Beach Volleyball

KitsFest is a summer festival at Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach that features DJ music, volleyball, basketball and other outdoor sports in August.

The festival takes place on a weekend in early August. Also happening around this time of year is the African Descent Festival which is a free event featuring live music with a number of high-profile bands at English Bay Beach (Note that the African Descent Festival is on August 22nd and 23rd in 2026 – so not quite at the same time as this festival). There is also the BC Dumpling Festival in Coquitlam which has free admission happening on August 15th in 2026.

Click August Events Calendar to learn about other events happening around the same time. See below to learn about KitsFest.

This article contains the following information about KitsFest:

KitsFest Activities | Schedule | Tips & Advice | Other Information

KitsFest at Kitsilano Beach

KitsFest takes place in August at Kitsilano Beach, which is located between Cornwall Avenue and Arbutus Street. If you’re looking for a specific address, use 1305 Arbutus Street, which is where you’ll find the former Kitsilano Boathouse Restaurant, which officially closed on September 15th in 2025.

Typical activities include basketball, beach volleyball, tennis, touch football and yoga. There is a variety of other fun games as well.

In 2026 the festival runs from Thursday, August 6th until Sunday, August 9th.

KitsFest Activities

At KitsFest there are lots of sports to participate in as well as free things to do and watch. You need to register in advance if you want to take part in the main competitions. You can just show up for other things or to be a spectator.

Non-competitive sport activities include the KCC Family Zone that features DJ music, community booths, crafts activities and even family yoga and Zumba sessions at specific times, plus a bouncy castle on certain days. There are also usually spin classes that are free for adults ages 18+, but advanced reservations are required (and they book up well in advance).

KitsFest Schedule

Below was the schedule of events for 2026. (Please note that this schedule is subject to change.)

Basketball – Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am until 8pm.
Pickleball – The round robbin is Thursday from 12:00 pm until 8:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Youth Volleyball – Games run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday.
Flag Football – Games are from 9:00 am until 5:30 pm on Sunday. It is unclear if these are youth or adult games.
Family Fun Zone – Various sports and activities happen from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Friday, while Saturday and Sunday operate from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Tennis – Mixed doubles are on Friday from 4:30 pm until 8:30 pm and again on Saturday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Men’s doubles happen on Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm, while Women’s doubles is on Sunday from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.
Chess – From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Tips & Advice

Below is some extra information and suggestions to help you make the most of your KitsFest experience most years.

TIP #1: Remember to take your own towel and mat if you plan to do yoga.

TIP #2: When Zumba happens, arrive early as participation is restricted to just the first 350 people. Arrive early for the yoga as well to stake your claim on a good piece of sand for your mat.

TIP #3: Make sure you and your team sign up well in advance if you plan to compete in a sport.

TIP #4: Parking in the area is a challenge so take public transit if you can. If you drive, remember to leave lots of time to find parking prior to your event.

TIP #5: If you like farmers markets then check out the Kitsilano Farmers Market on the Sunday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm outside the Kitsilano Community Centre at 2690 Larch Street. It’s a bit of a drive from the beach, but it’s a fabulous market and a great place to pick up ingredients for a picnic at the beach.

TIP #6: Regardless of what you do at the festival, don’t forget to take a water bottle, hat, swimsuit and sunscreen. Also, remember that one of Canada’s finest outdoor swimming pools is right by the beach.