City of Bhangra Dance Performance

Formerly known as the City of Bhangra Festival, the 5X Festival is a series of performing arts events showcasing South Asian culture in Vancouver and Surrey.

Metro Vancouver’s 5X Festival

Running since 2004, including under its previous name until 2017, the 5X Festival is an annual multi-day festival.

Historically, the event’s focus has been on sharing Punjabi culture, music and dance with the greater community. Since 2019 the focus is on celebrating South Asian arts in general.

In 2024 the 20th festival includes a Blockparty event outside Surrey City Hall on Saturday, June 15th.

5X Fest Crowds at Holland Park — 5X Fest in Surrey

Festival Dates and Location

The 5X Festival has taken place in various formats and at different venues over the past number of years.

In 2024 the festival runs from June 13th to 16th. This year’s public events are held at The Beaumont Studios (316 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver), Surrey Civic Plaza (13450 104 Avenue, Surrey) and And-Co Offices (#200 – 1575 West Georgia Street, Vancouver).

Surrey Library and City Hall — Surrey City Hall

5X Festival Details

The 2024 5X Festival features four days of events. There’s an Art Party, Blockparty and a Self-Care Sunday event. Details about this year’s festivities are below.

5X Art Party (June 14th, 2024)

The 5X Art Party takes place on Friday, June 14th, from 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm at The Beaumont Studios at 316 West 5th Avenue in Vancouver. Tickets cost about $20 for students and $30 for everyone else. The event involves all types of art, along with music and the chance to connect with others.

5X Blockparty (June 15th, 2024)

The 5X Blockparty is a party at Surrey Civic Plaza which is located at 13450 104 Avenue in Surrey. The event runs from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm and features live music, food vendors, public art and other activities.

Admission to the event is free. Tickets for the VIP area, however, cost about $100 each.

Self-Care Sunday with 5X (June 16th, 2024)

The Self-Care Sunday event happens at And-Co Offices at #200 – 1575 West Georgia Street in Vancouver. It begins at noon and runs until 4:30 pm. The event is a half-day of wellness-related activities. There’s meditation, breathwork and more, plus a chat with three popular South Asian influencers.

General admission costs $60 each but students can get in for $35.

5X Fest Party at Holland Park — 5X Street Block Party at Holland Park

What is Bhangra?

Bhangra is a style of East Indian music and folk dance from the Punjab region of Pakistan and India that became popular in the 1970s and 1980s in Great Britain.

Originally performed frequently in the Punjab by labourers, Bhangra served as a way for young folks to bridge social and racial divides, connect people with their cultural heritage and strengthen local communities through dance and music.

Since 2004, the City of Bhangra Festival continued the tradition of connecting people – the mission of the organization behind the event has been to educate, foster community engagement and stimulate artistic innovation. Today, the 5X Festival continues the tradition.