Here are the top picks to check out this week.
Looking for some fun stuff to do heading into the Labour Day Long weekend?
While some minor showers are expected, the Metro Vancouver weather forecast looks mostly clear, with a mix of sun and cloud dominating the holiday.
Still, some events (or parts of them) take place indoors, meaning you won’t have to dodge raindrops to have a fun time.
I still haven’t made it out to the PNE, and I love a little summer fair fun. So, if you go, you might run into me. And I’ll most definitely be checking out the baby animals. One thing I won’t be checking out? The ultra-terrifying rides that whip people around like inanimate objects. (I’m looking at you, The Beast.)
There’s still time to check out one of the artists rounding out the final days of the 2026 fair, or you can see live music at Taiwanfest. Tame Impala is also playing a show.
This is also the last month you can enjoy the Richmond Night Market, possibly forever. So get out there while you still can!
Here are my picks for this week’s events. If I missed your event, yell at me! Just kidding. But please email me at [email protected], and I’ll be happy to take a look.
Metro Vancouver events
PNE Summer Concert Series (and PNE in general)
Whether you’re looking to see some Superdogs and eat some corn dogs, or you’d rather catch some thrilling rides and rock out to some tunes at the Summer Concert Series, this is your last week to do it.
The PNE kicked off on Aug. 22 and will continue through Labour Day Weekend on Sept. 7.
The PNE Summer Concert Series featured some big acts for the final week, including Weird Al Yankovic, Earth, Wind and Fire, the Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan.
If you’re lucky, you might even spot a celebrity or two on stage (besides the performers). The cast of Off Campus recently got on stage with The Beaches during their PNE concert.
When: Through Sept. 7, with concerts
Where: Concerts at the new Freedom Mobile Arch
Cost: Varies for select concerts. All guests: $7 for the fair by itself. Add-on ride passes start at $39 in advance
Tame Impala: The Deadbeat Tour
Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, a.k.a. Tame Impala, brings his psychedelic, catchy tunes to Rogers Arena this Saturday (Sept 5). The Australian musician writes all his own music, plays several instruments and mixes his tunes. (But plays with a full band on tour.)
The show is part of The Deadbeat tour, which will likely include some old bangers like “The Less I Know The Better,” as well as new singles like “Dracula.”
Dominic Fike is the opener, known for an impressive list of hits, including “Three Nights,” “Babydoll,” “White Keys,” and “Phone Numbers.” “Babydoll” has upwards of 1.7 billion streams on Spotify.
When: Saturday, Sept. 5
Where: Rogers Arena – 800 Griffiths Way
Cost: $121 to $441. Get tickets
Vancouver Long Weekend Boat Cruise
What’s a long weekend without a boat cruise? But in Vancouver, not every long weekend is exactly boat party weather.
But the September Labour Day long weekend is the final weekend of summer we can hope for great boating conditions. Sometimes, the weather doesn’t cooperate, but right now it looks like it will be mostly dry and sunny.
You can expect kind of a floating club atmosphere, but with way better views. There will be “DJs, rooftop dancing, drinks, city views and two completely different party atmospheres,” according to the event listing.
The top floor will be an “open-air dance floor,” and the bottom will have a “darker club atmosphere.”
There will be professional photography and a fully licensed bar.
When: Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m.
Where: Plaza of Nations – 760 Pacific Blvd.
Cost: $52.31 to $70.82. Buy tickets
After Dark: Science of Sleight – Magic Edition
It might seem antithetical, but it appears science and magic can coexist.
Science World brings those two worlds together on Sept. 2, with After Dark: Science of Sleight – Magic Edition.
Vancouver magicians Shawn Farquhar, Alex Zander and Billy Hsueh will lead the proceedings, with more than half a century of sorcery between them, plus TV appearances, awards and accolades out the wazoo.
When: Sept. 2 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Where: Science World – 1455 Quebec St.
Cost: $39.99. Get tickets
Taiwanfest takes place over three days during Labour Day weekend, commencing on Sept. 5. This year’s theme is “Islands in the Wind,” showcasing an intriguing mix of Canadian, Taiwanese and Scottish culture.
“Islands in the Wind reimagines the island not as a place of isolation, but as a site of movement — shaped continuously by currents of air, water, memory, and exchange. In this edition of TAIWANfest, we turn our attention to the unseen forces that connect rather than divide, asking how cultures travel, transform, and take root across distance,” according to the event listing.
In an author panel on Monday at the Annex, three writers will discuss how “Taiwanese and Taiwanese diasporic culture play into historical and crime fiction, a biography, and a family memoir.”
There will also be several live musical acts, an herbal incense sachet-making workshop and a Sashiko Coaster Workshop.
The festival also includes showcases of other cultures. For instance, in the workshop called “How does a vessel change the drinking experience?” participants discover how handmade porcelain vessels may change the experience.
There’s also a flamenco class,
When: Sept. 5 and 6, noon to 10 p.m., and Sept. 7, noon to 6 p.m. (at the art gallery)
Where: šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square – North of the Vancouver Art Gallery; Granville Street; Vancouver Playhouse; Annex; and the Vancouver Public Library – Central Branch
Cost: Free
Visitors to the Richmond Night Market, the largest in North America, are invited to travel to “iconic landmarks” starting later this month.
This year’s theme is “Little Wonder World” with replicas of global landmarks, 500 international food dishes, shopping and games.
To celebrate Vancouver’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026, the night market will include a new giant soccer-themed display.
When: Daily until Sept. 20. Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to midnight and Sundays and statutory holidays from 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: 2431 Number 3 Rd., Richmond
Cost: $7. Kids under seven and seniors are free. Get tickets