Must-see entertainment in British Columbia & The Canadian Rockies

  • Commodore Ballroom

    Vancouver

    Local bands know they've made it when they play Vancouver's best mid-sized venue, a restored art-deco ballroom that still has the city's bounciest dance…

  • Rio Theatre

    Vancouver

    A huge public fundraising campaign in 2018 saved this beloved theater and cinema venue from possible redevelopment, proving just how important it's become…

  • Cinematheque

    Vancouver

    This beloved cinema operates like an ongoing film festival with a daily-changing program of movies. A $3 annual membership is required – organize it at…

  • Biltmore Cabaret

    Vancouver

    One of Vancouver's favorite alt venues, the intimate Biltmore is a firm fixture on the local indie scene. A low-ceilinged, good-vibe spot to mosh to local…

  • Bard on the Beach

    Vancouver

    Watching Shakespeare performed while the sun sets over the mountains beyond the tented main stage is a Vancouver summertime highlight. There are usually…

  • Theatre Under the Stars

    Vancouver

    The charming Malkin Bowl provides an atmospheric alfresco stage for the summertime TUTS season, usually featuring two interchanging Broadway musicals. It…

  • Vancity Theatre

    Vancouver

    The state-of-the-art headquarters of the Vancouver International Film Festival screens a wide array of movies throughout the year in the kind of…

  • Orpheum Theatre

    Vancouver

    Opened in 1927, Vancouver's grandest old-school theater has a gorgeous and beautifully maintained baroque interior, making it the perfect place to catch a…

  • Banff Centre

    Banff Town

    Perched on the side of Tunnel Mountain, Banff’s flagship arts venue hosts a varied program of concerts, lectures, exhibitions and events throughout the…

  • Ironwood Stage & Grill

    Calgary

    Cross over into the hip universe of Inglewood to find the grassroots of Calgary's music scene, here inside the Garry Theatre. Local bands alternate with…

  • Vancouver Whitecaps

    Vancouver

    Using BC Place Stadium as its home, Vancouver's professional soccer team plays in North America's top-tier Major League Soccer (MLS). Their on-field…

  • BMO Theatre Centre

    Vancouver

    The studio venue of the city's Arts Club theater empire hosts more challenging and intimate productions in a space that's cleverly and sometimes…

  • Garneau Theatre

    Edmonton

    Edmonton's only surviving art deco–era cinema has operated under various guises since 1940, changing hands most recently in 2011. It's filled with vintage…

  • Princess Theatre

    Edmonton

    The Princess is a grand old theater that defiantly sticks her middle finger up at the multiplexes that are dominant elsewhere. Dating from the pre-talkie…

  • Broken City Social Club

    Calgary

    There's something on stage here most nights – everything from jazz jams to hip-hop, along with comedy and quiz nights. The rooftop patio is ace in the…

  • Calgary Flames

    Calgary

    Archrival of the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames play ice hockey from October to April at the Saddledome. Make sure you wear red to the game and head…

  • Plaza Theatre

    Calgary

    Built in the 1920s as a garage but turned into a theater during the 1930s depression, the Plaza is the last operating neighborhood theater in Calgary…

  • Blues on Whyte

    Edmonton

    This is the sort of place your mother warned you about: dirty, rough, but still somehow cool. It's a great place to check out some live music; blues and…

  • Arts Club Theatre Company

    Vancouver

    Vancouver's largest, most popular and most prolific theater company, the Arts Club stages shows at three venues around the city. A new artistic director…

  • Fresh Air Cinema

    Vancouver

    Screening outdoor, admission-free movies at venues around Metro Vancouver every summer, the company's Stanley Park events often draw thousands of blanket…

  • Kelowna Rockets

    Kelowna

    The much-beloved local WHL hockey team is a perennial contender, playing in the 6000-seat stadium Prospera Place. Home games see the local pubs fill…

  • Loose Moose Theatre Company

    Calgary

    Guaranteed to be a fun night out, Loose Moose has digs near the Inglewood neighborhood. It specializes in improv comedy and, at times, audience…

  • New Varscona Theatre

    Edmonton

    There are only 176 precious seats at the Varscona, a cornerstone of the Old Strathcona theater district that puts on 350 performances annually of edgy…

  • Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

    Vancouver

    The city's orchestra plays classical and popular music concerts (think movie music) around the city and beyond. Venues range from the palatial Orpheum…

  • Globe Cinema

    Calgary

    This art-house theater specializes in foreign films and Canadian cinema – both often hard to find in mainstream movie houses. Look for discounts on…

  • Arts Commons

    Calgary

    This is the hub for live theater in Calgary. With four theaters and one of the best concert halls in North America, you can see everything from ballet to…

  • Roxy Theatre

    Edmonton

    This theater opened after Theatre Network's beloved 1940s Roxy theater burned down. Nevertheless, it keeps things eclectic, showing burlesque, live bands…

  • Belfry Theatre

    Victoria

    The celebrated Belfry Theatre showcases contemporary plays in its lovely former church-building venue, a 20-minute stroll from downtown.

  • Vic Theatre

    Victoria

    Screening art-house and festival movies in the heart of downtown, the Vic charges a $2 membership alongside your ticket admission.

  • Exterior of the Granville Island Stage theatre

    Granville Island Stage

    Vancouver

    The Granville Island arm of Vancouver's leading theater company, this intimate, raked-seating venue is the perfect spot to feel really connected to the…

  • Cultch

    Vancouver

    This once-abandoned church has been a gathering place for performers and audiences since being officially designated a cultural space in 1973. Following…

  • Carousel Theatre

    Vancouver

    Mostly performing at Granville Island's Waterfront Theatre, with some shows at the alternate Performance Works space nearby, this child-focused drama…

  • Vancouver Theatresports

    Vancouver

    The city's most popular improv group stages energetic romps – sometimes connected to themes like Tinder dating – at this purpose-built theater. Whatever…

  • ANZA Club

    Vancouver

    This yellow-painted, wood-built community hall – which has the look of a worker's club without the edge – is popular with local cool kids as well as old…

  • BC Lions

    Vancouver

    Founded in 1954, the Lions are Vancouver's team in the Canadian Football League (CFL), which is arguably more exciting than its US counterpart, the NFL…

  • Vancouver Canucks

    Vancouver

    Recent years haven't been hugely successful for Vancouver's National Hockey League (NHL) team, which means it's sometimes easy to snag tickets to a game…

  • Cineplex Fifth Avenue Cinemas

    Vancouver

    Kitsilano's biggest movie house, popular Fifth Avenue screens indie films, foreign flicks and blockbuster Hollywood schlock (those locals might look like…

  • Vogue Theatre

    Vancouver

    A 1940s heritage venue – check out the retro art-deco figure perched on top of the streamlined exterior – the Vogue was bought and refurbished a few years…

  • Malkin Bowl

    Vancouver

    Formerly just a summertime venue for musicals, this smashing Stanley Park stage has become an increasingly popular spot for alfresco live music. Elvis…

  • Vancouver Poetry Slam

    Vancouver

    If you thought poetry was a tweedy, soporific experience, check out the weekly events organized by the Vancouver Poetry House at Cafe Deux Soleils for a…