Hope your new year is off to a good start and you’re staying warm with something hot to sip. I won’t blame you if you want to hibernate through the winter cold, but if you feel like braving the outdoors, the city’s lineup of events and festivals is worth it. From cultural showcases to eye-catching theatrical performances, they bring a little extra energy to even the chilliest days. Stay safe and stay warm!

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Image Syncers

Now until April 4

www.westernfront.ca/events/image-syncers

Western Front is presenting Image Syncers, a solo exhibition by Canadian-British artist Nina Davies. The exhibition responds to current TikTok trends in which people mimic artificially generated videos, with Davies reimagining this choreographic phenomenon as a tool to disrupt visual economies and open up alternative modes of meaning-making. At the centre of the exhibition is a 12-minute video framed as an episode of the fictional podcast What’s Sizzlin’. In it, host Bryce Snyder interviews journalist Teagan Carroll about her exposé on a break-in at the Trutch Seed Bank. Carroll reveals that the group responsible, known as the Plot Corps, physically reproduced AI-generated imagery to evade detection. Their discussion expands into broader reflections on “perception-collapse,” “image syncing” and the evolving relationships between language, images and bodies, in a world shaped by synthetic media.

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The Golden Anniversaries

Jan. 22–Feb. 15

www.artsclub.com/shows/2025-2026/the-golden-anniversaries

Since they got married, Glen and Sandy Golden have celebrated every wedding anniversary by coming to the same cottage for a romantic getaway. This weekend marks a major milestone: 50 years of wedded bliss. Well, mostly bliss…. A week ago, Sandy cancelled their big anniversary party and kicked Glen to the curb. Now, he wants to talk. Join the Goldens as they recount the good, the bad, and the ugly of spending half a century together. From the writer of Bed and Breakfast and The Birds and the Bees, The Golden Anniversaries is a comedy-drama about marriage, memory and a long-term love for the ages. For tickets and more information, check out the Arts Club website.

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The Heat: International Improv Comedy Festival

Jan. 27–31

www.theimprovcentre.ca/the-heat

The Improv Centre is bringing improv troupes from around the world to perform for Vancouver audiences again for 2026! For five nights, international improv takes over with performers from Britain, the United States and Aotearoa New Zealand joining members from the centre’s ensemble for an unpredictable week of comedy you can’t find anywhere else! See the best in improv comedy from around the globe – no passport required. Each show includes short form games, and may either have a showcase of a visiting troupe’s unique style or an all-play second half. Come enjoy improv from around the world. For tickets and more information, check out the festival’s webpage.

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Everything Has Disappeared

Jan. 29–Feb. 1

https://thecultch.com/event/everything-has-disappeared

Worldwide, the Filipino diaspora is the vital engine that powers the beauty, health and promise of our delicate, globally interconnected society. Everything Has Disappeared, playing at the York Theatre, celebrates and explores the very unique relationship the Filipino diaspora has to the global economy: they are everywhere and deeply involved in our lives as central threads in a tapestry that defines human dignity itself. Filipinos are domestic workers in Angola, they staff the oil fields of Libya, with hundreds of thousands working as nannies in Hong Kong. They sing on the stages of remote provinces in China and help run hotels in the Middle East. A quarter of the world’s seafarers are Filipino, comprising 70% of workers on Japanese boats. Check out The Cultch’s website for tickets and more information.

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Celebrate Africa!

Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m.

https://purchase.capilanou.ca/EventAvailability?EventId=9001

After last year’s sold-out smash show, Celebrate Africa! returns for another evening of fabulous music and dance featuring a multitude of musicians and dancers. Leading the musical brigade is Capilano University faculty member Kofi Gbolonyo, a revered performer and expert in West African traditional music and dance. The show will also include CapU’s African Drum & Dance Ensemble, C Band and Percussion Ensemble, as well as incredible guests such as Dawn Pemberton, Khari McClelland and others. Celebrating the passion of African rhythm, dance and culture, the show will feature arrangements of traditional music and dance from various African regions as well as new works and intercultural collaborations. Audience participation is encouraged!

