The Indian Summer Festival (ISF) is back for its 13th edition with ten ticketed and free events running from July 6 to July 16, 2023. This year, the carefully curated festival speaks to the theme of “inter/dependence’’ with events hosted in venues across Vancouver.

Indian Summer Festival 2023

“The Indian Summer Festival programming is always guided by our themes that aim to introduce festival goers with new ways to think, feel and perceive the world around us and our role within it,” says Pawan Deol, Executive Director of Cultural Programming. “This year, our curatorial team worked with artists on the “inter/dependence” festival theme to bring us from separateness to connectedness along with a sense of joy and levity with the work.”

Event Lineup

Opening Party: inter/dependence

• Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 7:00pm
• Performance Works, 1281 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
• Tickets $100, purchase online

The legendary art-filled party features a compelling performance by Nisha Patel, the Poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Edmonton, a trans-continental choral performance weaving together traditional sounds from South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa orchestrated by the singular composer/conductor Hussein Janmohamed along with the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of DJ Nea. Chef Tushar Tondvalkar will curate an exquisite menu featuring Indian Pantry, Kula Kitchen and Ono Vancouver.

The Vessel With Two Mouths – Art Installation by Rajni Perera

• July 6 – 13, 2023
• Roundhouse (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver)

One of the country’s leading multimedia artists Rajni Perera, is making her Vancouver debut with a new body of work, The Vessel with Two Mouths. Sprung from Perera’s imagination after a month-long residency in her home country of Sri Lanka, this exhibit at the Roundhouse represents her longing for an ancestral home and renegotiates her relationship with her heritage.

Rajni Perera: In Conversation with Devyani Saltzman

• Friday, July 7, 2023, at 7:00pm
• Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Woodwards (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver)
• Tickets from $20, purchase online

Join Rajni Perera for an in-depth conversation with writer/curator Devyani Saltzman about her practice, her relationship to ancestry and Sri Lanka, and the Vancouver debut of her exhibition, The Vessel with Two Mouths. The talk is followed by a reception at the exhibit itself, at the Roundhouse.

Not What You Expected: Harsha Walia & Anjali Appadurai with Anoushka Ratnarajah

• Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 8:00pm
• Performance Works, 1281 Cartwright Street, Vancouver 
• Tickets from $15, purchase online

Two powerhouse activists, Harsha Walia and Anjali Appadurai, pushing against the expectations to behave like a model minority, cut through the noise in this honest conversation about compassionate leadership, institutional accountability and transparency, and decolonization. They share what drives them to continue fighting for the things that matter to them and those they love. This conversation is facilitated by interdisciplinary arts organizer and curator Anoushka Ratnarajah.

Watersmeet

• Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 7:00pm
• Performance Works, 1281 Cartwright Street, Vancouver 
• Tickets from $20, purchase online

Watersmeet features genre-defying music composed by sitarist Mohamed Assani and an eveningshowcasing a special live musical collaboration between South Asian and Western musicians. Each musical tradition brings rich histories and stories, currents that collide and merge into a new tide that flows into a greater reservoir of creative expression.

Punch Up

• Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 8:00pm
• Performance Works, 1281 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
• Tickets from $20, purchase online

ISF presents a diverse roster of laugh makers for a dynamite night of stand-up! Featuring: Joanne Tsung, whose unfiltered stand-up reflects her experience as a queer, first-generation immigrant settler from Taiwan. Tin Lorica’s deadpan observational storytelling pulls you into ridiculous yet relatable life moments. A Cree-Métis performer, Sasha Mark is known for his diverse comedy showcase, ‘The Sasha Ha-Ha Show.’ Using her Indigenous perspective and fashion-focused lens, Savannah Erasmus creates a fresh and endearing stand-up persona to deliver sharp truths, and Indian Summer Festival favourite Kamal Pandya.

