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.

In 2026 the festival had events on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May 15th to 17th.

See our May Calendar of Events to learn about other events happening in Metro Vancouver this time of year. Continue reading to learn about the 5X Festival in 2026.

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Festival Dates and Location | Events | What is Bhangra? | Other Information

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 was sharing Punjabi culture, music and dance with the greater community. Since 2019 the focus is on celebrating South Asian arts in general.

In 2026 the 21st festival included a Blockparty event outside Surrey City Hall on Saturday, May 16th.

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 2026 the festival ran from May 15th to 17th. Events were held at The Beaumont Studios (316 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver), Surrey Civic Plaza (13450 104 Avenue, Surrey), SFU Surrey Engineering Building (10285 University Drive) and at a secret location that was to be confirmed.

Surrey Library and City Hall — Surrey City Hall

5X Festival Details

The 5X Festival takes place over three days. Public events from 2026 are described below.

5X Art Party (May 15th, 2026)

The 5X Art Party took place on Friday, May 15th, from 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm at The Beaumont Studios at 316 West 5th Avenue in Vancouver. Tickets cost about $15 for students and $20 for everyone else. The event involved all types of art, along with music and the chance to connect with others.

5X Blockparty (May 16th, 2026)

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

Admission to the event is free each year if you RSVP online. Tickets for the VIP area, meanwhile, cost about $100 each and are only for ages 19 and older.

Check out the video below for an idea of what to expect at the next Blockparty. The video was recorded at the 2022 event, which took place at Holland Park instead of Surrey Civic Plaza.

5X Afterparty (May 16th, 2026)

The 5X Afterparty event happened at a secret location that was yet to be announced as of mid-May. It began at 10:00 pm and ran until 2:00 am. The underground music event featured multiple sets by local DJs. General admission cost about $30 per person.

Inkqu15itive 15 Year World Tour (May 17th, 2026)

The 5X Festival also featured an exclusive experience with Inkquisitive (Amandeep Singh). At the event were original art pieces, special performances and live presentations. Tickets cost about $30 each.

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 people 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/5X Festival has continued the tradition of connecting people – the mission of the organization behind the event is to educate, foster community engagement and stimulate artistic innovation.