The free two-day festival brings multicultural performances, family activities and neighbourhood exploration back to historic Chinatown on July 25 and 26
Up for a friendly scavenger hunt? Vancouver’s Chinatown Festival has you covered.
The 24th annual BMO Vancouver Chinatown Festival is back on the streets of Chinatown July 25 and 26, turning Keefer and Columbia streets into a free celebration of culture, food, art and community.
Organized by the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society (VCBIA), the annual event will draw visitors into one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods with multicultural performances, hands-on activities and local vendors with several new attractions this year.
This year’s Main Stage opens with a traditional Lion Dance before showcasing a diverse lineup that includes the B.C. Chinese Chamber Ensemble, Vancouver Okinawa Taiko, the George Nie Jazz Duo, the UBC Thunderbird Marching Band, the Canto Lounge Trio, the Vancouver Chinese Choir Association and weekend closer The Rain City 6.
Audiences are welcome to take part in stage activities to win four tickets to Cirque du Soleil, while dance performances includes Chinese cultural dance, Filipino folk dance, K-pop and hip-hop.
Additionally, the festival will also showcase Sichuan Face-Changing (“Bian Lian”) performances, which are ancient Sichuan Opera art wildly known for their speed of transforming masks.
Vancouver Chinatown Festival is ‘for visitors of every generation’
“The Vancouver Chinatown Festival is a lively, vibrant cultural celebration for visitors of every generation,” says VCBIA executive director Joey Kwan in a press release.
There’s also an extended Children’s Theatre offering interactive programming which includes Lion Dance and drumming workshops with Fluffy & Friends, face painting, T-shirt painting, origami, carnival games and appearances from Van Van the Panda.
The Cultural Zone features walking tours to explore Chinatown, Chinese painting, calligraphy demonstrations, lantern and fan-making workshops, giant Mahjong, henna art and mini massages. Meanwhile, the Artisans Market will once again showcase local makers and food vendors along Keefer Street.
People can also take part in the interactive “Where’s Van Van the Panda?” scavenger hunt by following @visitchinatown on Instagram for clues. Participants who complete the challenge through the Visit Chinatown app can redeem a free admission ticket to one of three Chinatown attractions: the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the Chinese Canadian Museum or the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.
“Whether you’ve been coming for years or it’s your first time, we just want you to show up and support Chinatown, have a great time, and feel the magic of our amazing community,” Kwan says.
From performances to browsing local vendors, the Vancouver Chinatown Festival is yet another reason to take a summer weekend trip to one of the most dynamic cultural districts in the city.
The 24th annual BMO Vancouver Chinatown Festival
When: July 25 and 26, 2026, noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Keefer and Columbia streets
Tickets: Free