Vancouver International Burlesque Festival unveils 2023 program, March 29 to April 2

Zyra Lee Vanity, Moscato Sky, and Vancouver-based Legend Lorna headline an inclusive live event

Zyra Lee Vanity, also known as Canada’s Urban Desire

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival runs from March 29 to April 2, online and at the Vancouver Playhouse

THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL Burlesque Festival has just unveiled a feathered-and-sequinned array of local and international guests for its big in-person event March 29 to April 2.

The weekend features two live evenings at the Vancouver Playhouse. Headliners include Seattle-based Moscato Sky, the first trans femme, nonbinary competitor in the Miss Exotic World category at the Burlesque Hall Of Fame Weekender; Zyra Lee Vanity, also known as Canada’s Urban Desire, an award-winning international burlesque entertainer based in Montreal; and Vancouver’s own Legend Lorna, a Las Vegas Burlesque Hall of Fame inductee who returned to the stage in 2022 at age 79.

The weekend will also feature a new virtual showcase, skill-based workshops, social happenings, and the educational, TED-talk-inspired “TIT Talks” series.

The 2023 event marks the first festival curated by VIBF’s new artistic director Androsia Wilde, Vancouver’s “Bahama Mama of Burlesque.” She’s focussed on amplifying BIPOC voices within the scene, and has participated in the formation of the all-BIPOC collective Diasporic Dynasty. This year’s lineup emphasizes visibility and inclusion across age ranges, body shapes and size, colour, abilities and disabilities, and the LGBTTTQQIAAP community.

Tickets for the two showcases are available now at vibf.ca.

Articles

Onibana Taiko pumps Japanese tradition full of riot grrrl aesthetics at the Powell Street Festival

Taiko artists Noriko Kobayashi and E. Kage reflect on punk-rock roots and gender expression

For soprano Magali Simard-Galdès, early music performance and sustainability work go hand in hand

Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival’s artist-in-residence interprets Bach, Schubert, and Mozart—and hosts a panel on how to bring environmentally sound practices to performing arts

Alexander Weimann plays “O Canada”–infused piano classics in True North Variations, July 27

Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival concert coincides with the release of a new CD

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 acts to get you moving at the Mission Folk Music Festival

Tio Chorinho and Flávia Nascimento’s vibrant Brazilian rhythms, Shpilkis’s brass-driven klezmer, Julian Taylor’s soulful voice, and more

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 happenings to check out at the Eastside Arts Festival’s all-day MacLean Park party

From an indie garage-pop concert by Twin River to a plant pot–decorating workshop, here are just a few of the free offerings in store

Theatre review: Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] takes pleasingly panicked tour of the Bard’s canon

As if haunted by centuries of hits and flops, the three figures in this Bard on the Beach comedy take jabs at the self-consciousness and shaky footing of being an actor

Manuel Axel Strain joins Vines Art Society as co-artistic director

Indigenous multidisciplinary artist will share responsibilities with founding artistic director Heather Lamoureux

Ahead of Eastside Arts Festival, Young Friend talks indie evolution and touring Canada

Vancouver-based Drew Tarves takes his music out of the bedroom and across the country

Folk Fest Artisan Market celebrates the handmade, from jewellery and soaps to fine prints and wizard hats, July 18 to 20

Over two dozen vendors are selling handmade wares at Jericho Beach Park during this year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival

At Mission Folk Music Festival, the Vaudevillian’s sassy duo turns back clock to golden age of hokum

Ontario-based aficionados of vintage gear and saucy slang bring Prohibition-era daring to this year’s event

Indigenous Australian musician Emily Wurramara finds strength and solace in ancestral sources

Ahead of her Vancouver Folk Music Festival sets, the award-winning singer-songwriter reflects on the power of performing in her Nation’s language and representing her community

The Dance Deck marks its 10th anniversary at the Eastside Arts Festival, starting July 19

Belle Spirale’s backyard shindig features performances by Action at a Distance’s Vanessa Goodman, Paper Rabbits collective, Ballet BC dancers, and more

Blazing sound of Bab L’Bluz opens portal to diverse African cultures

Headlining at this year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the electrifying Marrakesh-born outfit plugs in traditional instruments and rocks out

At the Eastside Arts Festival, 360 Riot Walk creates a new path through the site of a historic injustice

Multimedia artist Henry Tsang’s project allows Vancouverites to see how the city looked in 1907, when an act of anti-Asian violence occurred

Vines Art Festival announces 2025 lineup, ranging from outdoor storytelling to an exhibition opening

Free events will take place in seven Vancouver parks from August 6 to 16

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 picks from Fiona Black for Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Event’s artistic director recommends under-the-radar discoveries, from Tanzanian polyphony to a smashing trad Irish trio

A Punjabi play, an enlightening salon series, and more as Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts unveils 2025 lineup

This year’s event, on from August 7 to 17, also features a standup comedy show by YouTube star Manpreet Singh and all-ages dance workshops

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 top stops at the Khatsahlano Street Party

From legendary names in Vancouver’s music scene to ice-cold craft beers and a bangin’ kids stage, here are a few features to hit on West 4th Avenue on July 5

Theatre review: Two Gentlemen of Verona’s comic tale of romance and betrayal thrives on ’80s-era dazzle

In Bard on the Beach’s new production, retro pastels and power suits map surprisingly well onto the chaos of Shakespeare’s sometimes troublesome original

At Indian Summer Festival, Simran Sachar embodies her mother’s dancing with lightning-like presence

Waacking-infused world premiere co-created with Justine A. Chambers draws on a 1990 indie Bollywood film choreographed by Sachar’s mom

Stir Cheat Sheet: 3 ways to get your design on at West Coast Modern Week

An exhibit dedicated to Patkau Architects, a film about Arthur Erickson, and a jazz concert round out the celebration

U.K. saxophonist Nubya Garcia brings her ethereal sound to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, June 28

Audience members will hear tracks off her latest album Odyssey, which honours her reignited love for composing

For Vancouver’s Meltt, each new dream-pop confection is an opportunity to connect with a wider audience

Headliner at Khatsahlano Street Party’s Burrard Stage takes a decidedly modern approach to getting its music out into the world

Chan Centre unveils programming for ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl Come Toward the Fire festival, September 20 and 21

Expanded Indigenous celebration includes concerts by Northern Cree and Tia Wood, as well as a marketplace, films, and more

The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act chronicles silenced lives of heartbreak and hope

An extension of her national exhibition of the same name, Catherine Clement’s latest book shares individual experiences of Canada’s dark period of Chinese exclusion

Theatre review: Bard on the Beach opener Much Ado About Nothing mixes summery charm with updated reflections

With modernized touches and strong performances, this adaptation renews the wit and scheming of Shakespeare’s classic comedy

Astro Arts Festival set to bring celebration of murals and graffiti art back to Mount Pleasant

In the spirit of the cancelled Vancouver Mural Festival, a new creative hub announces its first block party August 8 to 10

Khatsahlano Street Party gears up for a spirited "Camp Khats"–themed festival on West 4th Avenue, July 5

Nostalgic activities planned for the 10-block music event include a Scavenger Hunt, a Donut Chomp Challenge, and so much more

Theatre Under the Stars music directors welcome the chance to work outdoors in Stanley Park

Sean Bayntun and Eliza De Castro sound off on bringing to life the bold characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legally Blonde: The Musical