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Staircase Sounds: Sudanda

Jan. 31, 12 noon–1 p.m.

vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6930cc056724c63d00e51971

The Vancouver Public Library’s monthly concert series Staircase Sounds returns with the sound of traditional and contemporary Sudanese music, beautifully interpreted by local band Sudanda! Sudanda was formed in 2004 around the music of Ala’aeldin Abdalla, a composer, singer and oud player. He is originally from Sudan and now living in Vancouver. Ala’aeldin’s music draws on traditional Sudanese forms, and he composes music for contemporary Sudanese poets. In 1991, Ala’aeldin was forced to leave Sudan and after coming to Vancouver, he met other musicians and formed Sudanda in 2004. The name of the band is a combination of Sudan and Canada. Current band members include Earle Peach on guitar, Riv Lai on bass, Jane Kalmakoff on accordion, James Griffiths on trumpet and Wesley Skakun on percussion.

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Ventastic: Reimagining the Art of Ventriloquism

Jan. 31, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

www.anvilcentre.com/our-events/ventastic

From America’s Got Talent, Canada’s top ventriloquist, Michael Harrison, has risen to become one of the most booked comedy ventriloquists in the world and Disney’s most beloved performers. An extraordinarily talented ventriloquist, comedian and master showman who combines his many talents into this laugh-out-loud, one-man tour de force. Watch your family and friends get puppeted on stage as he turns ventriloquism upside-down with one-of-a-kind routines. Prepare to be amazed; Michael pulls back the curtain on the boundless creativity and imagination that fuels the show, bringing it roaring to life! Check out the Anvil Centre’s website for tickets and more information.

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Embodied Conversations: The Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection

Jan. 31–May 10

www.griffinartprojects.ca/upcoming-exhibitions

The Griffin Art Projects will host an exhibition of approximately 40 works from the collection of Montreal collectors, Lillian and Billy Mauer. Including photography, paintings and sculptures from this impressive international collection by artists such as Carrie May Weems, Lorraine O’Grady, John Baldessari, Rosemarie Trockel, Doug Aitken, Tatiana Trouvé, Huma Bhabha, Frank Bowling, Betty Goodwin and Annette Messager. Often drawn to politically and socially engaged art, the exhibition will present a selection of works which represent the breadth of the collection. Check out their website for more information.

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Lunar New Year Celebration

Feb. 7, noon–3 p.m.

www.coquitlamheritage.ca/events/lunar-new-year-celebration-1

Celebrate the year of the horse at Mackin House on Feb. 7 from noon to 3 p.m.! Learn about Lunar New Year traditions through stories and songs with Yuto Books, with story time sessions available throughout the day in three different languages (English, Mandarin, Cantonese). They will also have English and Chinese books available from Yuto Books for browsing. There will also be crafts available throughout the day, and various snacks and drinks to try out. Stop by their kitchen during select times to chat with community member Jessica Yue and learn how you can make traditional New Year snacks at home. Also be sure to visit the decorated photoshoot space upstairs and get a Lunar New Year photo taken. All ages and language backgrounds are welcome.

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Ballet Jörgen’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Feb. 7, 4–6 p.m.

www.masseytheatre.com/event/a-midsummer-nights-dream

Ballet Jörgen’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a whimsical new ballet that reimagines William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy through a distinctly Canadian lens. Set to Mendelssohn’s enchanting score – this original production by Bengt Jörgen transports the tale of love, mischief and magical fairies into the heart of Canada’s northern landscapes. This playful, family-friendly ballet captures the wonder of the wilderness and the timeless joy of Shakespeare’s story for audiences of all ages.

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Caravaggio

Feb. 9, 7 p.m.

www.kaymeek.com/events/exhibition-on-screen-caravaggio-2026-02-09-700-pm

Five years in production, this is the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time – Caravaggio. Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before. Multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works – sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight – offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles. The film will be screened at the Kay Meek Arts Centre; check out their website for tickets and more information.