Vancouver Art Gallery Outdoor Movies

Summer Movie Nights are when free outdoor films take place on Wednesday evenings in the north plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery in July and August.

All Summer Movie Nights were cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. This was the case in 2021 as well. They are expected to return in 2022 on Thursday evenings in July and August, although exact details are to be confirmed.

Downtown Vancouver Summer Movie Nights

In years when they aren’t cancelled due to virus pandemics, free outdoor movies happen in parks and plazas all across the Lower Mainland in the summer. In Vancouver on different days of the week there are free films at Canada Place, in front of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, in Stanley Park and in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

To learn about the movies by the Vancouver Art Gallery, continue reading. To learn about free summer film opportunities in other locations, click Free Vancouver Outdoor Movies.

Summer Movie Nights

Free movies were shown in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery in the 800 block of West Georgia Street on the following dates in 2019. Although movie nights were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and were cancelled again in 2021, future years will likely be similar to the following schedule.

(Note: Times are approximate and details were subject to change.)

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 – Clueless (at around 9:30 pm)
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 – Pitch Perfect (at around 9:30 pm)
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 – Zoolander (at around 9:20 pm)
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 – Paddington Bear (at around 9:15 pm)
Monday, July 29, 2019 – Bohemian Rhapsody (at around 9:05 pm)
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (at around 9:00 pm)
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 – Inside Out (at around 8:40 pm)
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 – Crazy Rich Asians (at around 8:30 pm)

As you’ll see, most of the Vancouver Art Gallery films take place on Wednesday evenings and start at dusk (which means between approximately 8:30 and 9:30 pm depending on the date).

The one exception was on July 29th in 2019 which was a Monday. That was a special event in conjunction with the Vancouver Pride Festival. On that date there was a special “Public Disco” in addition to just the movie.

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips and extra information to help you make the most out of your Downtown Vancouver movie experience.

TIP #1: If you’re downtown on a Wednesday evening, want to see a free movie, but don’t like what’s being offered, walk just four or so blocks east down West Georgia Street to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and check out the movie there. Sunset Cinema takes place, also on Wednesday evenings, between mid-July and late August.

TIP #2: A disadvantage of the Vancouver Art Gallery and Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza venues for movies is the noise. West Georgia is a very busy and noisy street. One advantage compared to venues elsewhere at parks, however, is you’ll be less likely to be bothered by mosquitos.

TIP #3: Because of the traffic noise, try to find a spot away from West Georgia Street and not too far from one of the speakers. Arrive early to get a good spot.

TIP #4: Take your own chair, a blanket and something warm to wear (as it can get cool in the evening).

TIP #5: The official name of the plaza on the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery is šx????n?q Xwtl’e7énk Square. šx????n?q Xwtl’e7énk is an Indigenous term that means “important cultural gathering place”. The name was adopted with respect and in recognition of the fact that Vancouver is located on the unceded traditional territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The word, to the best of our non-expert ability, is pronounced (very approximately) like “Hootlacken”.