Rhythm Infinitum: Shabazz Palaces & Sarathy Korwar in Concert

• Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 7:00pm
• Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (UBC 6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver)
• Tickets from $30, purchase online      

Two visionary artists come together to explore, explode, and break assumptions of the linearity of time. This is an invitation into kaleidoscopic sound worlds, charting pathways from past-present-future. Experience the Afrofuturist hip-hop sonic landscapes of Shabazz Palaces (Seattle) and the Indofuturist world-building of percussionist and polymath Sarathy Korwar (UK).

Svāhā! – Dance Performance with Nova Bhattacharya

• Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 2023 at 8:00pm
• Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
• Tickets from $19, purchase online

In addition to a cast of more than 20 performers from almost 30 different dance traditions – everything from Bharatnatyam to Butoh, as well as ballet, jazz and salsa, Svāhā! features local artists in an opening invocation that accompanies the performances. From this experience of communion and solidarity comes a work brimming with life, colour, and revelry of every hue.

Indian Summer Festival Closing Cabaret

• Sunday, July 16, 2023, at 7:30pm
• Performance Works, 1281 Cartwright Street, Vancouver 
• Tickets rom $20, purchase online

The 13th Indian Summer Festival wraps with a party featuring some of our city’s most vibrant young artists! Featuring beats of DJ Vixen Von Flex and DJ Business Bacha, a drag performance led by Batty Banks andan epic trio of musicians presenting a brand-new collaboration featuring trumpeter Feven Kidane, the innovative jazz fusion sounds of Shruti Ramani, and the wondrous bass player Harmeet Kaur Virdee.

Free Weekend Indian Summer Festival Programming

ISF Sound System – Free Music Sunday

• Sunday, July 9, 2023, from 11:00am to 5:00pm
• Granville Island Public Market – Courtyard (1689 Johnston St, Vancouver)

Celebrate summer in the city with our free ISF music stage in the heart of Granville Island. Join us for a day of incredible live music in the Public Market Courtyard at the foot of False Creek.

Browse more Vancouver Festivals this season »

Join Public Disco for a summer block party in the heart of Downtown Vancouver! Public Disco focuses on producing events that are accessible and welcoming for all. This year’s block party is free and all ages are welcome!

Public Disco Block Party in Downtown Vancouver

• When: July 22, 2023 from 3:00pm – 10:30pm
• Where: Bentall Centre’s Neighbourhood Patio and pop-up art gallery 505 Burrard St, Vancouver
• Admission: FREE

Not only is the block party a chance to dance and have a good time, it’s also the perfect daytime pre-party before watching the fireworks in the evening.

The block party is sure to be a hit with its fun all-ages atmosphere, feel-good dance music, food vendors, and pop-up market. Don’t forget the licensed bars featuring Granville Island Beer, Lonetree Cider, Cabrón Tequila Cocktails, and more. Additionally, the event will showcase a diverse lineup of local DJs, including ESB, DJ Hector, Kozue, and STAR x DUST, sharing their take on feel good dance music,

“We curate our events to highlight artists and bring together audiences from different parts of the local music landscape. There’s so many sub groups even just within the music scene, we want our events to be a hub for everyone that loves to dance.”

Public Disco director Nickolas Collinet

Public Disco exists to reimagine unique urban spaces as outdoor event spaces to bring people together with music and dancing in a city where event space is hard to come by. Stay up to date with Public Disco’s Summer Series and their events on Facebook.

Browse free/low-cost events around Vancouver »

Burnaby residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a series of world-class performances this summer in a stunning outdoor setting, as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and Vancouver Opera (VO) are set to host free concerts in Deer Lake Park on July 15 and 16, 2023.

Classical Weekend in Burnaby

• Where: Deer Lake Park Festival Lawn (6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby)
• Tickets: Free, no tickets required!

Come early for free family activities and food trucks, bring a blanket or chair and a picnic and settle in for a wonderful weekend of entertainment with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Opera.

