Designated a quiet beach Sunset is a less populated jewel of a sandy spit close to the West End and the new Downtown South/Yaletown neighbourhoods. Positioned at the mouth of False Creek where once 13 beehive sawdust burners belied the industrial sawmill operations of the fledgling city, Sunset's waters have been reclaimed for safe swimming. Well behaved dogs will find an off-leash area to the south of the nearby Vancouver Aquatic Centre, Vancouver's Olympic size natatorium which replaced the city's first such facility, Crystal Pool, demolished in 1974.
First Beach Located between Thurlow and Bute streets, this is the downtown core's most populated beach attractive to people of all ages. Vancouver's first self-proclaimed lifeguard, Joe Fortes, resided here in a beachside shack just after the turn of the 20th Century, protecting and teaching the beginning swimmer. The present bathhouse built in 1932 replaced an earlier more ornate structure put up in the early 1900s. Many private homes and hotels once blocked access to English Bay before the Park Board made it a long-term objective to purchase private properties and remove any obstacle for the public's enjoyment of the waterfront.
Second Beach To the west of Stanley Park, overlooking English Bay and always a favourite with Vancouver pioneers, in the 1880s this was the beach to go to for church social, family groups and of course, to cool off. This was also the site of the city's first draw & fill pool; an outer concrete wall with huge locking gates, captured the water at high tide. After a few days the water was warmer and made for lovely swimming. At the end of each week the pool gates were opened at low tide releasing the week's supply sort of water and making ready for the next high tide of clean, cool water. In 1995 the old pool, which failed to meet new health standards, was replaced by a new, graduated depth, heated pool. It is a beautiful facility attracting length swimmers, casual dippers and children alike.
Third Beach One of Vancouver's naturally sandy beaches located far from the madding crowd yet so close to the downtown core. Stanley Park's forest looms behind this nearly hidden treasure of a spot shielding dippers and tanners from urban noise. Great spot for quiet bathing, picnic suppers and sunsets.
Home to some of the best electronic music in Vancouver, The Red Room Niteclub is a spacious venue holding hundreds of party people focused on the stage. With the dance floor in the middle, sunken down 2 feet, dancers look up to the stage where big name DJ's regularly make their appearance. The venue is also the city's best for watching live acts perform, and we also hold many special events to raise funds for various causes. On Saturday nights we put on the hottest Club night in town.
From Monday to Thursday, VENUE will host live shows, featuring anything from import indie rock to electric and everything in-between. On Friday and Saturdays, Vancouver's top alternative Djs will send the dance floor into a frenzy, keeping the skinny jeans, slip-ons and vintage Chanel happy all night long with pop, rock and retro originals, and bass heavy electro remixes. On Sundays, let loose as Blueprint delivers Youngblood, a weekly electro-rave party with top local and international DJs.
VENUE boasts a 12,000 square foot, 500 person, two-level room that is engineered for entertainment. It features glam rock inspired interior, plush velvet booths and walls covered in LED lighting. The dance floor holds more than half the club's capacity, jamming the room with raw energy, while the upstairs wrap-around balcony is an ideal spot to catch your breath and wait for your second wind . If you come for the show, be prepared for an intimately intense experience, with great sight lines from the main floor to the mezzanine.
For 75 years, the Commodore Ballroom has been synonymous with Vancouver's entertainment and nightlife scenes. Talking Heads, Tina Turner, Dire Straits, Dizzy Gillespie, The Beastie Boys, Kiss, Nirvana, The Police, Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre, The Clash, Emmylou Harris and Paul Oakenfold are just a sampling of an unprecedented string of national & international touring acts to have played the Commodore Ballroom.
With a $3.5 million dollar renovation completed in November 1999, the Commodore Ballroom has been brought into the millennium for a new generation of concertgoers. Winner of countless awards, the Commodore Ballroom, with its legendary sprung dance-floor, continues to be the premiere concert hall in Canada.
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society, incorporated in 1981, is a non-profit organization originally built to enhance the bridge of understanding between Chinese and Western cultures using the time honoured pinciples and techniques of the original Ming Dynasty gardens. Fifty-two master craftsmen from Suzhou China, working with Canadian counterparts, helped make the garden a reality with funding from the Chinese government, different levels of the Canadian government, private individuals, and corporations.
Stanley Park is recognized around the globe as one of the great parks of the world! Vancouver's first park and one of the city's main tourist attractions, Stanley Park is an evergreen oasis of 400 hectares (1,000 acres) close to the downtown core. Its natural west coast atmosphere offering a back drop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees embraces visitors and transports them to an environment rich in tranquility. The park abounds in wildlife and its features appeal to the naturalist, the plant lover or one who would do nothing more than relax in beautiful surroundings.
