Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) 2026 Summer Line-up

When & Where July 3 - August 22, 2026 | Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl, Vancouver

Sister Act

Based on the 1992 hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act follows aspiring disco diva Deloris Van Cartier who is rushed into witness protection at a nearby convent, after she stumbles upon a shooting involving her gangster boyfriend. Under the guise of her new persona as Sister Mary Clarence, Deloris is tasked with taking over the flailing choir. Her tenacious energy and undeniable talent helps turn the choir into a regional sensation–encouraging her sisters to find their inner light, and ultimately rediscovering the strength of her own.

The Little Mermaid

Disney's The Little Mermaid is based on the classic animated film from 1989. The beloved tale follows Ariel, a curious, young mermaid who dreams of a world above the sea. After saving the life of Prince Eric following a disastrous shipwreck, Ariel strikes a dangerous bargain with the conniving sea witch, Ursula, exchanging her voice for a chance to be human. With the support of her loyal sea friends–Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle–Ariel sets out to win Eric's heart and break the curse with a true love's kiss before it's too late.

Tickets: TUTS offers its two-show subscription pack – allowing audiences to secure their seats to both productions for one great price – on sale now through May 7, 2026. Subscriptions are $99 for adults and $69 for youth ages 5-12, and include premium tickets to both productions, souvenir programs, and exchange insurance for both nights.

Subscriptions are available by visiting tuts.ca or by calling 1-800-514-3849 until May 7, 2026. Early bird single tickets, from $35, will be on sale from May 19 - June 20, 2026.

Photo credit: Shawn Bukhari

37th Season of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

When & Where June 9 – September 19, 2026 | Senakw/ Vanier Park, Vancouver

The Festival’s 37th Season features a blend of Shakespearean comedy and tragedy with two unique adaptations of Greek classics. “We are thrilled to bring together the work of Shakespeare and Sophocles for an unforgettable season at Bard on the Beach,” said Founding Artistic Director Christopher Gaze.

THE PLAYS:

On the BMO Mainstage it’s a laugh-out-loud, music-filled production of The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Rebecca Northan and adapted by Bruce Horak with Rebecca Northan. Set in and around the community athletic centre of a (fictional) Vancouver suburb seriously obsessed with soccer, this production guarantees laughter, mischief, and merriment as the roguish John Falstaff sets out to woo two married women in hopes of stealing their fortunes. It will play in repertory with the tragic tale of Macbeth. Adapted and directed by Stephen Drover, this thrilling exploration of fate, desire, and downfall will use stark design and stylized visuals to heighten themes of power and paranoia drawing audiences deep into a world that is as haunting as it is unforgettable. BMO Mainstage productions run from June 9 to September 19.

The Douglas Campbell Theatre will host two unique adaptations of classical Greek works. Directed by Ming Hudson, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy Antigone is reimagined in a bold new adaptation by local playwright Kate Besworth created for a contemporary audience. Exploring themes of resistance, voice, and generational reckoning, Antigone is raw, timely, and emotionally potent, offering a story as relevant now as it was in ancient Greece.

The Goblins return to Bard on the Beach for the first time since 2023’s wildly popular Goblin:Macbeth with their riotous reinvention, Goblin:Oedipus. Wug, Kragva, and Moog bring their chaotic curiosity and hilarious audience interaction to a fresh retelling of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, adapted by John Murrell. Douglas Campbell Theatre productions run from June 30 to September 19, 2026.

Tickets: Starting at $30 and available to purchase as of April 8th, 2026. Available at https://bardonthebeach.org

Photo credit: Sarah Race Photography

Susan Aglukark & PIQSIQ

When & Where April 12, 2026 at 7:30pm | Chan Shun Concert Hall, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver

For one night only, two of Canada's most compelling and groundbreaking Inuit artists share the Chan Shun Concert Hall stage: legendary singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark and acclaimed throat-singing duo PIQSIQ. Together, they offer Vancouver audiences a rare and immersive journey into the haunting beauty, resilience, and creative power of Inuit culture.

Susan Aglukark is nothing short of a Canadian icon. The first Inuk artist to ever win a JUNO Award, this April 12 concert marks the 30th anniversary of her landmark album This Child — a record that changed the landscape of Indigenous music in this country. An Officer of the Order of Canada, a Governor General's Performing Arts Award recipient, and the author of a newly released memoir Kihiani (2025), Aglukark's presence on any stage is a privilege. This is not simply a concert — it is a celebration of a remarkable life in art and advocacy.

