Events this weekend in Vancouver

Events this weekend in Vancouver this weekend 🔥

This weekend in Vancouver has that quietly electric vibe where every group chat is arguing over which plan wins. More than 25,000 people are already circling events, RSVPing, or at least hitting “interested,” so if you’re thinking of just winging it…don’t. The city’s in full discovery mode, with everything from serious global solidarity to sweaty dance floors and niche film nerd heaven.

If you want big cultural energy, start with Lunar New Year in Mount Pleasant. It’s the one you book first if you’re craving street-festival vibes without trekking across half the city. Expect the usual: red lanterns, food, families, firecrackers, and that specific New Year buzz where everyone suddenly remembers they own a red sweater. It’s ideal for daytime wandering, grabbing snacks, and pretending you randomly “stumbled” into it even though you absolutely saw it on Instagram first.

Film people and the chronically online cinephiles should gravitate toward the OTC50 SFFBIOPICS Award Ceremony. This is for the ones who actually stay through the end credits and have Opinions about biopics. It’s got more thoughtful-conversation energy than party energy, but that’s the point: you dress a little nicer, you clap for strangers, and you leave feeling like you did something vaguely intellectual this weekend.

When the sun goes down, the chaos quotient rises. Over at Platform 9, Prism Presents: Dark Hearts with AUDIOFOX & SACAMANO is bringing full big-night-out energy – think late, loud, and heavy on the dance floor eye contact. If you want your weekend to blur into one long beat, this is where you end up. If you prefer your nights with a bit more audiovisual spectacle, K+Lab with Def3 (the Waz Here album tour & AV experience) is the move – especially for people who live for bass, visuals, and talking about “the production” afterward like you were on the tech crew.

Meanwhile, the city’s softer side is still showing up. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is doing what it always does: quietly stealing the show as one of the most beautiful spots to actually slow down for an hour. The Jarislowsky Studio at The Dance Centre keeps pulling the dance crowd and the dance-curious into those intimate performances that feel like you discovered something before it blows up. And The Rio Theatre, as usual, is where you go when you want to be in a room full of people who clap, laugh, and gasp loudly on cue.

If your weekend needs some gravity, the Global Rally for Ukraine in Vancouver is the one that cuts through the noise. It’s not a casual drop-in event; it’s for when you want to stand with a crowd for something that matters. You won’t leave with cute merch, but you will leave with perspective, which might be the most grown-up weekend move of all.

Here’s how to play it:

- Lunar New Year Mount Pleasant – Daytime hangs, families, food, neighbourhood energy.
- OTC50 SFFBIOPICS Award Ceremony – For film nerds, awards lovers, and people who miss Q&As.
- K+Lab with Def3: Waz Here AV Tour – Big sound, big visuals, album-tour hype.
- Prism Presents: Dark Hearts @ Platform 9 (AUDIOFOX & SACAMANO) – Late-night, dark-club, maximal party mode.
- Global Rally for Ukraine – Serious, grounded, and deeply human.
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden – Low-key, reflective, perfect if you hate crowds.
- The Jarislowsky Studio – Intimate dance and performance for your artsy side.
- The Rio Theatre – For cult classics, live events, and people who clap at the screen on purpose.

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