Victoria Day in 2026 is on Monday, May 18th. There is a lot to do in the Lower Mainland over this weekend including a rodeo, car show and parades.
Metro Vancouver on the Victoria Day Long Weekend
Top May long weekend activities in the Lower Mainland include the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey and the Vancouver All British Field Meet car show at VanDusen Garden. Both of these events usually happen, as do the free Engine 374 Celebrations at the Roundhouse in Yaletown. There’s also Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding show in Vancouver, a Victoria Day Boat Party, and shows put on by the Royal Canadian International Circus in Surrey and Richmond.
On the North Shore there is the Shipyards Night Market. This weekend also marks the first day of the season for the rides at Playland.
In addition to the above, there’s a lot happening in Fort Langley every day of the long weekend. There’s the Brewhalla Beer & Music Festival, and the Fort Langley May Days Festival & Parade. There are also special events at the Fort Langley National Historic Site.
Other things to do on the long weekend include outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver, and ropes course adventures with WildPlay in Maple Ridge. Exploring Lower Mainland Parks and Nature and hanging out at any of Vancouver’s Best Beaches are also popular activities. Many of the Lower Mainland’s Outdoor Swimming Pools also open for the season just in time for the holiday.
Vancouver All British Field Meet
Hundreds of classic British cars are on display at VanDusen Garden on the May long weekend. The All British Field Meet car show is slated to happen on the Victoria Day long weekend on Saturday, May 16th in 2026, though details are to be confirmed.
At the event there are usually close to 500 vehicles including MGs, Jaguars, Minis and pretty much every imaginable type of British-made car. Every year there are some ultra-special editions too. The 2025 meet, for example, celebrated the 121st anniversary of the Rolls-Royce.
If you like British cars and it’s a sunny day, there’s no other place you’ll want to be. May is one of the best times of the year to see the gardens anyway, so this weekend is a perfect time to visit VanDusen even if you aren’t a total car fanatic (like so many of us are).
Click Vancouver All British Field Meet for more information.
Royal Canadian Circus
The Royal Canadian International Circus is in the Lower Mainland over the May long weekend most years. This past year the circus was in Surrey from May 8th to 11th and in Richmond between May 15th and 19th.
The circus shows are highly recommended, especially for families. There are no exotic animals (which is great), but there are world-class acts.
Tickets for the circus typically start at $39.50. If you use the promo code “VansBestPlaces” when purchasing General Admission tickets for the circus, however, you’ll receive 2-for-1 pricing. That works out to only about $26 per person after taxes and online fees. It’s a terrific deal. (Note: The promo code is good for General Admission, not VIP or Ringside seats.)
See our article about the Royal Canadian Circus or visit royalcanadiancircus.ca for more information.
Vancouver Boat Parties Event
An event that doesn’t happen every year on the long weekend (but does a lot of the time) is the Victoria Day Weekend Boat Party hosted by Vancouver Boat Parties. In 2025 it took place on Saturday, May 17th, from 8:00 pm until midnight.
Party-goers arrive at a multi-level yacht at 760 Pacific Boulevard near BC Place and Rogers Arena. From there the boat heads out through False Creek and into English Bay while playing music across multiple dance floors.
The event is only for those who are 19+ as it’s fully licensed and there are plenty of drinks to be had along with all the dancing. Tickets range from $40 to $60 depending on how early you buy them. Click Vancouver Boat Parties to learn more.
Engine 374 Train Celebrations
At the Roundhouse Community Centre on the Victoria Day long weekend are the anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the first train in Vancouver (which happened on May 23rd in 1887).
The Engine 374 Pavilion is a free museum at the Roundhouse. It’s open almost every day, although not usually on statutory holidays. On the Sunday of the May long weekend the museum hosts a special event celebrating the day when Engine 374 first arrived in the city. The free event includes live music. The train is also outside for people to admire and go on.
See our articles about the Engine 374 Pavilion to learn more about the museum and Engine 374 Celebrations to learn more about the event.
Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair
The Cloverdale Rodeo was back in 2025. It ran from Friday, May 16th, until Monday, May 19th. We expect it to return in 2026.
