LunarFest Vancouver is a celebration of the Lunar New Year. The arts and cultural festival features live entertainment, lantern displays and more.
The 2026 festival takes place from February 14th to February 28th. It features lots of interesting activities, including during the Lunar New Year weekend, which coincides with the Family Day Long Weekend in February 2026. The first day of the Year of the Horse is 17th February, 2026.
Visit lunarfestvancouver.ca for the festival’s official website.
This article contains the following information about LunarFest:
LunarFest Schedule | The Lantern City in Vancouver | LunarFest Community Celebrations | LunarFest Concert | LNY Splash | Other Information
LunarFest Vancouver
The Lunar New Year is a traditional celebration in many Asian cultures. It’s the first day of a calendar based on the cycles of the moon where one of 12 zodiac animals represents each year. 2026 is the Year of the Horse (or at least that’s the case in most cultures celebrating the day).
LunarFest is an annual celebration of the Lunar New Year in Vancouver. The festival first began in 2009. It was a notable part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and has been taking place since then. The festival features artistic displays, exhibits, performances, and workshops over a few weeks in February.Â
Hosted by the same organization behind TaiwanFest in September, the LunarFest series of events begins on January 27th through February 22nd in 2026. Other LunarFest-related events that also celebrate Lunar New Year are The Lantern City and LNY Splash. The first of these features a number of lantern art displays in downtown Vancouver. The second showcases several films at the VIFF Centre.
The series of events includes everyone. It’s an expression of several Asian cultures with the goal of bringing local communities together.
Visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website to learn more about the festival.
LunarFest Schedule
LunarFest Vancouver 2026 takes place from February 14th to 28th. The theme of the 2026 festival is “Brave the wind.” Events for the 2026 event are yet to be confirmed. Listed below are events from 2025 to give you an idea of what to expect in 2026.
The Lantern City
Lantern displays took place at the following locations in 2025:
- šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (750 Hornby Street) – January 29th to February 18th.
- Granville Island at Ocean Artworks (1531 Johnston Street) – January 29th to February 17th.
- Pendulum Gallery (885 West Georgia Street) – January 29th to February 18th.
- Bentall Centre (505 Burrard Street) – January 29th to February 18th.
- Robson Plaza (800 Robson Street) – January 29th to February 18th.
Continue reading, see our article about The Lantern City or visit the website thelanterncity.ca to learn more.
LunarFest Celebrations
Other events and activities took place at the following locations in 2025:
- Ocean Artworks at Granville Island (1531 Johnston Street) – select dates between February 1st and 17th.
- Net Loft at Granville Island (1650 Johnston Street) – select dates from February 8th to 17th.
- Pendulum Gallery (885 West Georgia Street) – select dates between February 11th and 22nd.
- The Post at 750 (750 Hamilton Street) – on February 8th and 15th.
- UBC Anime Club (6133 University Boulevard) – on February 12th and 14th.
- Vancouver Central Library (350 West Georgia Street) – on February 14th and 15th.
Details about these events are provided below.
LunarFest Concert: Fluidity in Diversity
A special free performance took place in downtown Vancouver in 2025:
- The Orpheum (601 Smithe Street) – January 27th at 7:00 pm.
The concert featured the Suona Gang, Harmonia String Ensemble, West Van Youth Band and two violin soloists.
Continue reading to learn more about some of the featured events listed above.
The Lantern City in Vancouver
There were The Lantern City art installations at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (outside the Vancouver Art Gallery), the Pendulum Gallery, Bentall Centre, Robson Plaza and Granville Island in 2025. The displays were free to admire and each location had a different theme.
Details about the 2025 exhibitions are below.
Lantern City at the Vancouver Art Gallery: Hundred Pace Snake
The art installation in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery took place in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square which is in the 800 block of West Georgia Street between Howe Street and Hornby.
The theme of 2025’s lanterns outside the art gallery was “Hundred Pace Snake.” The lantern art recognized and showcased the diverse communities of Metro Vancouver. It featured a combination of a snake and the sea. The displays at this location could be admired anytime between January 29th and February 18th, 2025.
Lantern City at the Bentall Centre: Coastal Lunar Lanterns
A lantern art installation was also set up at the Bentall Centre at 505 Burrard Street, a couple of blocks from Canada Place and the Coal Harbour Seawall.
The display at this venue could be seen anytime between January 29th and February 19th in 2025. It was called “Coastal Lunar Lanterns” and featured an Indigenous theme.
Visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website to learn more about the festival.
Lantern City at Robson Plaza: We Are Family
Another lantern art installation was on display at Robson Plaza, 800 Robson Street. It was up between January 29th and February 18th, 2025.
The 2025 display was called “We Are Family.” Inspired by the process of snakes shedding their skin, this display left the past behind and showcased the city’s diverse communities.
Lantern City at Granville Island: Forever Young
This part of The Lantern City art installations was on display at Ocean Artworks on Granville Island from January 29th until February 18th. The lanterns were free to view at any time between these dates and featured a “Forever Young” theme. The lanterns were meant to inspire the creativity of children and the inner child in everyone else.
Ocean Artworks is a covered, outdoor pavilion and public space located at 1531 Johnston Street. It’s close to the Granville Island Public Market and, almost, but not quite, directly under the Granville Street Bridge. The lanterns were great to see in combination with a visit to the market and other shops at Granville Island, or while in the area for shopping, dinner at a restaurant or seeing some theatre.
