Vancouver Chinatown Festival 2026
The 24th BMO Vancouver Chinatown Festival is a free, two-day celebration of community happening July 25-26, 2026 presented by the Vancouver Chinatown BIA Society (VCBIA).
Vancouver Chinatown Festival 2026
- Dates: Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26, 2026 12:00pm to 6:00pm
- Location: Keefer and Columbia Street
- Admission: Free
Enjoy stage performances featuring local talent, multicultural music, and traditional arts along with storytelling and engaging entertainment for families. The streets will come alive with food vendors, games, craft, and hands-on activities. Visit the Cultural Corner where visitors explore Chinese traditions, art, and heritage through workshops and demonstrations.
“The Vancouver Chinatown Festival is a lively, vibrant cultural celebration for visitors of every generation,” says Joey Kwan, executive director of VCBIA. “We’re thankful for all our sponsors for supporting this annual summer event, especially BMO for returning as title sponsor this year.”
The Main Stage will feature a range of multicultural performances throughout the weekend, kicking off with a Grand Opening Ceremony with Lion Dance on Saturday.
New to this year’s festival, the Sichuan Face-Changing Performances (“Bian Nian”) in front of the Main Stage – an ancient art form rooted in Sichuan Opera featuring spectacular mask transformations.
The expanded Children’s Theatre will feature interactive shows and activities tailored for families, along with the return of crowd favourite programming, such as the Lion Dance and Drumming with Fluffy & Friends. They will be running free interactive workshops and demonstrations throughout both days. Kids can also enjoy face painting, balloon twisting, t-shirt painting, origami art, and carnival games throughout the day. There is also an opportunity to meet Van Van the Panda mascot.
The Cultural Zone will once again feature Vancouver Chinatown walking tours, Chinese painting and calligraphy demonstrations, paper lantern and fan-making, mini massages, the popular giant Mahjong, henna art, and more.
As with previous years, the Artisans Market along Keefer Street will highlight a curated group of local makers and food vendors.
You can find information on the festival website if you are interested in becoming a vendor or volunteer and follow Visit Chinatown on Instagram for updates.
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