Pacific National Exhibition

The Pacific National Exhibition, or PNE, has been an annual Vancouver fair for over 100 years. It has rides, shows, farm animals, midway games and concerts.

The PNE Fair takes place during the last three or so weeks of the summer each year. In 2026 it runs from August 22nd until September 7th, which is slightly later than usual.

The venue is also home to Playland, with its amusement rides from late spring until the end of the summer. In October there are haunted houses and rides at Fright Nights. There also used to be the PNE Winter Fair on select dates in December.

This article contains details about the following:

Click on any of the above links to jump to specific information, or continue reading to learn all about the Pacific National Exhibition.

The PNE Fair in Vancouver

Taking place the last three weeks of the summer and finishing on the Labour Day Long Weekend, the PNE is when Vancouver’s Playland turns into a first-class fair. 2026’s fair runs every day except for non-holiday Mondays between August 22nd and September 7th.

The PNE has all of Playland‘s usual midway and various amusement rides. What’s added, though, are all the tantalizing food stalls, the live entertainment and the excitement of a carnival.

If you’ve never been to the Pacific National Exhibition, or you haven’t been for many years, you should go! It’s a Vancouver tradition. You’ll have a great time!

PNE events at other times of the year include Playland and Fright Nights. Lots of other private events use the venue too. For a list of what’s happening and when throughout the year, click Vancouver Events at the PNE.

For tickets and full details about the PNE Fair, see the official PNE.ca website.

Carnival Rides at the PNE — Playland at the PNE

Admission to the PNE

General admission to the PNE Fair usually costs more on weekends and if you buy your tickets at the gate. They cost less if you go on a weekday and/or make your purchase online.

Admission to the PNE Fair for 2026 is $25 at the gate for visitors ages 19 to 64. Seniors and folks ages 13 to 18 cost $16. Passes at the gate for children ages 4 to 12 are $9. Admission is free for children ages 3 and under.

If you buy your general admission tickets to the PNE Fair online in advance, they are $20 for adults, $14 for seniors and youth, and $7 for children.

Playland Fair Ride passes for all-day access to the amusement rides are $55 for most folks in 2026. There’s also a secondary pass option for $44 for people shorter than 48 inches tall or those less interested in the bigger rides. Both types of ride passes cost $5 less if they’re purchased at least one day in advance.

2026 Season Pass Details

In 2026 season passes are good for every date the fair is open between August 22nd and September 7th. They start at $90 (with prices going up the closer you get to the fair opening) and are good for general admission.

Although they don’t include access to the rides, 2026 season passes do include some nice extra perks. One is that they include two Buddy Tickets, which means you can invite a friend to go with you on two different dates for no extra change. The season passes also include a Pizza and Play voucher which is good for a free slice of pizza and a game pass (the latter of which is good for one game in the midway). Finally, they also include two tickets to Fright Nights for its opening weekend in October. All of that makes season passes a fabulous deal!

For tickets and full details about the season passes, see the PNE.ca website.

Kids' Farm Experience

Ways to Save at the PNE

There are normally several ways to save money at the PNE. They include going on special discounted days, saving with partner memberships, buying your tickets in advance, and other ways.

Other Ways to Save at the PNE

Admission tickets purchased online in advance are cheaper than what they cost at the gate. Ride passes are $5 cheaper when purchased at least a day in advance too.

There were other ways to save in 2025 as well. Admission on the opening weekend was just $7 per person and everyone was encouraged to wear their favourite sports jerseys. There were two TransLink Fridays, which meant if you showed your Compass Card at the gate on those days, you received 2 for 1 admission. Whether or not that will be the case again in 2026 is to be confirmed as of mid-July.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays last season, you could have bought four tickets for the price of two with the promo code FAIRTW. Plus, for people who only arrived between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm on any night of the fair, tickets were 50% off at the gate.

Members of the BC Automobile Association (BCAA) receive a 30% discount on both general admission and ride passes last year. This is the case once again in 2026.

For tickets and full details about the PNE Fair, see the official PNE.ca website.

Flo Rida at the PNE Fair — Flo Rida at the PNE

PNE Summer Night Concerts

Most years, the PNE hosts live outdoor concerts by rock bands of yesteryear, as well as the occasional country and rock groups still big in the present day.

Click PNE Summer Concerts for more details!

PNE Summer Night Concerts in 2026 happen outdoors in the new Freedom Mobile Arch.

The 2026 concerts run every night the fair is open. All concerts in the series are paid events. Concert tickets purchased online include general admission to the fair as well.

The lineup of PNE Summer Night Concerts in 2026 is as follows (with many bands to be confirmed):

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 – Blue Rodeo
Sunday, August 23rd, 2026 – The Guess Who
Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 – The Beaches
Wednesday, August 26th, 2026 – Nelly
Thursday, August 27th, 2026 – Zedd
Friday, August 28th, 2026 – Mt. Joy
Saturday, August 29th, 2026 – Cynthia Erivo with the VSO
Sunday, August 30th, 2026 – Punjabi Virsa
Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 – Train
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 – Barenaked Ladies
Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 – “Weird Al” Yankovic
Friday, September 4th, 2026 – Earth, Wind & Fire
Saturday, September 5th, 2026 – Pierce The Veil
Sunday, September 6th, 2026 – Sarah McLachlan
Monday, September 7th, 2026 – Boy George & Culture Club

For tickets and full details about the PNE Fair, see the official PNE.ca website.

