Twas the day before Christmas and all through the town, many venues were stirring with entertainment and activity picks for all to do through this festive week.
*note many activities and venues will be closed or have Christmas + Boxing Day hours
Market: Before it closes as 6pm, today is the last day to visit the 15th Anniversary Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza, is the perfect stop for those last minute items on your gift list, as well as festive cheer, European foods, artisan gifts and live entertainment.
Shipyards: Also wrapping up Christmas Eve, you can still grad some last minute stocking stuffers from Shipyards Christmas Market, where you’ll find 140 unique vendors, European cuisine and great gifts to the seasonal surroundings of The Shipyards in Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver with Santa’s Chalet, skating rink, community tree, Hot Chocolate, Mulled Wine, Schnitzel & more festive treats.
Merry: Open until December 31, Merry & Bright at Martini Town – the Langley-based outdoor film set which appears in many popular films and TV shows has been meticulously transformed into a festive holiday hometown for your picture perfect visit.
Beanstalk: Fe Fi Fo Fum prepare for plenty of laughs and then some, with the over-the-top Metro Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk, A Traditional British Pantomime, on stage until January 4th.
Panto: Held over by popular demand until January 11, 2026, the sure sign of the Season plays The Cultch as Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: West Van Story opens this week at The York Theatre – the story of Romeo and Juliet told East Van style.
Queen: Until December 28th, White Rock Players’ Club presents the classic Hans Cristian Anderson tale, The Snow Queen Panto – panto-style – a boy, a girl, a cursed queen, Mama Milla, a summer fairy, a hobgoblin, laughs, singing, dancing, and a lot of other shenanigans
Tea: O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy comes to Massey Theatre on December 28 – combining British propriety with an unabashed love for the unexpected – the comedy duo James & Jamesy bring their outrageously funny and brilliantly inventive show reminiscent of classic British Pantos.
Orphan: The sun will come out when you bring your family to watch Annie – Gateway Theatre’s annual holiday spectacular following the Little Orphan and her dog through her New York adventure – on the Mainstage until January 3, 2026
Motown: Wrapping up December 28, the immensely talented Krystle Dos Santos with fellow singer Steven Scaccia and her band bring joy to the Firehall Arts Centre with their swinging A Very Merry Motown, a special holiday season sharing of stories and songs from Motown artists.
Ice: Get your skates on until January 4, 2026 and don’t LET IT GO by without seeing the season’s hit production and brilliant cast of Disney’s Frozen The Broadway Musical, now playing at The Arts Club Stanley BFL Canada Stage, until January 4, 2026.
Women: At the Arts Club Granville Island Stage until January 4, 2026, the coming of age story of friendship, romance, loss, and personal discovery, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is told in a creative new telling way from the author’s point of view.
Face-Off: For 4 shows, December 27 & 28 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hasan Hates Ronny | Ronny Hate Hasan finds comedians Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng facing off in a ‘Debate to the Death’ on all of today’s hot topics
Sitcom: Until December 30, the festive funny show at The Improv Centre, ‘Tis The Sitcom is an improvised version of a never before seen sitcom about a group of friends living in the big city navigating festive dilemmas – complete with commercial breaks, seasonal TV moments, and plenty of laughter.
Village: Step back in time with a visit to the Festive Village presented by Concord Pacific at Burnaby Village Museum – until January 2, explore the living museum with free entry to the heritage village Christmas and add-on at ticket to ride the famed carousel
Santa: Hitch up your sleigh and take a ride with Flyover in Vancouver to take off for the North Pole on a magical ride as you Soar With Santa, across Canada and to his Polar workshop, featuring its original Canadian adventure until January 4, 2026
Puck: Will hockey fans get a Christmas present on Saturday when Vancouver Canucks host San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena?
Lights: Lights by the Lake at Harrison Hot Springs, is an enchanting annual holiday display transforming the 2km lakefront stroll into a magical world of lights, wintery window dressings highlighting the local sights until January 11, 2026
Garden: Visit Van Dusen Festival of Lights until January 4, 2026, aglow with more than one million lights adorn the magical 15-acre winter wonderland. Pick up a warm beverage and a snack as you stroll along the lakeside and get in the holiday spirit with the Dancing Lights
Lake: One of Metro Vancouver’s largest festive light displays, Lights at Lafarge continues to illuminate the lake at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park until February 16, 2026
Nuxalk: Coming to a close January 5th, Nuxalk Strong: Dancing Down the Eyelashes of the Sun, at MOA is a first-of-its-kind exhibition showcasing the rich culture and worldview of the Nuxalk Nation, located in Bella Coola, B.C.
NGN: Continuing until January 25, 2026 the world premiere of NDN Giver at Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art a look at consider how the act of giving is tied to identity, responsibility, resistance, and renewal, curated by the gallery’s Assistant Curator Amelia Rea in her solo curatorial debut.
Haida: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents the Vancouver premiere of the retrospective exhibition Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White: Master Haida Artist running until February 1, 2026.
Photographer: Take a glimpse through the lens of an iconic 20th century photographer as The Polygon Gallery presents Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work (1932–1945) on display until February 1, 2026
Gibson: The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum – The Gibson – Simon Fraser University’s new culture hub – features an inaugural group exhibition, Edge Effects, showcasing 15 acclaimed Canadian artists until February 15, 2026
Enemy: The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Enemy Alien the first major solo exhibition and retrospective of works by documentary photographer Tamio Wakayama, on display until February 22, 2026
Sustainability: MONOVA’s Feature Exhibit ‘Are We There Yet? The Sustainable Transportation Journey’ exploring the ever-evolving landscape of urban transportation in North Vancouver until March 1, 2026
Tibet: On display until March 29, 2026 at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA), discover the world premiere exhibition of Entangled Territories: Tibet Through Images, curated by Dr. Fuyubi Nakamura, MOA Curator, Asia, in collaboration with Tibetan-Canadian community members and artists, the bilingual exhibition reimagines Tibet and its future through the perspectives of the Tibetan-Canadian community
Mother: Until March 29, 2026, The Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA) presents the world premiere of Jaad Kuujus: Everyone Says I Look Like My Mother an exhibition featuring a varied collection of naaxiin (Chilkat) weavings and their digital translations.
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