Categories: Things To Do

Opera, wine tastings, and fireworks: A massive Shakespeare fest is returning to Vancouver this summer

Photo via @bardonthebeach / Instagram

If you dig light opera, fine wine, and firework shows – we’ve got the perfect event for you. Returning to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park this year is Vancouver’s beloved Bard on the Beach event, and they’re kicking things off on Wednesday, June 8th!

Bard on the Beach is Western Canada’s largest professional, non-profit Shakespeare festival. In addition to showings of three iconic Shakespearean plays throughout the summer, the fest also includes several operas and arias, a performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and a Bard-B-Q Firework show (dinner & play evenings).

This year, guests can expect productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Harlem Duet, and Romeo and Juliet.

There are several stages hosting different performances, so let’s break it down by tent. The custom-built Mainstage Theatre is exactly how it sounds – at 729 seats, this is where the fest’s larger-scale productions take place, all against a beautiful backdrop of mountains, sea, and sky – of course.

The Douglas Campbell Theatre has 262 reserved seats and offers two productions on its Howard Family Stage from the end of June to September. This space is clearly more intimate and tends to host a mix of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays and other contemporary plays.

Both tents are located next to the Bard Village, where guests can take part in educational events, peruse the Bard Boutique, and enjoy concession and bar offerings. The Village remains open for one full hour prior to the curtain call.

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On select Wednesdays in July and August, you can even upgrade to a night out on the Bard with a pre-show wine tasting. Enjoy the view from the Marquee tent while you sip some local wines.

Tickets can be booked for each production online, by phone, or at their in-person Box Office. Stay tuned via their socials or register for Bard E-News for all the latest announcements and deets.

We’ll see you at curtain call, Vancouver!