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.

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

In 2022 the festival hosted a Block Party event at Surrey’s Holland Park on June 11th. In 2023 the same event happened outside Surrey City Hall on Saturday, June 17th.

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 2021, the 5X Festival Block Party happened on September 17th, 18th and 19th at The Beaumont Studios at 316 West 5th Avenue in the City of Vancouver. In 2022 the 5X Festival featured multiple events from June 11th to 17th.

The 2023 5X Festival ran from June 11th to 18th. Events this past year were held at The Beaumont Studios, Surrey Civic Plaza and Surrey Art Gallery. Exact dates and details for the event in 2024 are to be confirmed.

Surrey Library and City Hall — Surrey City Hall

2023 5X Festival Details

The 2023 5X Festival featured a week of events including a Pride Celebration on June 15th and a Block Party on June 17th. The following was the schedule of events as of May 2023 that were slated to take place from June 11th to 18th.

Imagining a New World with Desi-Futurism (June 13th, 2023)

This workshop was hosted by Ruby Singh and Jeevan Sangha. It was an interactive experience about a new future inspired by Afrofuturism. The workshop ran from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at The Beaumont Studios in Vancouver. Tickets cost $15 each.

An Evening with Robyn Sandhu (June 14th, 2023)

Viral poet Robyn Sandhu headlined his first show at The Beaumont Studios in Vancouver. The event ran from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. General admission was $25 and students could get in for $15.

5X Pride (June 15th, 2023)

The 5X Pride event happened at The Beaumont Studios in Vancouver starting at 10:00 pm. The event featured Jolene Sloan, DJ sets by No Nazar and several special guests. Tickets cost about $20 each plus taxes and online fees.

5X Block Party (June 17th, 2023)

The 5X Block Party is a party at Surrey Civic Plaza which is located at 13450 104 Avenue in Surrey. The event ran from 2:00 pm to 9:30 pm and featured live music, food vendors, public art and other activities.

Bands, musicians and other entertainers performing at the Block Party on June 17th included Babbulicious, Cartel Madras, Balwaan, Aanam, Arsenal, and many more.

Admission to the event was free. Tickets for the VIP area, however, cost about $150 each.

5X Fest Party at Holland Park — 5X Street Block Party at Holland Park

5X Art Party (June 18th, 2023)

The 5X Art Party took place on Sunday, June 18th, from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the Surrey Art Gallery at 13750 88 Avenue. Tickets cost about $15 for students and $30 for everyone else. The event involved all types of art.

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