Stanley Park hosts many arts events. During the summer, you can "dance at dusk" at Ceperley Meadow, see local artists' work at Painters' Circle, and enjoy outdoor theatre with Theatre Under the Stars at Malkin Bowl. The Park can be enjoyed by all ages. Family attractions in the park include the Children's Farmyard and Miniature Train, Vancouver Aquarium, picnic sites, playgrounds, and aquatic fun at the beaches, the Second Beach Pool, or the water park at Lumbermen's Arch. Beautiful horticultural displays can be found throughout the park. Don't miss the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron garden, perennial and rose gardens, the Prospect Point carpet bedding, the Community Garden near Lost Lagoon, and ornamental plantings around the Parks administration offices at the Beach Avenue entrance to the park. World famous landmarks in the park include Lost Lagoon, Siwash Rock, Prospect Point, Beaver Lake, totem poles, the Nine O'Clock Gun, various monuments and sculptures, and the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) seawall which encircles the entire park. The large urban forest in Stanley Park is criss-crossed with trails providing access to second-growth forest, beaches and rocky seashore, and wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, magestic eagles and herons.
David Lam Park is a stunning downtown park with an intricate mix of active and passive recreation opportunities, all with views of False Creek and Yaletown. Sports fields, courts and playgrounds are sheltered by lush plantings and trees. The large open lawn at David Lam Park is perfect for kite flying, resting in the sunshine, or hosting an outdoor festival. David Lam Park is also home to several intriguing sculptures nestled along the waterfront. This park was named in 1995 for British Columbia Lt. Governor David Lam.
At the edge of fashion in the heart of downtown, Pacific Centre is Vancouver’s premier shopping destination featuring: Holt Renfrew with its upscale selections such as Prada, Armani and Chanel; Harry Rosen, an upscale mens department store renowned for high quality brands; MaxMara, an Italian fashion house known for it's ready-to-wear clothing; Hugo Boss, which covers all the main fashion areas for women and men; and other high end stores including Hollister, Sephora, Apple, Coach, Browns Shoes, Coast Mountain/Sport Chek, the Four Seasons Hotel and so much more.
Sinclair Centre is an upscale shopping mall located in Downtown Vancouver at 757 West Hastings Street between Granville and Howe. The centre is comprised of four buildings, originally built between 1910 and 1937, that were restored by Henriquez Partners Architects and joined together by a glass atrium roof in 1986, at a cost of $38 million. It is now a striking retail centre housng such ultra-luxe stores like Escada, L2, Castle Milano and Leone
The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts is regarded as one of the premiere entertainment facilities in the city. Internationally acclaimed architect, Moshe Safdie, created The Centre with the same contemporary vision used in its companion building Library Square. These state-of-the-art structures compliment Vancouver in both style and beauty. Together with the nearby Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Vancouver Public Library, BC Place Stadium, and GM Place to the east, The Centre is a vital part of Vancouver's cultural and entertainment district.
Come join BalletBC for an evening of inspired dance, as we step forward into a new era with principal guest artists from the National Ballet of Canada and a World Premiere by new interim Artistic Director Emily Molnar, danced by BalletBC. An evening of dance to remember! Our desire is to re-engage the trust and passion of our loyal audience, who continue to recognize the importance of exceptional dance in Vancouver and in Canada.
Welcome to the Playhouse Theatre Company! We have an exciting season of mainstage productions lined up this year to celebrate our 47th season as British Columbia's premier professional theatre company.
Your one-stop shop to find out every salient detail you'll ever need to know about the Playhouse. Company history, how to rent rehearsal space, links to other theatre companies in the community...it's all here.
Originally opened on November 7, 1927 as a vaudeville house, the Orpheum was the largest and most opulent theatre on the Pacific Coast. The City of Vancouver purchased the theatre on March 19, 1974 and undertook a complete restoration of the theatre's interior. The Orpheum re-opened on April 2, 1977 as the permanent home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and a restored concert hall that hosts a variety of pop, classical, choral and chamber recitals. It is also an ideal venue for concert recordings, conference sessions, seminars and film shoots.
Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is one of the largest ‘soft seat’ houses in Canada, accommodating 2,576 patrons. Modern and spacious, it has played host to some of the biggest shows and stars in the entertainment industry. Vancouver Opera and Ballet British Columbia are the resident companies of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