Best times to check out the lanterns were at night (when they were at their prettiest), or during the day when LunarFest Community Celebrations were also taking place.
(TIP: Granville Island is famous for its unique shops, art studios, restaurants and theatres. It’s also next to the False Creek Seawall which is a great place for walks and leisurely bike rides.)
Visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website to learn more about the festival.
Lantern City at the Pendulum Gallery: Comics on the Island
An exhibition was also set up inside the Pendulum Gallery. Located at 885 West Georgia Street, the featured displays were comics about different human emotions. The stories were depicted from the perspectives of the Taiwanese. The exhibition was on view from January 29th to February 21st in 2025.
(TIP: The Pendulum Gallery is across the street from the Vancouver Art Gallery, which was another location with lantern displays from January 29th to February 18th. It’s worth checking out both locations while in the area!)
Visit the website thelanterncity.ca to learn more about Lantern City events.
LunarFest Community Celebrations
Events and activities are usually held at a couple of different locations, including Ocean Artworks on Granville Island. The other regular venue is Å¡xʷƛ̓ənÉ™q Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (which is the north plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery). In 2025, there were also activities at the Pendulum Gallery, Bentall Centre, and other venues.
The 2025 community events and activities schedule is listed below. In 2026, the activities are likely to be similar.
Saturday, February 1st, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion on Granville Island)
Sunday, February 2nd, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks on Granville Island)
Friday, February 7th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
Visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website to learn more about the festival.
Saturday, February 8th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 11:00 am to 1:00 pm – Year of Transformation Workshop with Christine Mackenzie (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Net Loft)
- 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm – Suona: Sounds from the East with Suona Gang (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm – Reinventing the Written Word: Calligra-ffiti Workshop with Godkidlla (at The Post at 750)
Visit lunarfestvancouver.ca for the full festival program.
Sunday, February 9th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 11:00 am to 1:00 pm – Suona: Sounds from the East with Suona Gang (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Net Loft)
- 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
Tuesday, February 11th, 2025
- 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm – Guided Tour with Ruan Guang-Min in Mandarin (at the Pendulum Gallery)
Wednesday, February 12th, 2025
- 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Artist Talk with Ruan Guang-Min (at the UBC Anime Club)
Thursday, February 13th, 2025
- 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – Artist Talk with Ruan Guang-Min (at the Pendulum Gallery)
- 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Guided Tour with Ruan Guang-Min (at the Pendulum Gallery)
Visit lunarfestvancouver.ca for the full festival program.
Friday, February 14th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 7:00 pm – Artist Talk with Ruan Guang-Min (at the UBC Anime Club)
- 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm – Artist Talk with Godkidlla in Mandarin (at the Vancouver Central Library)
Saturday, February 15th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Dumpling Game (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Net Loft)
- 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm – Reinventing the Written Word: Calligra-ffiti Workshop with Godkidlla (at The Post at 750)
- 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm – Artist Talk with Ruan Guang-Min in Mandarin (at the Vancouver Central Library)
Visit lunarfestvancouver.ca for the full festival program.
Sunday, February 16th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Artists Market (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Dumpling Game (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Net Loft)
Monday, February 17th, 2025
- 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Dumpling Game (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 11:00 am to 1:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm – Transformation and Adaptability Workshop with Clarissa Banos (at the Ocean Artworks Pavilion)
- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – LunarFest Craft Workshop (at the Net Loft)
Tuesday, February 18th, 2025
- 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm – Guided Tour of Comics on the Island exhibition (at the Pendulum Gallery)
Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
- 11:00 am to 11:30 am – Guided Tour of Comics on the Island exhibition (at the Pendulum Gallery)
- 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm – Guided Tour of Comics on the Island exhibition in Mandarin (at the Pendulum Gallery)
Visit lunarfestvancouver.ca for the full festival program.
LunarFest Concert
The featured LunarFest Concert in 2025 took place at 7:00 pm on Monday, January 27th. It was held at the Orpheum Theatre and tickets were on a pay-what-you-can scale ranging from $8 to $18.
LunarFest invited everyone to celebrate the Year of the Snake in harmony. The show’s lineup included the Suona Gang, Harmonia String Ensemble, West Van Youth Band, and violin soloists.
Visit the LunarFest Vancouver website for full details about the concert.
LNY Splash
LNY Splash is related to both LunarFest and The Lantern City. This third series of events included a number of films on Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th, 2025, at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver.
LYN Splash Films
The LNY Splash film lineup for 2025 is below for reference.
Saturday, February 8th, 2025
- Hao Are You (Germany/Vietnam)
- Stand Up Story (Hong Kong)
- Granny Must Die (Taiwan)
Sunday, February 9th, 2025
- Come Home, My Child (Taiwan)
- Picnic (South Korea)
Visit the LNY Splash website for more information about the films.
Other Information
Visit the official LunarFest Vancouver website for more information about the LunarFest event. Visit The Lantern City website for more information about just the lantern displays.
See our article about Lunar New Year Celebrations to learn about similar events celebrating the same occasion.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- The Lantern City
- Historical Chinatown Walking Tours
- Vancouver Festivals and Events
- Shows and Entertainment Calendar
- January and February Calendars of Events
- TaiwanFest in September
