Based at the Orpheum Theatre, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious orchestras. It’s also very good.

Special free events in with the VSO in the summer include Symphony at Sunset at Sunset Beach in Vancouver and Symphony in the Park at Deer Lake in Burnaby. A similar event to these that you might also be interested in is Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford. That event is actually with a different orchestra and it happens on August 16th in 2024. All three of these events have free admission and are highly recommended.

Continue reading to learn more about the VSO and its various events.

This article contains information about the following VSO events:

Day of Music | Symphony at Sunset | Symphony in the Park | Traditional Christmas | New Year’s Concert: Salute to Vienna

Vancouver’s World-Famous Symphony Orchestra and its Concerts

For a city of its size, Vancouver has an impressive symphony orchestra. Founded in 1919, the performing arts organization has been around for over 100 years!

The Grammy and JUNO Award-winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs over a hundred concerts in a typical year. Many of those are at the Orpheum Theatre. Others are at various venues throughout the Lower Mainland, plus occasional performances outside the region.

Directed by Otto Tausk from Holland, the main orchestra has close to 80 members.

Special Events

In addition to their regular concert series, the VSO runs several special events throughout the year. These include Day of Music, Symphony in the Park, Symphony at Sunset, Christmas performances and New Year’s Day concerts. See below for details.

Day of Music

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra hosts a day of free music with concerts at various venues in downtown Vancouver on a weekend in June.

In 2024 the Day of Music is on Saturday, June 1st. Some of the performances at the event are with the VSO and its various members. Some of the music, however, is with other groups.

The live music is all free for the day, and there is no need to book tickets in advance. All the performances are on a first-come, first-served basis. They happened between about 10:00 am and 10:00 pm at the Orpheum, Pyatt Hall, the Annex, and other venues.

To learn more about this event, see our article about the Day of Music.

Symphony at Sunset

Symphony at Sunset is an outdoor concert that happens at Sunset Beach in Vancouver.

In 2024 this event takes place on Saturday, July 6th, starting at 8:00 pm.

Thousands of people usually attend this concert, which features the VSO playing on a big stage near the water. There are normally food trucks on hand and opportunities for attendees to check out some real orchestra equipment.

For more information about this event, check out our article about Symphony at Sunset.

Symphony in the Park

The VSO performs a free outdoor concert at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby in the summer.

In 2024 the performance takes place on Saturday, July 13th, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

Symphony in the Park is an annual event that can attract several thousand attendees. Since it is an outdoor concert we recommend going prepared for the weather every year! It takes place on the Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park at 6450 Deer Lake Avenue in Burnaby.

To learn more about this event, see our article about Symphony in the Park.

Vancouver Symphony in Burnaby — Burnabys Symphony in the Park

Traditional Christmas

An annual VSO tradition, Traditional Christmas is usually performed in the weeks leading up to the end-of-year holidays. Performances are approximately an hour and a half and feature stories, singing and orchestra music with a festive winter-holiday theme.

In 2024 these Christmas-themed performances take place at various venues between December 11th and 22nd. The full schedule for this year is listed below. Tickets cost between about $40 and $60 each.

Wednesday, December 11th, 2024 – 7:30 pm at the Kay Meek Arts Centre.
Thursday, December 12th, 2024 – 7:30 pm at South Delta Baptist Church.
Friday, December 13th, 2024 – 4:00 and 7:30 pm at Centennial Theatre.
Sunday, December 15th, 2024 – 4:00 and 7:30 pm at the Bell Performing Arts Centre.
Sunday, December 22nd, 2024 – 4:00 and 7:30 pm at the Orpheum.

New Year’s Concert: Salute to Vienna

Salute to Vienna is a reproduction of a famous Viennese New Year’s concert. The VSO version features the music of Johann Strauss with the Strauss Symphony of Canada, European singers and professional ballroom and ballet dancers.

The next New Year’s Concert takes place on January 1st in 2025 at the Orpheum Theatre.