Tickets: General tickets starting at $69 (Indigenous Pricing: $34.50; Student Pricing: $30). Available to purchase at https://chancentre.com/events/susan-aglukark-and-piqsiq/

Photo credit: PIQSIQ. Photo by Inuksuk Mackay

Australia’s Stephanie Lake Company,
DanceHouse and Vancouver New Music
Manifesto

When & Where April 16 – 18, 2026 @ 8pm | Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street

Manifesto, called bright, bold and explosive celebrates timing and choreography with nine dancers and nine drummers. A percussion driven program that incorporates many dance disciplines. Stephanie Lake, choreographer and Robin Fox, experimental music composer, have created a piece inspired by the primal connection between drumming and dance, a connection that is celebrated within many world cultures. Billed as an exciting evening of intense and complicated rhythms. An evening of awe inspiring dance. An evening not to be missed.

Tickets from $40.75; Box Office: dancehouse.ca or call 604-801-6225

Royal City Music Theatre
SHREK THE MUSICAL

When & Where April 17 – May 3, 2026 | The Massey Theatre, New Westminster

Hailed as "a triumph of comic imagination with a heart as big and warm as Santa's" (USA Today), Shrek The Musical made its Broadway debut in December 2008, earning 12 Drama Desk Award nominations, eight Tony Award nominations, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

Based on the 2001 animated film, the musical follows the beloved characters Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona on a heartwarming journey of self-acceptance and inclusivity. Bursting with family-friendly fun, the visually spectacular musical is packed with hilarious adventure, dazzling costumes, and larger-than-life characters.

Tickets: Starting at $38.50. Available at https://royalcitymusicaltheatre.com/shrek-the-musical

Photo credit: Reznek Creative; Matt Reznek

Opera Unbound
THE FOX

When and Where April 17 & 18, 2026 at 7:30 pm ; April 19, 2026 at 2:30 pm | ANNEX, 823 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Based on D.H. Lawrence's 1922 novella of the same name, Shankaruk's opera is an intense, genre-defying examination of the nuanced relationships and power dynamics of its characters–two women who run an isolated poultry farm and the charming young soldier who comes to stay.

An unsettling psychological study of power and sexuality, The Fox has been adapted into an award-winning 1967 film, as well as theatrical plays. This is the first time Lawrence's novella has been adapted into a contemporary opera.

Shankaruk was incredibly moved and inspired upon reading The Fox and was eager to translate it for the operatic stage, not just because of its surreal, dream-like drama and thrilling narrative, but also because of the story's representation of diverse sexualities, which is still an uncommon narrative element in opera today.

Tickets: $40. Available at https://www.operaunbound.com/the-fox

Photo credit: Jessica Wynn Cole

Ballet Vancouver
After the Rain and Other Works

When and Where 23 - 25 April @7:30 pm | Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street

Ballet Vancouver, Vancouver’s newest professional ballet company presents its inaugural program at the Vancouver Playhouse. In announcing the formation of Ballet Vancouver Joshua Beamish, the artisticdirector stated that this new company was formed to revitalize Vancouver’s access to professional, classical, neoclassical and narrative ballet en pointe.

After the Rain and Other Works is an exciting program offering the world premiere of Beamish’s Winterbourne co-created with Gitxsan fashion designer Yolanda Skelton. On this inaugural program is Royal Ballet’s artistic associate, Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain which was commissioned by NewYork City Ballet and has travelled throughout the world. It will be Vancouver’s first opportunity to viewthis work. Added to this exciting program is Vancouver’s acclaimed choreographer Wen Wei Wang’s work Swan. Wang has a valued history in the Vancouver dance scene. Vancouver audiences will also be treated to Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Redemption. Ochoa is an award winning choreographer who has created many works. After the Rain and Other Works offers an exciting international program that befits Ballet Vancouver’s inaugural performance. If you love dance, After the Rain and Other Works is a must see.

There will be pre-show talks before each performance in the upper lobby at 6:45pm.
See Ballet Vancouver website for the speakers for each pre-talk.

