Home Vancouver Events Calendar Festivals and Events in Vancouver Vancouver Taiwanese Cultural Festivals TAIWANfest Taiwanese Festival in Vancouver

TAIWANfest Taiwanese Festival in Vancouver

Taiwanese Band at TAIWANfest

TAIWANfest is a festival celebrating Taiwanese food, music and culture in downtown Vancouver on the Labour Day Long Weekend in September.

The festival runs from September 5th to 7th in 2026. This year’s theme is “Islands in the Wind”.

Visit vancouvertaiwanfest.ca for the festival’s official website.

 

This article contains the following information about TAIWANfest:

When is TAIWANfest? | Where is TAIWANfest? | Festival Activities | TAIWANfest Schedule | TAIWANfest Market | Documentary Films | TAIWANfest Video | Tips & Advice | Other Information

 

Vancouver’s TAIWANfest Taiwanese Festival

TAIWANfest is a cultural festival that features concerts and other live entertainment as well as talks, films and an artist market. It also has visual arts exhibits, family-oriented activities and a street party with food and market stalls.

Another event organized by the same organization behind TAIWANfest is LunarFest which happens during the Lunar New Year season in January or February. LunarFest is also very interesting and features a number of events and artistic displays.

 

Click TAIWANfest Vancouver for the festival’s official website.

 

Lillium Band from Taiwan

 

When is TAIWANfest?

TAIWANfest takes place on the Labour Day weekend in September. This year’s festival is on the weekend of September 5th to 7th.

This year’s events on all three days include activities along Granville Street between noon and 6:00 pm. On the Saturday and Sunday, there are also activities in the North Plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery from noon until 10:00 pm. On the holiday Monday, the activities and performances in the plaza run from noon until 6:00 pm.

 

TAIWANfest Pancouver Stage

 

Where is TAIWANfest?

The festival’s in-person activities take place at various venues in downtown Vancouver. The main locations include Å¡xʷƛ̓ənÉ™q Xwtl’e7énk Square (outside the Vancouver Art Gallery), on Granville Street, at the Vancouver Playhouse, the Vancouver Public Library, and the Annex theatre.

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s address is 750 Hornby Street. Officially called Å¡xʷƛ̓ənÉ™q Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, the plaza is the large open square along West Georgia Street between Hornby and Howe streets. In the plaza during TAIWANfest there are food vendors and an artist market as well as live entertainment on the Pancouver Stage.

The Granville Street activities happen along the 500, 600 and 700 blocks of the street. In this area there are exhibitions and workshops as well as market vendors including a number that are Dutch-themed. Last year TAIWANfest partnered with the Dutch Street Market with continuation of 2023’s Dialogue with the Netherlands. (Interestingly, the Netherlands had a colony in Taiwan in the 1600s and continues to have strong economic and diplomatic relations with the island.) It will be interesting to see what happens in 2026.

An event on September 6th takes place at the Vancouver Playhouse at 7:30 pm at 600 Hamilton Street. Other events happen over the weekend at the Vancouver Public Library at 350 West Georgia Street. The Annex, meanwhile, is adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre, at 823 Seymour Street, which is between Robson Street and Smithe Street.

 

Click TAIWANfest Vancouver for the festival’s official website.

 

Food Vendors at TAIWANfest
Food Vendors at TAIWANfest

 

Festival Activities

There are a fair number of things to see along Granville Street during the Taiwanese Cultural Festival. Admission is free for the street party which runs each day.

At the festival, you’ll find lively street activities, cultural exhibitions, and family-friendly workshops. You can also enjoy food vendors offering flavours from around the world, along with live performances taking place throughout the weekend.

 

TAIWANfest Schedule

Below were just some of the schedule highlights of the festival in 2025. Performers included Tectonic, TRAEGO, RapShark, Tudi-Voice and Lihaw Lihang. The program schedule will likely be similar in 2026, with exact details to be confirmed.

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

 

Lihaw Lihang
Lihaw Lihang

 

Saturday, August 30th, 2025

 

We expect 2026 to be similar. In addition to something like the above, there is also going to be the Artists Market in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and activities between the 500 and 700 blocks of Granville Street from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

 

Lihaw Lihang at TAIWANfest
Lihaw Lihang

 

Sunday, September 31st, 2025

 

In addition to something like the above for 2026, there will be the Artists Market in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and activities between the 500 and 700 blocks of Granville Street from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

 

StayVancouverHotels.com

 

Monday, September 1st, 2025

 

Also again on this day in 2026, there will be the Artists Market in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and activities between the 500 and 700 blocks of Granville Street from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

 

One Moon One Song at TAIWANfest
One Moon One Song

 

TAIWANfest Artist Market

The festival’s artist market happens on all three days from September 5th to 7th, between noon and 6:00 pm in 2026. The market features artists and artisan vendor stalls in Å¡xʷƛ̓ənÉ™q Xwtl’e7énk Square outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. See the TAIWANfest website to learn about the artists who are participating this year.

 

TAIWANfest on Granville Street
TAIWANfest on Granville Street

 

TAIWANfest Films

TAIWANfest presented the following four documentary films last year, all of which were free to see.  We expect a similar offering in 2026.

 

Chinese Canadian Museum

 

TAIWANfest Video

Check out the video below for a good idea of what to expect at the next TAIWANfest event. The video shows scenes from the 2024 festivities outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. The band featured in the video is Lilium.

 

 

Tips & Advice

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

TIP #1: Although the festival’s main focus is on arts and culture, rather than food, be sure to go with an appetite as there are a good number of tasty Asian treats for sale (as well as a few foods from other parts of the world too).

TIP #2: The live performances are a highlight of the festival. Be sure to stay for some of the performances.

TIP #3: Take public transit if you can. Granville Street is so convenient to get to by public transit from most parts of the Lower Mainland, plus traffic in the area will be busy.

 

Click TAIWANfest Vancouver for the festival’s official website.

 

Japanese Yakitori at Cooking on a Grill

Labour Day Weekend Activities

 

Other Information

See the Taiwanese Cultural Festival website to learn more about this event in general, or its sister event in Toronto.

Check out the following for information about other things to do in the Lower Mainland:

Other Asian-themed events to check out at other times of the year include the following: