LunarFest Vancouver is a celebration of the Lunar New Year. The arts and cultural festival features live entertainment, lantern displays and more.
In 2025 the festival runs from January 27th to February 22nd. It includes lots of interesting activities, including on the Lunar New Year weekend during the festival’s first few days, and on the Family Day Long Weekend of February 15th to 17th. The first day of the Year of the Snake is January 29th.
For the festival’s official website visit lunarfestvancouver.ca.
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 in 2025
The Lunar New Year is a traditional celebration in a number of 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. 2025 is the Year of the Snake (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 (and in late January this year).
Hosted by the same organization behind TaiwanFest in September, the LunarFest series of events runs from January 27th through February 22nd in 2025. Other events related to LunarFest that also celebrate the 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 a number of films at the VIFF Centre.
The series of events is inclusive to everyone. It’s an expression of several Asian cultures with the goal of bringing local communities together.
To learn more about the festival visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website.
LunarFest Schedule
LunarFest Vancouver 2025 runs from January 27th to February 22nd. The theme of this year’s festival is “Fluidity in Diversity”. Locations and dates of things you can check out are listed below.
The Lantern City
Lantern displays take 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.
To learn more about the above art installations, continue reading, see our article about The Lantern City or visit the website thelanterncity.ca.
LunarFest Celebrations
Other events and activities take 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 can be found further below in this article.
LunarFest Concert: Fluidity in Diversity
A special free performance takes place in downtown Vancouver in 2025.
- The Orpheum (601 Smithe Street) – January 27th at 7:00 pm.
The concert features the Suona Gang, Harmonia String Ensemble, West Van Youth Band and two violin soloists. For full details click 2025 LunarFest Concert.
Continue reading to learn more about some of the featured events listed above.
The Lantern City in Vancouver
There are 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 are free to admire and each location has a different theme.
Details about this year’s exhibitions are below.
Lantern City at the Vancouver Art Gallery: Hundred Pace Snake
The art installation in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery takes place in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square which is in the 800 block of West Georgia Street between Howe Street and Hornby.
In 2025 the theme of the lanterns outside the art gallery is “Hundred Pace Snake.” The lantern art recognizes and showcases the diverse communities of Metro Vancouver. It features a combination of a snake and the sea. The displays at this location can be admired anytime between January 29th and February 18th.
Lantern City at the Bentall Centre: Coastal Lunar Lanterns
A lantern art installation is also set up at the Bentall Centre at 505 Burrard Street. It’s a couple blocks away from Canada Place and the Coal Harbour Seawall.
The display at this venue can be seen anytime between January 29th and February 19th in 2025. This year the art is called “Coastal Lunar Lanterns” and it has an Indigenous theme.
To learn more about the festival visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website.
Lantern City at Robson Plaza: We Are Family
Another lantern art installation is available to check out at Robson Plaza at 800 Robson Street. It’s up between January 29th and February 18th in 2025.
This year’s display is “We Are Family.” Inspired by the process of snakes shedding their skin, this display leaves the past behind and showcases all the diverse communities within the city.
Lantern City at Granville Island: Forever Young
This part of The Lantern City art installations is on display at Ocean Artworks on Granville Island from January 29th until February 18th in 2025. The lanterns are free to see at any time between these dates and they have a “Forever Young” theme. The lanterns are meant to inspire the creativity of children as well as 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 are 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 are at night (when they are at their prettiest), or during the day when LunarFest Community Celebrations are 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.)
To learn more about the festival visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website.
Lantern City at the Pendulum Gallery: Comics on the Island
An exhibition is also set up inside the Pendulum Gallery. Located at 885 West Georgia Street, the featured displays are comics about different human emotions. The stories are depicted from the perspectives of the Taiwanese. The exhibition is available to check out between January 29th and February 21st in 2025.
(TIP: The Pendulum Gallery is across the street from the Vancouver Art Gallery, which is another location with lantern displays from January 29th to February 18th. It’s worth checking out both locations while in the area!)
To learn more about Lantern City events visit the website thelanterncity.ca.
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 šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (which is the north plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery). In 2025 there are also activities at the Pendulum Gallery, Bentall Centre and other venues.
The schedule of community events and activities happening in 2025 is below. (Note: Exact details are subject to change.)
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)
To learn more about the festival visit the lunarfestvancouver.ca website.
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)
For the full festival program, visit lunarfestvancouver.ca.
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)
For the full festival program, visit lunarfestvancouver.ca.
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)
For the full festival program, visit lunarfestvancouver.ca.
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)
For the full festival program, visit lunarfestvancouver.ca.
LunarFest Concert in 2025
The featured LunarFest Concert in 2025 takes place at 7:00 pm on Monday, January 27th. It’s held at the Orpheum Theatre and tickets are on a pay-what-you-can scale ranging from $8 to $18.
LunarFest invites everyone to celebrate the Year of the Snake in harmony. The show’s lineup includes the Suona Gang, Harmonia String Ensemble, West Van Youth Band, and violin soloists.
For full details about the concert visit the LunarFest Vancouver website.
LNY Splash in 2025
LNY Splash is related to both LunarFest and The Lantern City. This third series of events includes a number of films on the Saturday and Sunday of February 8th and 9th at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver.
LYN Splash Films
The LNY Splash film lineup for 2025 is below.
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)
For more information about the films, visit the LNY Splash website.
Other Information
For more information about the LunarFest event visit the official LunarFest Vancouver website. For more information about just the lantern displays visit The Lantern City website.
To learn about similar events celebrating the same occasion, see our article about Lunar New Year Celebrations.
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
