Metro Vancouver's Canada Day celebrations span live music, parades, and all-day parties

Performances by the Wild Moccasin Dancers, jazz trumpeter Feven Kidane, party band Dr. Strangelove, and plenty more artists are in store

(Clockwise from top left) Jazz trumpeter Feven Kidane (Ingrid Cheung photo) at Granville Island as part of the jazz festival; David Whitebean of the Wild Moccasin Dancers, and the Steveston Salmon Festival.

FOR CANADA’S 158TH BIRTHDAY, Metro Vancouver is offering an array of events that highlight the region’s cultural diversity and rich history.

Whether with an early-morning ferry ballet on Granville Island, a national drumming event, or a street festival featuring local performers, here are some ways to celebrate on July 1.

The ReViberators, playing as part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival at Ocean Artworks.

O Canada Day! on Granville Island 2025

7:30 am to 10 pm at various venues

Granville Island’s signature July 1 celebration returns with a full day of performances, cultural programming, and family-friendly festivities. The day starts early with the Public Market coffee shops opening around 7:30 am, where visitors can grab a quick bite before catching the annual False Creek Ferries Ballet performance; skippers manoeuvre the fleet through epic choreography full of figure-eights and crossovers on the water.

From 10 am to 6 pm, the new Chain & Forge outdoor event space hosts a block party with live music, artisans, dance classes, kids’ activities, and food vendors. Some of the main acts include indie-folk artist Stephen Spender, soulful singer-guitarist Shawn Bullshields, and Indigenous hip-hop and funk band Curtis Clear Sky and the Constellationz. The Official Canada Day Ceremony takes place at 1 pm, with Roan Shankaruk singing the national anthem.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival will also have free concerts running all day long at the Ocean Artworks pavilion. The Evan Arntzen Quartet with special guest Lloyd Arntzen, Feven Kidane, the ReViberators, and Cowboy Bebop Bebop Band are among the artists playing.

Additional programming includes the renowned Lobster Roll Picnic by the Lobster Man, face-painting and balloon-twisting at the Kids Market, and a 7 pm show called Canada Eh! at the Improv Centre.

Steveston Salmon Festival

8 am to 5:30 pm in Steveston Village

Circus acts, hockey demos, live music, art and cultural shows: now in its 78th year, the Steveston Salmon Festival promises another event-filled day of festivities. It all starts with a pancake breakfast at 8 am, followed by a kids’ bike parade at 9:30 am. The Canada Day parade kicks off at 10 am, starting at Garry Point Park and ending at Railway Avenue.

Visitors can enjoy an art show and marketplace featuring local vendors, as well as the Japanese cultural show. Live performances start at noon, with acts hitting the Spirit of Steveston Stage till 7:30 pm. This year’s lineup includes the dynamic rockers Midnight Cruiser, six-piece party band Dr. Strangelove, and local supergroup the Aristo-Cats.

Fort Langley

10 am to 4:30 pm at Fort Langley National Historic Site

Pan for gold, play a game of cornhole, watch a blacksmith work, or catch a fibre-arts demonstration as Fort Langley invites visitors to step back in time and celebrate the different cultures that make up Canada. Live performers include the Mayday Club Youth Choir, the Wild Moccasin Dancers, Jess Dance, and more.

Surrey Canada Day

10 am to 10:30 pm at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre

Western Canada’s largest July 1 celebration returns with a full schedule of concerts and performances, amusement rides, and family activities, with a fireworks finale. Headlined by award-winning sibling duo the Reklaws, singer-songwriter Goldie Boutilier, and Indigenous rock ’n’ roller Garret T. Willie, the lineup features everything from dance to bubble performances and magic shows.

At the Indigenous Village, the Siam Stage will feature cultural sharing, dance, and contemporary music. There will also be a marketplace onsite with local Indigenous vendors, and a 30-foot teepee offering workshops and storytelling events.

Canada Day at the Shipyards

11 am to 5 pm at the Shipyards, North Vancouver

The Rotary Club of Lions Gate presents this waterfront celebration featuring live music, a splash park, food trucks, children’s activities, and artist stalls. The main acts include roots-pop singer-songwriter Melanie Dekker, Iranian artist Amir Raad, groovy ensemble Dino and the Sound of Soul; and the J.P. Fell Pipe Band. The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, the young performers of ShowStoppers, and reggae group Mostly Marley will also take the stage.

