring is blooming in the Fraser Valley at the 20th Anniversary Harrison Tulip Festival – welcoming guests daily and nightly, through at least May 3, with vibrant colour and immersive spring experiences spanning its 45 acres and featuring more than 14 million blooms — including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.

Cherry: The 20^th Anniversary Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates two decades of arts, culture, and community beneath the city’s iconic pink canopy, continuing beyond the festival Tree Talks and Walks explores Kerrisdale and Mountain View this week

River: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art prepares to present the world premiere of Every River Has a Mouth: the visual languages that connect us, guest curated by Snuneymuxw artist Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun, on display until February 14, 2027

Lyric: Sunday April 19, at Shadbolt Centre for Arts, Burnaby Lyric Opera presents soprano Chloe Hurst and baritone Aaron Durand, along with pianist Roger Parton in their third Opera on Sunday Afternoon Concert series of the 2025/2026 Season

Photo: Western Canada’s largest lens-based art festival, Capture Photography Festival  continues until April 30 bringing lens-based art in exhibitions around the city, at dozens of galleries and venues, throughout Metro Vancouver in Public Art installations, join in guided tours, art walks and talks, films other community events bringing all things photographic under the lens of Capture Festival.

Improv: Running Fridays & Saturday until June 27th The Improv Centre’s new show Exploration Blank – a rotating, rag-tag crew of space explorers blasts off on an adventure through audience suggestions and a series of improv mini games, exploring a brand-new, dazzling galaxy of comedy every show.

Comedy: Black Box Theatre Co. is presenting the heartfelt new comedy James Barclay’s WONDERWALL in only its second run from April 16 to May 2 at The NEST on Granville Island.

Chicago: Ongoing, Awaken Canada plays in repertoire with the new Believe Chicago – Flyover’s first-ever film set entirely in an urban city, this multi-sensory journey takes guests 13,000 feet into the sky for a thrilling flight through the heart of Chicago passing skyscrapers, cinematic car chases, fireworks, and more.

Photography: The Polygon Gallery hosts a major exhibition by acclaimed artist, curator, and scholar Tania Willard, Photolithics, showcasing the artists inventive approach to photography – on view until May 24^th, 2026  

Border: On view until May 30, 2026, The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford presents Parallax(e): Perspectives on the Canada–U.S. Border / Perspectives sur la frontière Canada–É.-U., an ambitious exhibition that looks at the history of the 49th parallel that separates Canada and the US, and its lasting impacts on Indigenous communities