As quickly as the Holiday Season passes by the first weekend of the New Year is already upon us. Fight your desire to hibernate with this selection of picks to start the year’s entertainment.
Panto: Keep laughing until January 11, 2026, with Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: West Van Story at The Cultch York Theatre – the story of Romeo and Juliet told East Van Panto style
Mom: The Arts Club Theatre Company brilliant one-mom play, Burning Mom by Mieko Ouchi is on tour around the region. This week the motor home visits Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver January 8-9 before motoring to New Westminster’s Anvil Centre January 10-11.
POP: January 9-10 Rogers Arena welcomes K-Pop Girl Group TWICE for two shows kicking off the North American leg of their global This Is For The World Tour
Lake: Brighten up the winter nights with Lights by the Lake at Harrison Hot Springs, 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
Lights: 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
Comedy: January 10th celebrated stand-up comedian Jessica Kirson brings her wit to the stage at The Vogue Theatre
Symphony: January 8 – 10, The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra opens the chamber with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the film playing in high-definition, on a giant screen, while the orchestra performs John Williams’ score live at The Orpheum
Stand-up: Sunday January 11 the Queen Elizabethe Theatre welcomes comedian, host, writer, producer’s Daniel Tosh: My First Farewell Tour
Reading: Winter nights are great for curling up with a good book, find inspiration for your 2026 reading list with The Vancouver Writers Fest Digital Festival on now until February 2
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