Canada Together

11 am to 6 pm at Canada Place

Guided by the theme “Weaving together the fabric of a nation,” this event honours Canada’s diversity with live music, exhibits, an Indigenous marketplace, and more. A citizenship ceremony welcoming 40 new Canadians will take place at 9:30 am inside the ballrooms at Canada Place. Juno Award–winning artist Dear Rouge is set to perform on the Main Stage, which will also host such local artists as Ramen Fog, John Welsh & Los Valientes, Blue Rivera, and Hotel Mira. It’s all presented by the Port of Vancouver and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in a collaborative effort with members of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

StreetFest on Central, part of this year’s Canada Day celebrations in Burnaby.

Canada Day in Burnaby

11 am to 10:30 pm at various venues

The city of Burnaby is hosting three Canada Day events on July 1: performances at Edmonds Plaza and Park from 11 am to 2:30 pm; celebrations at Burnaby Village Museum from 11 am to 4:30 pm; and a street festival at Central Park from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Live entertainment at Edmonds Plaza and Park features the Brazilian martial artists of Axé Capoeira, bhangra and Zumba performances, and more. Burnaby Village Museum promises a busy day of hands-on exhibits, displays, live music, and multicultural entertainment. And taking the main stage at the fourth annual StreetFest on Central will be reggae-fusion band MAGIC!; Surrey-based Pakistani ensemble Asad Khan + Friends (formerly known as Khanvict); award-winning Métis singer-songwriter Kaeley Jade; and Vancouver-raised indie artist Haleluya Hailu. It’s all complete with food trucks and a fireworks finale.

As part of the celebrations, at StreetFest on Central, along Central Boulevard, from 3:30 to 10:30 pm the Burnaby Art Gallery presents BAG on a Bike, a mobile printing press, onsite at Civic Square.

Canada Day Drumming 2025

11:20 am to 12 pm at Jack Poole Plaza

At Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver will take centre stage as one of the leading cities in this nationwide celebration; it’s part of a network of simultaneous drumming events that are live-streamed from coast to coast. For just six minutes, everyone will join forces to create percussion music however they’re able, whether by playing traditional taiko or banging on pots and pans. The event embraces Canada’s multicultural identity, fostering a sense of togetherness among communities.

Frankie and the Juicebox. Photo by Raunie Mae

Canada Day in Coquitlam

12 pm to 10:30 pm at Town Centre Park

Party band Dr. Strangelove, indie-pop star Anna Katarina, upbeat group Bakara Band, and alt-rockers Frankie and the Juicebox are among the artists performing on Canada Day in Coquitlam. The MEI “Screaming Eagles” Marching Band will launch the event on the Main Stage at noon, followed by opening ceremonies and acts until 10 pm, when the fireworks begin. At the Meadow Stage, there will be a martial-arts demonstration and dance performances from 2 pm to 7:30 pm.

Other features include a festival-lawn adventure area equipped with a climbing wall and an inflatable slide, and an Eco Zone where visitors can engage in hands-on activities while learning about local ecosystems. There’s also an Eat Street filled with multicultural food options. Think Baja Fries layered with crispy chicken, cheese, and tortilla chips from Dos Amigos; or, if you’re craving something sweeter, try Mashti Café’s Akbar Mashti, a Persian ice cream flavoured with saffron, rosewater, and pistachios.

Canada Day in the Township of Langley

2 pm to 10:30 pm at McLeod Athletic Park

Featuring performers ranging from Latin-funk band Coco Jafro to the Wild Moccasin Dancers, Canada Day in the Township of Langley offers live music, circus talent, local artisans, breweries, and food trucks. There will be a cool drone light show in the evening, and a kids’ zone that offers bouncy castles, face-painting, and arts-and-crafts activities.

Canada Day in West Vancouver

4 pm to 9 pm at John Lawson Park

Canada Day in West Vancouver will take place at the waterfront park, with live music, activities, and food vendors. Following a brief citizenship ceremony at 4:30 pm, the West Vancouver Youth Band—the longest-standing youth band in Canada—will perform at 4:45 pm. Vancouver band Trilojay finishes off the night from 5:30 pm to 9 pm.

Featured

Ashley Kim

Ashley Kim is an American writer based in Vancouver with a degree in English Literature from McGill University, where she also minored in Hispanic Studies and European Literature and Culture. Her work is shaped by a love of food and travel, and fuelled by a passion for storytelling in all its artistic and cultural forms.

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