Thai Festival

The Vancouver Thai Festival is a free event showcasing Thai food, music and culture outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. It typically takes place in the summer.

In 2026 the Vancouver Thai Festival happens on August 8th and 9th.

Thai Festival in the Art Gallery Plaza

The Thai Festival returned a couple years ago after a five-year hiatus. It’s happening again in 2026 on the weekend of August 8th and 9th, which is a week or two later than it did last year. The event is held at the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza.

The Thai Festival is free to attend. This year there’s a raffle draw with a grand prize of a China Airlines round-trip ticket to Bangkok and a three-night stay at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort. There’s also a second grand prize of just a round-trip ticket to Bangkok.

Raffle tickets cost $20 and there’s a maximum of 500 to sell at the festival. That means if you get one, your odds of winning are better than at a typical raffle draw! Other raffle prizes include gift cards, concert tickets, and a two-hour massage at Sabai Thai Spa.

The Thai Festival Stage Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery

Festival Venue

The Thai Festival takes place in the North Plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery which is located at 750 Hornby Street (at the corner with Georgia Street). At the festival there’s a stage where dances and other performances take place, and in the plaza there are a number of food stalls and other vendors.

Vancouver Thai Festival Market — Thai Festival Market at the Vancouver Art Gallery

What to Expect

Vancouver’s Thai Festival is a small to medium-sized festival. There can be up to 500 people there, and a number of food vendors selling everything from Thai curries to other tropical dishes.

The Thai Festival is also an opportunity for local Thai dancers and other performing arts groups to share their talents and culture with Vancouverites.

At the festival you can expect to see lots of dance groups, colourful costumes, people speaking Thai and delicious spicy smells.

If you are downtown, like Thai food and want some culturally-interesting free entertainment, then the Thai Festival is well worth checking out. Again, it’s not a huge event, but the food is tasty and the performances are enjoyable.

Performance Schedule

Below was the live entertainment schedule for the 2025 festival. The lineup in 2026 will likely be similar, but is to be confirmed as of the beginning of August.