Tickets from $44.00, Student groups from $25.00. Box Office: balletvancouver.com

Salish Sea Early Music Festival
TELEMANN PARIS QUARTETS

When and Where April 24, 2026 | 7 pm. at St. Mary's Kerrisdale, 2490 West 37th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Featured performers David Greenberg baroque violin Susie Napper viola da gamba Elisabeth Wright harpsichord Jeffrey Cohan baroque flute

Telemann composed his 12 brilliant “Paris Quartets” in Hamburg and then Paris in response to a request in 1730 from the most famous Parisian flute, violin and cello virtuosi which resulted in his most significant journey away from home during his lifetime. This year we present four new quartets, to include a selection from each of his four sets of quartets in sonata, suite and concerto format.

Tickets by donation. 18 and under free. More information at Salish Sea Early Music Festival

Homin Choir

When and Where May 7 at 7.00pm | Massey Theatre, New Westminster

For one night only, the charismatic Ukrainian choir Homin, led by conductor Vadym Yatsenko, shares the Massey Theatre stage with Vancouver audiences as part of their North American Tour 2026. With their incredible voices and boundless energy, they offer a rare and immersive journey into the haunting beauty, resilience, and creative power of Ukrainian choral music.

Homin is celebrated internationally for dynamic performances that blend traditional folk elements with contemporary arrangements by composers such as Volodymyr Ivasyuk and other Ukrainian masters. This special evening promises rich harmonies, infectious charisma, and songs that unite generations in a heartfelt celebration of culture, joy, and unity-an unforgettable night of choral artistry not to be missed.

Tickets Available to purchase at https://ticketsnw.ticketpro.ca

Looking ahead

Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème

When and Where April 25, 30 & May 2 at 7.30pm + April 26 & May 3 at 2pm | Queen Elizabeth Theatre

The 2025–2026 season closes with one of opera’s most enduring love stories, set in the world’s most romantic city, rendered with the most vibrant characters and melodies. Puccini’s masterpiece transports us to the heart of 1830s bohemian life in Paris, where love blossoms amidst dreams, hardships, and the unyielding pursuit of artistic freedom.

Tickets purchase tickets online at: www.vancouveropera.ca/

ONGOING

United Players
Network adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, based on the film by Paddy Chayefsky

When and Where 20 March - 12 April, 2026 | Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St.
Vancouver

Director Kathleen Duborg Set design and props Emily Dotson Costume design Julie White Lighting design Mark Carter Sound design Hannah Patrice Hannah Patrice Film sequence director Missy Cross

Cast: Howard Beale David Marr William Luc Roderique Temple Jakobe Jenkins

Howard Beale, a veteran news anchor has a public breakdown on live television. His ranting broadcast unexpectedly becomes a huge ratings success, transforming him into a populist prophet and the network into a ratings powerhouse. The formidable Diana and her team of producers foresee the future and intend to seize power-at any cost.

Satirizing the corrupting influence of media conglomerates, where profit margins dictate content and the lines between news and entertainment blur, the1976 film by Paddy Chayefsky dominated the Academy Awards and was a prophetic masterpiece. This new, acclaimed stage adaptation remains a potent and provocative work of art as the world grapples with truth, authenticity, and the search for meaning in a digital age.

Tickets Adults $37, seniors $32, students with ID $15 are available on-line at unitedplayers.com

Museum of Anthropology
Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision

When and Where 19 March, 2026 - 3 January, 2027 | Museum of Anthropology
UBC, 6393 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver

Guest curator Luis Manuel González

This exhibition offers a glimpse into Andean cosmovision (a holistic and spiritual framework for explaining the structure of the universe) through an exploration of MOA's collection of nearly 100 ancient Andean artifacts, crafted from ceramic, textile, bone, shell, and wood. Some items date back over 2,500 years. Also included are various ancient wind instruments and an animated projection of an oil painting by contemporary Peruvian artist Miguel Araoz Cartagena of the Milky Way, which highlights the Inka's belief in a dual constellation system–recognizing shapes in the sky's light formations and shadows.

For further information, visit moa.ubc.ca.

Salish Sea Early Music Festival
300 years of Chamber Music

When and Where Various dates January - June, 2026 | 7 pm. at St. Mary's Kerrisdale, 2490 West 37th Avenue

The Salish Sea Early Music Festival presents its 15th festival in Vancouver of 8 varied programs from the mid-1500's through to the time of Beethoven, with prominent early music specialists from Europe, Canada and the United States..

Tickets by donation. 18 and under free. More information at Salish Sea Early Music Festival