EVENTS
Ships to Shore: Kaiwo Maru
The City of Richmond is proud to present Ships to Shore: Kaiwo Maru at Garry Point Park from May 2–3, 2026. This free, family-friendly festival invites visitors to enjoy a unique cultural and maritime experience as the world-renowned Kaiwo Maru docks at Steveston’s historic waterfront. One of the largest tall ships in the world, the Kaiwo Maru is 361-feet-long and 182-feet-high, boasting 36 sails that total 30,000 feet. The vessel will embark on a month-long voyage across the Pacific Ocean from its home in Yokohama, Japan, to arrive in Richmond this spring for the first time since 2017. A limited number of tickets are available for nautical enthusiasts to board and explore the ship, which can also be viewed from the boardwalk, where interpretive panels will be installed. In Garry Point Park, festivalgoers can enjoy live performances on three stages, hands-on workshops featuring traditional Japanese arts and crafts, watch kites sail the skies, and delight in delicious multicultural fare from food trucks.
(Garry Point Park, 12011 Seventh Ave, Richmond, BC V7E 4X2, May. 2–3)
Jazz On A Beam Of Light
Classic film scholar and musical hepcat Michael van den Bos hosts a rhythmic retrospective revue of all that jazz in the movies. From the hot ’n’ swinging to the cool ’n’ mellow, he takes you on a jump ’n’ jive journey through the many styles and representations of jazz on film, featuring vintage performance clips by some of the most important names in jazz history, from Louis Armstrong to Fats Waller and more, all projected on the big screen. In the lively lingo of Cab Calloway, you’ll reap this righteous riff, bop bop!
(Massey Theatre / Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces, 735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster, BC, May 7)
The Big Roar
The Big Roar takes the Chan Centre stage, louder and grander than ever before. These concerts offer something for everyone, from the polished close harmonies of nine voices to the thrilling sound of 350 singers. Featuring The Leonids, Chor Leoni, youth choirs, emerging artists, and leading high school ensembles, this program showcases the next generation of choral talent in a dynamic and uplifting performance.
(Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, May 8–9)
Choral Threads – Tapestry International Festival 2026
Elektra opens Tapestry International Festival with Choral Threads, a free with RSVP evening featuring four leading adult treble choirs: Elektra, La Caccina, Peninsula Women’s Chorus, and The Aeolian Singers. Seating is limited for this rare international gathering of voices.
(Pacific Spirit United Church, 2195 W 45th Ave, May. 8)
A Voynich Manifesto
An immersive, collaborative audiovisual performance, A Voynich Manifesto takes inspiration from a mysterious medieval manuscript written in an unknown language that describes and visualizes plants and star charts unknown to us on Earth. Exploring themes of indecipherability and hidden meanings, shadow theatre duo Mind of a Snail, alongside vocalists SJ Kirsch and Viviane Houle, create a layered performance in collaboration with curator Terri Hron.
(ANNEX, 823 Seymour St, May 9)
Tapestry Celebration Concert
Elektra’s Tapestry Celebration Concert brings together four leading adult treble choirs from Vancouver, Chicago, California, and Halifax for a powerful festival finale at Christ Church Cathedral, including a massed-choir performance with over 130 voices.
(Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St, May. 9)
Trio Harmonie: From Vienna to Vermont
Experience an unforgettable concert with three captivating musicians as Trio Harmonie takes us on an international musical journey through rhythm, storytelling & dance, featuring works by Beethoven, Rota & Walker. Trio Harmonie is comprised of some of Vancouver's finest musicians; cellist Heather Hay, clarinetist Michelle Anderson & pianist Rosemary O'Connor. Presented by West Vancouver Community Arts Council.
(Silk Purse Arts Centre, 1570 Argyle Ave., May 12)
Music in the Morning presents the Viano Quartet Happy Hour
Unwind from the work week with a drink and engaging conversation, then be transported by sounds both familiar and otherworldly. Our Happy Hour concerts turn an average Wednesday into something special. Tickets are $30 and include one complimentary drink. Bar opens at 5:00 pm, with the performance running from 6:00 to 6:45 pm.
