18 Best Performing Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia

You'll get a bit of everything at the Rio Theatre: Hollywood flicks, cult classics, as well as live entertainment like burlesque, comedy, and more. This is a real East Vancouver institution. When the building went up for sale in 2018, the community rallied together to raise more than $3 million to save the historic theater. There's also a bar and concession stand. (If you're hungry, order the grilled cheese.)

Innovative dances and timeless classics by internationally acclaimed choreographers are presented by Ballet British Columbia. Most performances are at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Hamilton Street. 

Children's theater is the focus here, with most performances across the street at the Waterfront Theatre, though some are elsewhere in the city.

This vast arts complex on the campus of the University of British Columbia includes a 1,200-seat concert hall, a theater, and a cinema.

Movie buffs will love these behind-the-scenes, 45- to 75-minute tours of how Vancouver morphs into incarnations featured in films including 50 Shades of Grey, Supernatural, Dead Pool, Flash, Ghost Protocol, and many others. Tours start at different Downtown points; all bookings are online.

Innovative theater and modern dance are showcased at this intimate Downtown space, set in a 1907 firehouse on the border of trendy Gastown and the Downtown East Side.

The Vancouver East Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance space set in a 1909 church. Usually just called "The Cultch," it hosts concerts, theater productions, dance shows, and more.

The hub for dance in British Columbia, this striking former bank building with an Art Deco facade hosts full-scale performances by national and international artists, informal showcases, and also classes and workshops. There are often informal noon performances as part of the Discover Dance! series.

In summer, family-friendly musicals like Mamma Mia!, Shrek, Mary Poppins, and 42nd Street are the main draw at Malkin Bowl, an outdoor amphitheater in Stanley Park. You can watch the show from the lawn and bring a picnic to make it dinner theater. Ask about the exchange insurance when buying tickets as plein-air shows happen rain or shine. If there's a downpour midshow, audience members are provided with ponchos—and chances are that the cast will applaud you for hanging in!

The resident company at the Orpheum Theatre presents classical and popular music. Some of their performances are at other city venues such as the Chan Centre in Point Grey.