At the rodeo there are bucking broncos, barrel races, bull riding competitions and more. At the fair there is also a parade, country music, midway rides and all kinds of farm animals. Kids love it, as do young adults and people of all ages.
Check out our Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair article for more information.
Playland at the PNE
Vancouver’s main amusement park is Playland at the PNE. On the Victoria Day long weekend this year, it ran on select dates starting on Saturday, May 17th. The place offers rides for all ages. It’s a great attraction for families and people wanting to spend a day outside in the summer.
There are thrilling rides like AtmosFear and The Beast, along with kid-friendly rides like Balloon Explorers and Cool Cruzers. Also, if you bought a season pass before May 21st you got a $20 discount.
See our Playland at the PNE article to learn more about this attraction.
Victoria Day Weekend at Fort Langley
Fort Langley is a great place to take the family any time of the year, but especially when it has special events like on the Victoria Day long weekend.
The Fort Langley Historic Site had a Hawaiian Luau on the Saturday in 2024. The event was hosted together with The Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society. There were Hawaiian language workshops, crafts, and presentations about the connection between the fort and the Hawaiian Islands. On Monday, May 20th, the fort also had special May Day activities. Details about the activities in 2025 were to be confirmed at the time of writing.
There are a couple of awesome adults-only events in town on the long weekend as well. On the Saturday there is the Brewhalla Beer & Music Festival at Fort Langley Park. At the same venue the next day (in 2024), there was Spirits in the Park which showcased the products of craft distilleries (like whisky, vodka, gin and other spirits). These are terrific events for people who like music, beer and other adult beverages. (Note: Details about Spirits in the Park in 2025 were to be confirmed, though it appeared the event may not have happened this year.)
Finally, on the holiday Monday, there’s the annual Fort Langley May Day celebrations. Festivities include a parade, community events in the park and activities at the historic fort.
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding Show
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is a dinner theatre show by Hammer Up Productions. The event took place at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 179 on May 16th and 17th in 2025.
The show is a comedy about a wedding that goes wrong. It’s an immersive experience and everyone is encouraged to dress up as if they are attending an actual wedding. There are opportunities to participate in the show and there’s music and dancing as well. Tickets include dinner.
See our article about Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding Show to learn more about the show.
Shipyards Night Market
North Vancouver’s Shipyards Night Market is always a fun event to attend. It happens every Friday between early to mid-May and early September. From 3:00 pm until 10:00 pm there is music, food trucks and artisan vendors. Indoors, in the Pipe Shop, there’s also the Made in the 604 Artisan Market.
Weekend Games and Adventures
A number of attractions and adventure companies offer things to do on the May long weekend. WildPlay in Maple Ridge, for example, had a Pro-D Day Camp on Thursday, May 15th, 2025, for kids ages 7 to 14.
Other activities you can do on the Victoria Day long weekend include walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver, adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, and virtual reality games (like Far Cry) at Zero Latency. There are also multi-dimensional films at FlyOver Canada and live comedy shows at The Improv Centre on Granville Island.
At the Roundhouse in Yaletown there are Vancouver Train Celebrations. For people who like shopping and outdoor markets, there’s the Richmond Night Market on various nights in Richmond, and farmers markets all over the Lower Mainland including at Lonsdale Quay, Burnaby and Ambleside in West Vancouver.
Vancouver and Lower Mainland Parks and Beaches
Provided the weather is good, top places to be in Metro Vancouver include city and regional parks as well as provincial parks like Alice Lake near Squamish, Bridal Veil Falls and Cultus Lake in the Fraser Valley, and Rolley Lake near Mission.
If the weather is hot (like it has been in recent years), area beaches are also popular places on the May long weekend.
Click Vancouver Parks and Places in Nature for a list of parks in the Lower Mainland.
See our article about Vancouver’s Best Beaches for a list of places to hang out on the sand.
Other Information
Check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ May Calendar for more great activities in the month of May.
Other articles that may be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver Festivals & Events
- What’s Happening This Weekend
- Mother’s Day in Vancouver
- Father’s Day in Vancouver
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Best Places for Children
See the website VictoriasBestPlaces.com to learn about what’s happening on the May long weekend in BC’s capital city.
