Music on Main and the Roundhouse launch Vancouver's inaugural BIG BANG Festival, February 16

Event designed specifically for youth features hands-on activities, surprise performances, and mini concerts by local and international artists

BIG BANG Festival. Photo by Jonathan Lorange

AN ADVENTUROUS, INTERNATIONALLY based music festival designed specifically for young audiences is coming to Vancouver in the new year in a presentation by Music on Main and the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.

Called the BIG BANG Festival, the event created by Belgium’s Zonzo Compagnie will bring a mix of mini concerts, hands-on activities, and surprise performances to the Roundhouse during the Family Day long weekend on February 16 starting at 12 pm. Children ages five and up are invited to the event, which centres interactive musical experiences.

While a full lineup for the festival will be announced in the coming weeks, so far audiences can expect to hear from international voices like Belgian singer Naomi Beeldens and local musicians such as Iranian Canadian santour player Saina Khalediand and Taiwanese-born, Vancouver-based zheng player Dailin Hsieh (both of whom recently performed in Music on Main’s The Tempest Project).

The BIG BANG Festival is hosted each year in several cities around the world. Canadian stops include Ottawa and Quebec, while European host cities span The Hague, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Rennes, Reykjavík, Copenhagen, and beyond.

Tickets to the fest’s inaugural Vancouver edition will be on sale as of January 15. Guests can purchase single tickets or reserve event-specific tickets (many of which are free or $5). Music on Main also offers a limited number of complimentary tickets for all self-identifying Indigenous folks, which can be reserved by contacting the box office.

Music on Main’s 2024-25 season programming continues into spring and summer, with concert highlights including A Month of Tuesdays at the Fox Cabaret from April 8 to 29 (featuring Alfredo Santa Ana, Dálava, Eve Egoyan, and Chloe Kim), the Kessler Academy string orchestra on August 10 at the Roundhouse, and the free Summer Pop-Up Concerts in Mount Pleasant Park from August 18 to 20.

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Emily Lyth

Stir editorial assistant Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

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