Parking in the vicinity is limited, so alternate transportation is recommended.

Symphony in the Park with the VSO

• When: Saturday, July 15, 2023 from 7:30pm to  9:30pm

For over 30 years, Symphony in the Park has been a summer favourite, not only to the residents of Burnaby, but to patrons from the all over the region. This free, outdoor concert features the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performing exceptional symphonic music surrounded by the beauty of Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park.

This year’s performance of Symphony in the Park will transport listeners to other worlds, whether it’s the story of British spy (Monty Norman’s James Bond Theme), an adventure through another galaxy (Suite for Orchestra: III. Imperial March by John Williams) or the tale of a young wizard (William’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I. Hedwig’s Theme).

Opera in the Park with Vancouver Opera

• When: Sunday, July 16, 2023 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm

At Opera in the Park, powerhouse singers and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Chorus will perform instantly recognizable classics like Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen, the Queen of the Night’s hair-raising aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and highlights from Gaetano Donizetti’s triumph of the comedic opera buffa style, Don Pasquale. 

Fun activities like face-painting, musical games, circus performers, giveaways and other surprises start at 3:00pm. At 5:45pm, enjoy a high energy celebration of the human voice that features Indigenous artists and JUNO-nominated choral group musica intima, before the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and powerhouse solo vocalists take the stage at 7:30pm for a compelling performance of selected music from our forthcoming 2023-2024 season.

For more information, and more activities this summer, follow the City of Burnaby on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the Classical Weekend in Burnaby

Browse free/low-cost events around Vancouver »

Crossroads Hospice Society is excited to launch a 50/50 raffle in support of their hospice and bereavement programs which serve the Tri-Cities. Their first raffle last year saw a jackpot of over $25,000 and they’re hoping to raise even more this year.

Crossroads Hospice Society 50/50 Raffle

• Purchase today:
  • 3-Ticket Pack for $5; 7-Ticket Pack for $10; 50-Ticket Pack for $20; 150-Ticket Pack for $50;
    300-Ticket Pack for $80
• Draw: Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 4:30pm

About Crossroads

Crossroads Hospice Society is a 10-bed hospice residence that has the honour of serving the community of Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody. Not only do they provide compassionate care and support at the hospice residence, they also operate a Grief and Loss Support Centre and a Thrift Store (at 2780 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam).

Crossroads believes the end of life does not have to be scary, painful, or lonely. Likewise, they understand that the grief journey can be very tough, so they do their best to ensure no one must face the journey alone. They are committed to educating our communities about death, dying, and grief.

As Fraser Health only covers 50% of Crossroads’ costs when supporting hospice patients, the organization is responsible for generating funding for its day-to-day operations such as facility management, housekeeping operations, kitchen service, and emotional and psychological support. The cost of running their 10-bed hospice for one day alone is over $2,200. The organization relies heavily on Thrift Store funds as well as the community’s support to make their mission possible.

For over 31 years, Crossroads’ mission has been to provide compassionate care and support to people with life limiting illnesses and their families. Likewise, they support youth and adults who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Through the programs and services they deliver, they care for our communities with compassion, respect, dignity, and integrity.

Follow on Facebook for more information about their programs, and the 50/50 raffle.

Miss604 is a sponsor of the Crossroads Hospice Society 50/50 fundraising campaign.

It’s a holiday weekend and summer is in full swing! This weekend the event list for Metro Vancouver includes festivities on Saturday, concerts, markets, family fun, and much more! The July event list and GIANT calendar of things to do has also been published. It’s updated daily so check back often.

Weekend Events in Vancouver
Things to do June 30 to July 2, 2023

Friday, June 30, 2023

• Art Downtown
• Kitsilano Showboat
• Shipyards Night Market
• Richmond Night Market
• The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy
• Vancouver International Jazz Festival
• Free Vancouver International Jazz Festival Shows
• Golden Spike Days Festival Port Moody