This weekend around Metro Vancouver we’ve got hockey action, Mother’s Day fun, baseball, ballet and more. Burnaby Village Museum is also open for the season with free admission — there’s no shortage of fun things to do this month!
The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver’s beloved live music venue, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with four music-packed nights this summer.
Rickshaw Theatre’s 15th Anniversary
Dates: June 15, 20, 21, and 23
Location: Rickshaw Theatre
Tickets: Single day tickets or four-day passes available now
The venue first opened its doors in June 2009 when local entrepreneur, David Duprey repurposed an abandoned movie theatre. Two years in, Duprey sold the business to current owner, Mo Tarmohamed in 2011.
Local titans such as D.O.A., Bison, Japandroids, 3 Inches of Blood, Skinny Puppy, Bif Naked, Black Wizard, Pointed Sticks, The Pack AD, ACTORS and many others have graced the Rickshaw stage.
The Rickshaw has also hosted artists that have gone on to play much larger venues such as The War on Drugs, Future Islands, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Turnstile, IDLES, Thundercat, Knocked Loose and others.
The musicians selected for this mini-festival include performers who have played the Rickshaw multiple times over its life. One of the bands playing in this year’s festival, Bison, actually headlined Rickshaw’s 2nd year anniversary show in 2011 just prior to Tarmohamed taking over the venue.
From my 2015 interview with Mo: “One of the things that this place has been known for, and has been home to, is punk and metal shows.” But while metal and punk has been The Rickshaw’s “bread and butter”, its great sight lines, professional staff, lighting options, and 500+ capacity have made it an ideal venue for many acts, both local and international.
“We didn’t want to be known strictly as a niche venue so we’ve really opened it up and had quite a diversity of musical genres. Even last week, Tuesday we had Napalm Death a metal band, then on Thursday we had R&B/soul, on Friday we had punk, on Saturday we had world beat music.” With the diverse range of artists playing sold out shows for audience with a demographic with ages of 19 to 65, Mo said he often sees people act surprised that The Rickshaw existed — and that they haven’t been there before.
“We’ve hosted bands that are on the upward trajectory, like last year we had two sold out shows for War on Drugs — Future Islands played her last year and this year they’re playing at Malkin Bowl. So we’re catching bands that are just in the process of blowing up but then we also get some of those legacy bands.” DOA, Mudhoney, Human League, Concrete Blonde, have all played The Rickshaw recently and coming up they are hosting the likes of Wishbone Ash and The Rezillos.
The Rickshaw has also become a coveted stage for local performers. “They play at places like Funky’s and The Astoria, but getting on stage at the Rickshaw is a special notch on their belt. It just makes them feel like they’ve arrived — or are arriving — and they get the full rockstar treatment.”
Anniversary Lineup
June 15, 2024: BISON, Black Wizard, Rong, Pet Blessings
June 20, 2024: Bend Sinister, Colleen Rennison, Elliot C Way, The Furniture
June 21, 2024: The Pack A.D., ACTORS, Hyaenas, Beau Wheeler
June 22, 2024: Pointed Sticks, Rich Hope, Dead Soft, Night Court
The Bard on the Beach 2024 summer season at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park will include Hamlet and Twelfth Night on the BMO Mainstage, as well as The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure on the Howard Family Stage.
Bard on the Beach – Image Supplied
Bard on the Beach Summer 2024
From June 13 to September 20, 2024
Ticket prices for all regular play performances start at $30 CAD and are available now.
Twelfth Night: Director Diana Donnelly celebrates a topsy-turvy carnival world packed with romance and laughs, adventure, and self-discovery, set to original music by beloved Vancouver singer-songwriter Veda Hille.
Hamlet: Adapted and directed by Stephen Drover, who invites us to consider the blurry lines around loyalty, self, and all the things that are in heaven and earth.
The Howard Family Stage will host two productions from July 2 to September 21, 2024:
The Comedy of Errors: Directed and adapted by Rebecca Northan, this playtakes its laughs seriously—deadly seriously. Wear your best bedsheet as a toga to this hilarious slapstick saga of mistaken identity and marital strife.
