City information

Vancouver offers everything from bars and pubs to fine arts, cinema, literary readings, theatre and many spectator sports. The arts and entertainment weekly the Georgia Straight, and the Thursday and Friday editions of the Vancouver Sun and Province provide extensive listings of the city's events and venues.

Bars and Pubs If you're looking for a fun night out, there are a number of places for spirited fun. Neighbourhood pubs, bars and hotel lounges are common in every region of the city. Among the favourite hangouts are Fred's Uptown Tavern, DV8, the Irish Heather, Steamworks, Yaletown Brewing Company, Fox and Firkin English Pub, and the Railway Club. For upscale imbibing, there's the critics' choice Bacchus Piano Lounge, the Pan Pacific Hotel Lounge, 900 West Lounge and Diva at the Met. A newer highlight is Bar None.

Sports bars offer a different experience. Ice-cold pint in hand, you can watch cable-televised sports games on a big-screen TVs. Some of the most popular sports watering holes are the Shark Club Bar & Grill and Mavericks Sports Grill on the Waterfront, featuring B.C.'s biggest outdoor patio.

Dance Clubs The light fantastic is often on and shining brightly in Vancouver, especially on weekends. The Chameleon Urban Lounge, Sonar, BaBalu, and Richard's on Richards let you dance the night away (well, at least until 2am). Other places to trip, skip and hop are the Palladium Club, Sonar and Stone Temple Cabaret.

Gay and Lesbian Clubs Vancouver has a large gay community, and particularly in the West End, there are many establishments to dance and dish with members of the same sex. Celebrities is the city's biggest gay bar, complete with DJs, go-go dancers, and dancing. Nearby are Numbers and Denman Station Cabarets. The wildest of them all, however, may be the Odyssey, with go-go boys, shower-room viewing, unisex washrooms and theme nights.

Music Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, Bif Naked, 54-40 and Diana Krall. These are just some of the big-name artists who began their music careers here. They have made it so big that you rarely see them perform locally anymore. When they do, you will find them at large venues like B.C. Place, General Motors Place, the Vogue, Orpheum Theatre or Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Vancouver's music scene is diverse. The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia and the Orpheum Theatre, home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, are great venues for classical music performances. For jazz, blues and fusion, the best bets are the Cellar Restaurant & Jazz Club, Rossini's, the Roxy, Blue Note Jazz Bistro, Starfish Room and the Yale.

For punk, indie and other aural alternatives, smaller venues like the Commodoure Ballroom and the Railway Club are probably your best bets to catch local and international talent in intimate settings. Of course, nothing's more intimate than an in-store performance at Red Cat Records.

For electronica, house and slyly spinning DJs, Sonar, the Sugar Refinery and Nevermind are some of the places to go.

Cinemas Several first-run movie theatres are within a few blocks of each other downtown. Across the bridge, the newer Fifth Avenue Cinemas show popular art and alternative films to grateful West Side crowds. For independent, art, foreign and experimental films, check out the diverse listings at the Ridge, and the Pacific Cinematheque.

Vancouver also has two large-screen theatres: the Alcan Omnimax Theatre at Science World and the CN IMAX at Canada Place.

Mega-screen movie theatres have been popping up over the last few years, and there are more than a few in and around the city, like Cinemark Tinseltown.

Theatres From classic Broadway hits to innovative productions, rich and varied theatrical activity has always been a part of the city's entertainment scene. The 2,929-seat Queen Elizabeth Theatre is the city's largest. It's perfect for seeing touring musicals, international opera and modern dance. Next door to the QE is the more intimate Vancouver Playhouse, a 668-seat auditorium that stages plays, concerts, chamber music and modern dance.

Other theatre and concert venues include the Arts Club Theatre, the refurbished Stanley Theatre, Orpheum, Firehall Arts Centre, Presentation House Gallery and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

Comedy Clubs For seriously funny stuff, try Yuk Yuk's. It has theatre-style seating, a full-dinner menu and stand-up comics from the city and around the world. The Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island is another venue for interactive fun. It's home to the Theatre Sports “improv" group.

Professional Sports Vancouver offers a medley of sports events. From September to May, the NHL's Vancouver Canucks plays the coolest game on earth in General Motors Place.

June kicks off the pre-season games of the Canadian Football League. You can catch the B.C. Lions in action from July to late October at B.C. Place.

Festivals Some acclaimed international festivals that provide year-round fun and entertainment include the Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver International Children's Festival, International Jazz Festival, Comedy Festival, Folk Music Festival, and New Music Festival. They occur all over the city and offer locals and visitors a chance to mingle.