(Pyatt Hall, 843 Seymour Street, May 13, 2026)
Music in the Morning presents the Viano Quartet
As MitM’s June Goldsmith Quartet-in-Residence, the Viano Quartet is carving out a place among the world’s finest young ensembles. Winner of the prestigious 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Viano Quartet is the Bowers resident string quartet of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and first-prize winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition. Praised for their fearless interpretations, they bring fresh energy and breathtaking artistry to everything they play. This performance will showcase their signature blend of passion, precision, and camaraderie, presenting Mendelssohn’s Capriccio, George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, and Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 59, No. 1.
(Vancouver Academy of Music, 1270 Chestnut St.; Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St., May 13–16, 2026)
Music in the Morning presents the Viano Quartet & James Campbell
What happens when one of the world’s top clarinetists joins forces with one of the most exciting young quartets? James Campbell, an icon of Canadian classical music, brings his warmth, lyricism, and impeccable technique to Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet—a masterpiece of luminous and expressive chamber music. Known to long-time MitM subscribers, Jim unearths treasures from his lifetime journey of collaborating with a long list of string quartets, including the Amadeus, Guarneri, Vermeer, St. Lawrence, Afiara, and Cecilia String Quartets. With the Viano Quartet providing their signature artistry and deep musicality, this concert will celebrate their rich collaboration over a fifty-year age gap.
(Vancouver Academy of Music, 1270 Chestnut St.; Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St., May 20–23, 2026)
Vancouver Youth Choir presents Village
Vancouver Youth Choir presents Village, a large-scale choral concert celebrating family, community, and togetherness at the Orpheum on May 24, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Featuring 600 singers aged 8–24, the program includes world premieres and new works in multiple languages, including pieces by Innu composer Alex Vollant and Luke Wallace. The repertoire reflects cultural diversity through music in French, Irish Gaelic, Spanish, Mandarin, Cree, and more. The evening highlights the choir’s largest production to date.
(The Orpheum, 601 Smithe St, Vancouver, May 24, 2026, 6:30 p.m.)
A Cappella Playground with A Cappella Legends The Real Group, Vancity Harmony, Magee Chamber Choir and Lord Byng Chamber Choir
Come play! SING! Vancouver invites audiences to experience the thrill of world-class vocal music with A Cappella Playground, an unforgettable celebration of a cappella featuring legendary Swedish vocal group The Real Group. For more than four decades, The Real Group has set the global standard for a cappella performance. Known for their dazzling precision, innovative arrangements, and signature blend of jazz, pop, and Nordic choral traditions, the quintet creates a rich, vibrant sound using nothing but the human voice. Each performance will showcase a special guest appearance from a local school music program, highlighting the next generation of talented young singers and celebrating the vibrant vocal music community in Vancouver. Whether you are a lifelong fan of vocal music or discovering a cappella for the first time, A Cappella Playground promises an evening of energy, artistry, and pure musical joy.
(Magee Secondary School, Jun. 6)
Trolley Days: Heritage in Motion
A brand new performing arts festival for 2026! Trolley Days: Heritage in Motion is a brand-new outdoor performance festival hosted by North Van Arts, celebrating the layered and diverse history of the North Shore. Festival-goers are invited to join at Shipbuilders Square to explore the stories, cultures, and creative expressions that have shaped the community over time, with performances, Indigenous showcases, family-friendly crafts, and heritage-style trolley tours.
(Shipbuilder’s Square, 19 Wallace Mews, North Vancouver, June 6–7)
VSO School of Music International Young Artists Festival 2026
The VSO School of Music International Young Artists Festival is a new international summer program focused on artistic excellence, mentorship, and the development of young classical musicians. It brings together outstanding pianists and string players from around the world for a week of masterclasses, chamber music, orchestral training, and public performances led by internationally recognized faculty, alongside youth and amateur orchestra experiences and a music camp for younger participants.
(VSO School of Music, 843 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC V6B 3L4, Aug. 10–15, 2026)