Measure for Measure: Jivesh Parasram’s footloose adaptation is set in a contemporary Vienna where the party never stops—until now. Shakespeare’s tale of coercion and hypocrisy reaches absurdist new heights as premarital… dancing is outlawed.
Special Events
Bard Fireworks Nights: Enjoy a performance of Twelfth Night or The Comedy of Errors followed by a dessert buffet, and guaranteed, spectacular views of the Celebration of Light. Fireworks evenings are July 20, 24 & 27. New this year: Bring your own picnic supper, preorder from Bard (for an extra charge), or snack the night away.
Wine Wednesdays before one of three performances throughout the season. June 26, July 10 & August 14
Family Days: Encouraging a new generation of young theatre patrons to discover Shakespeare and the Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park festival experience. Special pricing and kids’ activities are in effect for these matinees July 14 & August 18.
Bard Pride Day: Includes early site access for special activities to celebrate Pride with the Bard Family on August 4.
Relaxed Performance: Twelfth Night. June 30 at 2:00pm. This performance is also “Pay What You Will”.
Bard Explored: A talk with Simon Fraser University’s Paul Budra on June 29, July 6, August 10 & August 17.
Talkback Tuesdays: In July and August where performers will take part in free post-show discussions.
Every performance, audiences are invited to In A Nutshell, free pre-show talks providing short, informal introductions to the plays’ stories and characters.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Vancouver Art Gallery present a collaborative, immersive themed afternoon tea Into The Forest With Emily Carr inspired by the iconic Canadian Artist Emily Carr.
Into The Forest With Emily Carr Afternoon Tea
Date: May 30 to September 8, 2024
Seating available Thursdays through Sundays at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm
Location: Notch8 (Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 900 W Georgia St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Reserve your spot online. Tickets are $74 per person and $40 for children 12 and under.
The afternoon tea is available throughout the summer, where guests can savour delectable treats and artistic creations in Notch8’s tea salon, transformed into an immersive experience with Carr’s artwork and forest-themed decor.
Each menu item is carefully crafted to reflect Carr’s vibrant spirit through a culinary journey of British Columbia, from BC Forest Mushroom short crust tart to Huckleberry Cheesecake, Smoked Sockeye Salmon, to a Blueberry Gallette with Pistachio Moss.
An inspired cocktail menu highlights some of Carr’s signature works through a collection of libations that draw from inspiration of her artistic style and visual composition, available during tea service and at Notch8 bar.
Emily Carr is one of Canada’s best-known artists. Her life and work reflect a profound commitment to the land and peoples she knew and loved. Her sensitive evocations reveal an artist grappling with the spiritual questions that the Canadian landscape and culture inspired in her.
The Vancouver Art Gallery’s exhibition, Emily Carr: A Room Of Her Own, offers a glimpse into Carr’s world, showcasing her artworks and the spaces where she lived and created.
From June 1 to September 30, 2024, adults over the age of 19 will be able to bring and consume alcohol at select beaches in Vancouver between specific hours.
This year’s program builds on findings from last year’s pilot. Among the positive feedback, some challenges arose concerning disorderly behaviour at English Bay, and increased levels of garbage at beach sites including Kitsilano Beach.
To address these concerns, City Council approved the allocation of additional resources and funding towards this summer’s pilot. This year’s program will see funding for more VPD members and Park Rangers on beaches, including English Bay, and an expanded communications campaign focusing on responsible behaviour when drinking at the beach.
Beaches Where Alcohol Will Be Permitted
Between 11:00am and 9:00pm
Jericho Beach
Spanish Banks
Locarno Beach
Second Beach (Stanley Park)
Kitsilano Beach
John Hendry / Trout Lake Beach
New Brighton Beach
Beaches Where Alcohol Will Not Be Permitted
English Bay Beach
Sunset Beach Park
Third Beach (Stanley Park)
CRAB Park Beach
Beaches along the Fraser River
When consuming beverages in parks and beaches (alcoholic or not), do not bring any glass bottles or containers, and instead bring cans, reusable and/or plastic or paper-based containers.
Following this summer’s pilot relaunch, staff will review data and feedback to determine if legal alcohol consumption on Vancouver’s beaches can be rolled out in the future on a permanent basis, or if further analysis is needed.
