The Best Arts and Culture Events of 2025, According to Our Editors

We’re lucky enough to have Kerri Donaldson on staff here at Vanmag, putting together amazing lists each month, telling us exactly what great events are happening in the worlds of music, comedy, drag and theatre. What she refuses to do for us, though, is help us rank exactly what the best of those events actually were, now that we’re here at the end of the calendar year. (Rude.) Below, our editors try their very best to pick a fave show, festival or party from a long, very fun list of 2024 happenings. And if we get it wrong, blame Kerri for leaving us on our own.

The Cultural Events of 2025 That Our Editors Can’t Stop Thinking About

 

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The “Last” Movie Showing at Park Theatre

October 26, 2025 was supposedly the final showing of a movie at Park Theatre, but spoiler alert, it was announced the next day that the iconic theatre was saved. Still, it was a memorable night. The showing of One Battle After Another was sold out. I ran into friends I hadn’t seen in ages, swapped stories of our memories in the theatre and people who couldn’t get tickets were just hanging out outside and in the lobby. There was a bittersweet sense of community at Park Theatre that evening, and after the movie ended, we all stood outside to watch as the theatre staff changed the marquee letters one last time. Of course, The Rio shared that it would be taking over management of The Park, so all our dramatics were not needed, but what a night! Support your local theatres in 2026, everyone! —Rebekah Ho, digital marketing manager

Santi’s Love and Country County Fair

I’ve already written at length about this event—we previewed it prior to Valentine’s Day, and then featured it as one of our 33 Reasons to Love Vancouver in March—but in the name of truly honouring the Best Cultural Event of My Year, as per the assignment, I simply must mention it again. It was extremely cute (hand-painted booths! everyone in their cowboy finery!) and extremely funny (the kissing booth featured a fish; someone paid to have my husband “thrown in jail”). I just appreciate so much that organizer/mad performance artist Santi Henderson brought his weird and wonderful parody of a county fair to life, and that so many folks showed up to participate with gusto. How often do you get to go to something that’s both subversive and feel-good? There was something magic in the air, a collaborative mischievousness that I felt delighted to be a part of. Or maybe I was just riding high because we were winning big at the carnival games. My husband’s prize at the balloon pop? A bag of loose cigarettes. We don’t smoke but, yeah, we’ll be back this Valentine’s for more. —Stacey McLachlan, editor-in-chief

Ramy Youssef as part of The Phil Lind Initiative

I often assume that when my favourite artists come to town, I’ll have to sell an organ just to go (piano or otherwise). So I was especially delighted when actor/writer/comedian/cutie Ramy Youssef came to the Chan Shun Concert Hall for free. I registered and waited for the catch. That was back in March, and I’m still waiting for the catch. The auditorium was full (but not sold out!), and the conversation felt weirdly perfect for the current state of the world (read: USA shenanigans). With longtime friend and collaborator Ravi Nandan (A24’s head of TV and non-fiction), among other things he talked about his work, his new animated Netflix series #1 Happy Family USA, and took audience questions. It felt like I’d stumbled on a secret, but it’s a regular series, with Ziwe up next. I already checked this year’s theme — America First, America Alone? Global Politics in an Age of Uncertainty — kicking off with three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman. Consider this your warning: grab your two free tickets now and tell only the people you like.

Riverdance 30 by Broadway in Vancouver

A history of Ireland told through sound, music, dance and minimal dialogue? Yes, please. I caught the Broadway musical as it came to Vancouver for its 30th anniversary and was absolutely stunned. I joined the audience as it roared, clapped and cheered each time the ensemble cast of tap dancers pulled off yet another impossible move, swirl or landing. The intricate costumes and elaborate sets, inspired by the rugged Irish wilderness, sparkled against traditional folk melodies, creating a musical riot. In a year ruled by on-demand entertainment, it was a great reminder of the power of live theatre.—Mihika Agarwal, senior editor, BCBusiness

Nan Goldin at the VAG

The VAG has been in the news for all the wrong reasons as of late. The cost overruns and the ultimate cancellation of the proposed Herzog and de Meuron design, and the somewhat muted response to their replacements, Toronto-based KPMB (I had to Google them), who are at least partnering with local firm Formline. But curation-wise things seem hopping, and much of that energy seems to stem from the hiring of now interim co-CEO Eva Respini in 2023, who appears to be bringing a dash of internationalism to the gallery. She comes with a kickass CV (MOMA, ICA Boston, penned numerous well regarded books) and one of her mandates seems to be shoring up the VAG’s collection in a few key areas. For example, when she arrived she learned the museum had no works by Nan Goldin, the iconic American photographer and activist who’s Ballad of Sexual Dependency is one the monumental pieces of 1980 New York (and who was key in having the Sackler name removed from scores of fine art institutions due to their role in the opioid crisis). For a photography town, it was a major gap. So Respini gathered together some passionate local art peeps and they secured  Goldin’s Stendahl Syndrome, a 2024 slideshow that’s currently on view. The 26-minute piece is a great survey of her work—there are photos from the 80s as well as more current work, all juxtaposed to images of old masters from a variety of august institutions from around the world. All with the soundtrack of a classical composition over which Goldin read’s Ovid’s Metamorphoses. So yeah, there’s a lot going on, but that’s thankfully how you can describe the current VAG as well.—Neal McLennan, Wine & Spirits ed.

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