The Calendar: 20 Vanmag-Approved Things to Do This Summer in Vancouver

SAX MAN: Vancouver International Jazz Festival presents Isaiah Collier

WHEN July 1

WHERE Vancouver Playhouse

COST From $55

The buzzy sax phenom—as in saxophone, don’t be weird—is bringing the cool sounds of Coltrane to the Vancouver Playhouse.

WILE AWAY: Kurt Vile and the Violators

WHEN July 1

WHERE Commodore Ballroom

COST From $136

A hazy night of shaggy, slacker-cool rock for swaying gently and lightly dissociating in denim.

GET YOUR KICKS: FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver presents Arkells

WHEN July 7

WHERE PNE Amphitheatre

COST From $44

The PNE is about to become soccer central (June 11 to July 19) and for everyone not actually at the game, Arkells are here to keep the crowd kicking and screaming.

THAT’S AMOR, EH?: CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso

WHEN July 8

WHERE Queen Elizabeth Theatre

COST From $145

The Argentinian duo brings their signature blend of Latin trap, funk, pop and pure theatrical nonsense to town, for those who like their concerts loud, weird and a little sexually confusing.

FISH BOWL: Theatre Under the Stars presents The Little Mermaid

WHEN July 5 to August 22

WHERE Malkin Bowl

COST From $35

Alongside Sister Act, TUTS is bringing everyone’s fave boy-crazy half-fish teen to the Bowl. Expect big songs, daddy issues, some light cave hoarding and the silent treatment as flirting.

CLEVER GIRL SUMMER: VSO presents Jurassic Park in Concert

WHEN July 9 to 10

WHERE Orpheum Theatre

COST From $32

Catch the ’90s dino blockbuster on the big screen, with the VSO playing John Williams’s iconic score live while that kid on the electric fence still stresses you out more than the dinosaurs.

THE KHAT’S MEOW: Khatsahlano Street Party

WHEN July 11

WHERE West 4th Avenue (from Macdonald to Burrard)

COST Free

West 4th’s annual 10-block blowout is back with eight stages, live music, food trucks, shopping and beer gardens. Wander, snack and let your Fitbit tally the steps while you lose count of the beers.

NOT FOR THE SHEEPISH: Goat

WHEN July 12 to 13

WHERE The Pearl

COST From $69

The mysterious Swedish psych-rock collective is doing two nights at The Pearl, which means masks, maximalism and the kind of groove-heavy weirdness that makes you feel cooler by proxy.

GULLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: Vancouver Folk Music Festival

WHEN July 17 to 19

WHERE ?ə’yalməx^w/I’yálmexw Jericho Beach Park

COST From $150

Three days of oceanfront folk bliss served blanketside. Finally, a concert I can lie down at without security “checking up on me.”

PEEP SHOW: VIFF Centre Pantheon Series presents Rear Window

WHEN July 19 and 21

WHERE VIFF Centre

COST $23

Hitchcock’s classic tale of neighbourly nosiness, suspicious non-birding binocular use and why minding your own business is a life skill.

DRY CLEAN: Nate Bargatze

WHEN July 23

WHERE Rogers Arena

COST From $83

The king of clean-cut deadpan, proving once again that comedy does not equal yelling.

ARTS AND CRAFT BEER: Eastside Arts Festival’s Free Outdoor Concert

WHEN July 26

WHERE MacLean Park

COST Free

As part of the 10-day Eastside Arts Festival (art, performance, workshops), MacLean Park plays host to a free outdoor concert with food trucks and a beer garden—because culture is thirsty work.

KIM POSSIBLE: Kim Gordon

WHEN July 27

WHERE Hollywood Theatre

COST From $64

The alt icon is coming to make your Monday night significantly cooler while reigniting your quest for the perfect leather jacket: your indie white whale.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED: The Muppet Drag Show: An Adult Pride Brunch

WHEN August 1

WHERE Hotel at The Waldorf

COST $20

An adult Pride drag show and brunch with a side of some serious nostalgia. Let’s be honest, Miss Piggy is drag. Period.

DANCE APPEAL: Public Disco Pride Block Party

WHEN August 1

WHERE E 3rd Ave. and Ontario St.

COST From $24

Hit the all-day open-air Mount Pleasant dance party: two stages, food trucks, live art and more—you’ll forget you actually left your house to pick up groceries.

HALF-CENTURY YOUNG: Powell Street Festival

WHEN August 1 to 2

WHERE Oppenheimer Park

COST Free

Hitting the big 5-0 this year, the beloved fest brings Japanese Canadian art, culture, food and community to Oppenheimer Park for one very well-earned anniversary party.

BODY BREAK: KitsFest 2026

WHEN August 6 to 9

WHERE Kitsilano Beach

COST Free

For four fitness-packed days, we’re going full Kits with active-people fun: Spikeball, tennis, basketball, volleyball and chess (because yes, the brain is a muscle too), plus DJs, sunset yoga and other beachy programming.

THE RUNNING MAN: SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Sunset Festival

WHEN August 8

WHERE Hastings and Hornby

COST Sunset Festival, $125; half marathon, $325

Technically, you can head straight to the post-run yoga-and-dance afterparty at Brockton Field. Did you run? That’s between you and your Apple Watch.

IT’S ELECTRIC: AC/DC

WHEN August 13

WHERE BC Place

COST From $106

Alert the dads: AC/DC is coming to BC Place. Expect decibels, denim and enough air guitar to throw out a shoulder. For one night only, your pop’s garage “tinkering” playlist comes roaring to life.

BETWEEN SEVERAL FERNS: Great Outdoors Comedy Festival presents Bill Burr

WHEN August 28

WHERE Brockton Fields

COST From $89

Stanley Park becomes a 19-plus open-air comedy club for one weekend only, with a new lineup each night. Bill Burr opens the fest on August 28.