Bard Village at Bard on the Beach

Bard on the Beach is a very popular Shakespearean theatre festival in Vancouver. It normally takes place at Vanier Park from June until early autumn.

In 2024 the festival celebrates its 35th season. This year’s productions include Twelfth Night, which is a romantic comedy, and Hamlet, which is a tragedy. Other productions in 2024 include The Comedy of Errors and an irreverent, footloose play called Measure for Measure. This year’s season runs from June 11th until September 21st.

For the most up-to-date details, visit the bardonthebeach.org website.

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Bard on the Beach at Vanier Park

The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival takes place in an outdoor tent theatre every year from early June until the end of September. It’s a world-class series of Shakespearean productions that has been going on for over 30 years.

In 2024, the 35th annual edition of the festival runs from June 11th until September 21st. The Shakespearean plays this year include Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure.

If you like Shakespeare, then it’s a festival you won’t want to miss!

Bard on the Beach Venue

Bard on the Beach performances happen in the Bard Festival Site at Vanier Park in Kitsilano in two separate tent theatres. One is the 733-seat BMO Mainstage Theatre and the other is the smaller 240-seat Howard Family Theatre. Two productions take place in each theatre over the course of the summer, with the four shows alternating over different evenings.

Parking for the Bard is at the nearby H.R. MacMillan Space Centre at 1100 Chestnut Street. The cost there is about $7 (or maybe more) for the evening after 6:00 pm.

Click Bard on the Beach for the festival’s official website.

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival — Bard Festival Site

2024 Bard Summer Program Lineup

The 2024 Bard on the Beach program features four plays – Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure. Details about each of the plays are below.

The season this year starts on June 11th and runs until September 21st. For full details about the 2024 season, see the Bard on the Beach website.

TWELFTH NIGHT

Twelfth Night is a Shakespearean love triangle comedy. The plot goes like this. Viola and her twin brother, Sebastian, are separated after a ship they were travelling in flounders off the coast of Illyria. Viola assumes a male identity (Cesario) so that she can work in Duke Orsino’s home. The duke, meanwhile, is in love with the Lady Olivia, who dismisses his advances. Viola in the meantime falls in love with the Duke.

Diana Donnelly directs this Bard on the Beach play where everyone is obsessed with one another. Music is what gets them through the day. This Twelfth Night production is a romantic comedy brought to musical life by Vancouverite singer-songwriter Veda Hille.

Twelfth Night happens on the BMO Mainstage and runs from June 11th through to September 21st, 2024.

To learn more about this show, visit the Bard on the Beach website.

HAMLET

Hamlet is a Shakespearean tragedy and the Bard’s longest play. The story unfolds in Denmark where the king’s ghost asks his son, Hamlet, to seek revenge for the king’s murder. The king wants Hamlet to kill Hamlet’s uncle who in turn plots to kill Hamlet. The famous words “To be or not to be” come from this play.

This masterful play invites you to picture yourself in Hamlet and contemplate loyalty and self. Hamlet at Bard on the Beach is directed by Stephen Drover and plays on the BMO Mainstage from June 13th until September 20th, 2024.

To learn more about this show, click the Bard on the Beach website.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

This Shakespearean comedy centres on a case of mistaken identities. Antipholus and his slave Dromio travel to Ephesus in ancient Greece to find their twins who were separated from them in a shipwreck. Meanwhile, another set of twins also lives in Ephesus, and the new arrivals add to a case of mistaken identities. But all’s well that ends well, and twins and parents are reunited.

Directed by Rebecca Northan, enjoy laughs and a travel back to ancient times as Bard on the Beach puts on its Shakespearean play, The Comedy of Errors at the Howard Family Stage from July 2nd until September 21st in 2024.

To learn more about this play click Bard on the Beach website.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Another complex twist of a tale from William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure is the story of Duke Vincentio who deputises Lord Angelo to rule Vienna in the Duke’s absence. Angelo rules as a religious, manipulative tyrant. When his plot to manipulate a nun into sleeping with him is foiled, Angelo gets his just desserts and is punished.

In this Bard on the Beach adaptation, the story is set in Verona, a city that never stops partying. When Duke Vincentio, who is responsible for enforcing the city’s morality laws that are going by the wayside, decides to skip town and hand the reins of power to Angelo, mayhem ensues. Angelo decides to make the unfortunate Claudio pay for attempting a move on his fiancee. The punishment? Put to death. This irreverent play is directed by Jivesh Parasram and runs from July 4th to September 20th, 2024, at the Howard Family Stage.

