Punchbowl Festival in Vancouver

A big drinks-tasting festival held at the PNE, Punchbowl is a day of beverages, food and music with a huge variety of different vendors to sample.

NOTE: This event has been cancelled for 2026. Whether it happens again in the future is to be confirmed. Events that are happening this year and that you might like include the Shipyards Night Market, Port Moody Ribfest, Ribfest Langley, Chilliwack Ribfest and the PNE Fair. For a list of other great food and drink-related events to check out, visit VancouverFoodFestivals.ca.

Punchbowl Festival of Cocktails and Tacos

The Punchbowl Festival was first held in 2019 and featured music and dozens of vendors selling drinks and food. Organizers cancelled the event in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. It returned for a few years since.

In 2026 Punchbowl was going to be part of Playland Nights. The event was going to be called Playland Nights: Punchbowl Edition. It was going to take place on Saturday, June 20th. The event, however, has since been cancelled.

In years when it does happen, drinks, live music and tacos define Punchbowl. The event’s tagline is “festival of cocktails & tacos,” but there are also beers, wine, ciders and spirits to sample.

Where is Punchbowl?

In 2026 Punchbowl was going to take place at Playland at the PNE. The venue’s address is 2901 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. The event was going to be on Saturday, June 20th, from 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm.

In past years, Punchbowl happened at the PNE Forum and had two tasting sessions.

General admission tickets start at around $55, and Fast Pass tickets start at $100 or so, plus taxes and fees. Prices increase as the event gets closer and as tickets sell. Food and drinks are not included in the price. They cost extra.

What to Expect

Punchbowl is an adult event for those aged 19+. You can expect a large selection of drinks to sample. Over 250 drinks are available to try, with most priced between $2 and $4 each. Drinks include spirits, beer, cider, wine and canned cocktails.

Food at the event focuses heavily on tacos. Food vendors this year include Dos Amigos, DL Chicken, Loula’s, Lucha Libre, Lucifer’s, Taco Saurus, Taqueria Jalisco, Poppy’s, Di Chai, Taco Tigre, Lee’s and Golden Smell Mee.

Punchbowl uses a cashless system for the most part to pay for food and drinks. Cash is accepted at some parts of the festival, but most places only accept credit cards. So, be ready to pay for everything online when you go to the festival. Live music is also a big part of the event.