Articles — Stir

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Powell Street Festival stays true to its legacy

Retaining its spirit of community and resistance, the long-running arts festival returns to Paueru Gai for a milestone weekend of food, performances, and storytelling

FESTS, CULTUREJanet SmithJuly 23, 2026Powell Street Festival, Summer 2026, Japan, Homepage feature

Posh Ball events kick off as Pride Week begins, July 24 to 26

With an awards night and workshops at The Dance Centre, and the grand catwalk show at the Pearl on July 25, Vancouver Kiki Ballroom Alliance celebrations show the art form is alive and well

At Indian Summer Festival, Am Johal aims to bridge global and local voices in an increasingly disorienting world

From gardens to galleries and market plazas, fest increasingly takes its multidisciplinary works out to where the community gathers

FESTS, CULTUREJanet SmithJune 30, 2026Indian Summer Festival, Summer 2026, Am Johal

Screenings at The Cinematheque and VIFF Centre bring past and future into focus on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21

Ranging from 1970s-era experiments in animation to an urgently current documentary, the offerings delve into the meaning of community and the power of place names

CULTURE, SCREENJanet SmithJune 17, 2026National Indigenous People's Day, Summer 2026

Jade Circle brings together dance, music, projections, and storytelling, at the Kay Meek Arts Centre May 20 to 22

Artist Jasmine Chen relearns Mandarin and discovers lost family history in multidisciplinary, personal show

DANCE, MUSIC, CULTURE, WHAT'S STIRRINGJanet SmithMay 17, 2026Kay Meek Arts Centre, rice & beans theatre

Doors Open Richmond spotlights local culture and heritage at 19th annual edition, June 6 and 7

Two-day event takes place at over 40 sites across the city

CULTUREStir VancouverMay 11, 2026Partner Content, Doors Open Richmond, Richmond Museum

In Enemy Lines, Mayumi Lashbrook unearths a history she was never told

At the Firehall Arts Centre, the Toronto-based choreographer reckons with the forced displacement of Japanese Canadians and the cycles of fear-based thinking that still echo today

Haunting Reedland draws on age-old Netherlands trade, at Dutch Film Festival April 25

A reed cutter tries to solve a murder in Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Language Film; plus documentaries and soccer as fest enters second installment

CULTURE, FESTS, SCREENJanet SmithApril 20, 2026Dutch Film Festival, SFU Woodward's

Sakura Days Japan Fair brings vibrant Nikkei culture to VanDusen Botanical Garden, April 11 and 12

In its 20th edition, the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese artistry and eclectic cuisine

Krystle Dos Santos and Dawn Pemberton’s ode to Hogan’s Alley hits VIFF Live, April 4

Powerhouse vocalists preview songs from stage show Meet Me at Vie’s alongside a screening of local documentary Union Street

BC Achievement Foundation welcomes nominations for Sam Carter Award and Polygon Award until February 15

Titles elevate local artists whose work deserves national recognition, while also highlighting the creativity that shapes B.C.’s cultural landscape

CULTURE, ART & DESIGNStir VancouverFebruary 6, 2026Partner Content, BC Achievement Foundation

Vancouver arts groups mark Black History Month with film screenings, live music, and more

Artists like Dee Daniels, Brandon Thornhill, and Krystle Dos Santos are performing around the city this February

Ghanaian music scholar Kofi Gbolonyo leads upbeat Celebrate Africa! event at BlueShore at CapU, January 30

Long-time UBC and CapU faculty member puts on a show featuring dozens of local musicians, plus vocalists Dawn Pemberton and Khari McClelland

Dozens of musicians and dancers take the stage for Celebrate Africa! at BlueShore at CapU, January 30

Big bands play West African music with guests Dawn Pemberton, Khari McClelland, and others

Nikkei Mochitsuki celebrates a year-end Japanese tradition, December 29

Taiko drums and dance add to the festivities at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre

CULTURE, CULINARY, WHAT'S STIRRINGJanet SmithDecember 23, 2025Nikkei, Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

Stir Q&A: Lai Hung-Chung’s Birdy explores freedom through feathers

Presented by DanceHouse, Taiwan’s Hung Dance draws on the headpieces of Chinese opera to conjure calligraphy, weapons, and birds in flight

DANCE, CULTUREJanet SmithNovember 19, 2025DANCEHOUSE, DanceHouse, Vancouver Civic Theatres

Alliance Française Vancouver hosts its annual V-Unframed exhibition, November 20 to 23

Themed “Storytelling Across Media”, event unites art and technology through a dance performance, immersive experiences, and more

At the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, departed loved ones draw near in Spirit Encounters

Mexican-born artist Gerardo Avila helps celebrate the Day of the Dead and highlights the joys of the holiday through the magical migration of monarch butterflies