To learn more about this production, click Bard on the Beach website.

Bard Admission Details

Single-ticket prices for youth (ages 6 to 22) start at about $30 each. Children under 6 aren’t permitted to most performances. Single-ticket prices for adults in 2024 start at $30 and range up to about $98 depending on the seat.

Season passes are also available online. They include seats to all four shows at one discounted price. Preview Packs and Regular Packs cost $268, while A+ Premium Packs (with access to better seats) cost $332.

For more information about tickets and pricing, visit the official Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival website.

Bard Village Plaza — Inside the Bard Village

Bard Special Events

In addition to its usual Shakespearean plays, Bard on the Beach also offers a number of special events each season. These include extra evening choir and opera performances, as well as exclusive fireworks viewing nights.

Bard Pride Night

To celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Bard on the Beach hosts Bard Pride Day on Sunday, August 4th in 2024. There are special activities to enjoy before the shows kick off for the day. Exact details, however, are to be confirmed.

Family Days & Relaxed Performances

A special event that provides a way for all ages to enjoy the Bard experience happens during the Bard on the Beach season. Family Days and Relaxed Performances are when families can attend and enjoy various activities and a performance.

Dates for the Family Days in 2024 are July 14th and August 18th. There are family-friendly activities on both days followed by a performance of one of the shows.

The Relaxed Performance takes place on June 28th this year and features Twelfth Night. On this day, the environment is more casual. Folks in the audience can make noise and move around without worrying too much. This is perfect for families with young children.

Tickets for Family Days usually start at $30 for adults and youth. Special pay-as-you-like pricing is available for the Relaxed Performance.

Bard Fireworks Nights

The Bard Fireworks events usually take place during the Celebration of Light Festival on the last two Saturdays and last Wednesday prior to the BC Day Long Weekend. There is live entertainment each day and private views of the fireworks in English Bay.

2024 dates are July 20th, 24th and 27th.

Bard Village on Fireworks Night — Bard on the Beach on Fireworks Night

Concerts at the Bard Village

The Bard on the Beach venue sometimes hosts special events that don’t involve Shakespeare or theatre.

In 2022 the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performed on June 28th. The Opera & Arias celebration was in mid-September that year. Tickets started at $27 for all ages.

2024 dates and details are to be confirmed.

Other Special Events

Bard on the Beach offers a number of other special events as well. Talkback Tuesdays feature question and answer sessions with cast members after select performances. Wine Wednesdays for adults include wine tastings and savoury bites before select shows for an extra $55 each.

There are also four Bard Explored sessions with Paul Budra, who talks about the plays in-depth and takes questions from the audience. For folks with disabilities, there are also Accessibility Nights.

Bard Tips & Recommendations

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your Vancouver Shakespearean experience.

TIP #1: Especially if seeing a show in the evening in early June, late August or September, dress warmly, and maybe even take a blanket with you. Vancouver can get cool at night, even in the summer.

TIP #2: Consider combining your trip to see a Shakespearean show with other activities in the area. The Vancouver Maritime Museum, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and the Museum of Vancouver are all right next door, also in Vanier Park. Kitsilano Beach is also just down the way in one direction and Granville Island isn’t far in the other. The whole area is connected by the False Creek Seawall which is perfect for a pre-show stroll or cycle.

TIP #3: Unless you’re already a fan of Shakespeare and familiar with his works, consider reading up on the story before attending your show. Bard on the Beach is Shakespeare, with the original script written in Elizabethan English close to 400 years ago. If you read a synopsis in advance, it can enhance your Bard on the Beach experience and understanding of the plot and script.

TIP #4: If you have problems sitting comfortably for long periods, take a blanket or cushion to sit on. The seats are good and typical for a theatre, but some folks will appreciate the extra padding.

Click Bard on the Beach for the festival’s official website.

Bard on the Beach Entrance Gate — Bard Entrance Gate (Photo by Maxine Bulloch)

About Bard on the Beach

Founded by its present Artistic Director, Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach has been entertaining Vancouver audiences since 1990.

As a not-for-profit theatre, the theatre company employs about 30 talented actors each year, plus a large team of theatrical wizards working behind the scenes. Supporting the staff is an army of over 200 dedicated volunteers.

Since its founding, over 1.5 million people have enjoyed the Bard on the Beach shows, including over 90,000 spectators per season in recent years.