Updated: 2026-07-02 | Programming and timing may change — check official announcements for current details.
Vancouver Chinatown’s biggest annual celebration, the Vancouver Chinatown Festival, returns for its 24th edition on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, from noon to 6 p.m., along Keefer Street and Columbia Street. Presented by BMO, the festival is completely free and family-friendly. Saturday kicks off with a grand opening ceremony and lion dance, with a full lineup of music and cultural performances across both days, including the BC Chinese Chamber Ensemble (BCCCE), Vancouver Okinawa Taiko, a jazz duo, and the UBC marching band.
The kids’ zone has been expanded this year, with lion dance and drumming workshops, face painting, T-shirt painting, origami, carnival games, and appearances by the festival mascot, Van Van the Panda. The cultural zone offers Chinatown walking tours, calligraphy demonstrations, lantern and fan-making workshops, giant Mahjong, henna art and mini massages. In front of the main stage, look for “Bian Nian” — a Sichuan opera face-changing performance known for its instantaneous mask transformations. A vendor market runs along Keefer Street, featuring local makers and food stalls. The scavenger hunt “Where’s Van Van the Panda?” also returns this year, letting participants earn admission to cultural sites including the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the Chinese Canadian Museum and the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.
For World Cup visitors in Vancouver, this is a good opportunity to experience local Chinese community culture. Chinatown itself is easy to reach — take the SkyTrain to Stadium-Chinatown station and it’s a short walk. For more on Chinatown’s history and surrounding sights, see the Vancouver travel guide.
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