Music in the Park at the PNE

Special PNE Features

In 2026 the PNE features some of the fair’s traditional exhibits including its free SuperDogs shows, farm displays and the vendor marketplace.

This year’s PNE attractions includes the following (among other entertainment):

Agriculture at the Fair – as always a small farm was put together, which gave people the chance to learn about the different animals and equipment in an interactive way.
British Columbia Tattoo – a military band performance that features, drums, pipes, dancers and more putting on a powerful and precise show. Held at the Agrodome on August 22nd and 23rd.
Dueling Piano Kings – an interactive concert performance where two piano players take any and all song requests from the audience.
Marketplace – one of the traditional PNE features, there were over 90 exhibitors to explore and a wide variety of products on offer.
Remix Inferno (A Pyro Music Spectacular) – the skies are illuminated with musical mash-ups at 9:45 every night.
Safeway Cooking Stage – live daily culinary demonstrations with local ingredients. Chefs also answer questions.
The SuperDogs – one of the most popular attractions every year, these highly talented dogs wow crowds with their tricks at 12:30 pm, 3:00 pm and 6:45 pm daily, with a bonus 5:00 pm show on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Westcoast Lumberjack Show – the Westcoast Lumberjacks are back at the PNE this year and will perform their loud and impressive show at the Italian Gardens.
Wizard of Oz on Ice – performed daily inside Pacific Coliseum, enjoy the classic story told through ice skating choreography and fun special effects.

For tickets and full details about the PNE Fair, see the official PNE.ca website.

Superdogs Ninja Dog — SuperDogs at the PNE

PNE Amusement Rides

The PNE features nearly 36 amusement rides. Some are for kids and others only for extreme thrill-seekers. Many of the rides spin, some drop and others just go around and around.

PNE Amusement Ride Prices

For a list of some of the rides at the PNE, and descriptions of each, see our article about Playland Rides.

In 2026, all-day ride passes are $55 at the gate for individuals who want access to all the available rides during the PNE. Some of them are restricted to individuals at least 4 feet tall (i.e. 120 cm). For the younger ones (or those who weren’t interested in the bigger rides), there’s also a “Fun Pass” that costs $44 and grants access to a select number of family-friendly rides.

Below we categorize the different rides usually operating at the PNE. Every person is different, though, so what’s a tame ride for some can be terrifying for others. It all depends on your comfort with heights, drops, speed and spins.

PNE Kids Rides

PNE rides for little kids in a typical year include Balloon Explorers, Bug Whirled, Cool Cruzers, Choppers, Cap’n KC, Dizzy Drop, The Flutterbye, Honeybee Express, Merry-Go-Round and Teacups. All of these rides are pretty tame.

There are also amusement rides that are good for almost everyone, like the Ferris Wheel, Wave Swinger and Rock-n-Cars (i.e. bumper cars).

Most of the above attractions require riders to be at least 3 feet tall, with a few that smaller children can still ride with a parent. With a couple of the rides there is a maximum height restriction of 5 feet, and, with a few others, smaller children taller than 36 inches still have to ride with an adult.

Medium-Level Rides at the PNE

Medium-level rides at the PNE include the Kettle Creek Mine Coaster and Scrambler. Unless you suffer from motion sickness, those rides are pretty fun and not too over the top. Another popular ride is the Flume, which is a log chute-style ride where you get wet at the end.

Some people consider the Pirate Ship a medium-level ride, although it’s definitely on the more extreme end of this category’s spectrum. We list Kettle Creek Mine Coaster above as medium-level, but on the other hand, it is also arguably at the high edge of the little kid range.

Wooden Roller Coaster at PNE Playland — The PNE’s Wooden Roller Coaster

Serious PNE Rides

Some of the more serious rides at the PNE include the Atmosfear, Breakdance and Gladiator. They all rip around pretty fast! The Wooden Roller Coaster is also a serious ride (and a hugely popular one).

The most serious rides at the PNE are, arguably, The Beast, Enterprise, Hell’s Gate and Hellevator. They are all pretty impressive!

There’s also the ThunderVolt ride, which is the replacement for the old corkscrew coaster. This new coaster opened in 2024 and it’s the fastest electric coaster in the country.

For more information about the various rides, click Playland Rides Descriptions.

Drag Show at the PNE

PNE Ride Tips

Below are some tips and advice to help you enjoy your PNE rides as much as possible most years.

TIP #1: If you don’t want to get wet, don’t go on the Flume. If it’s a hot sunny day, though, and you do want to cool down, then head to the Flume early before the lineup gets really long. It’s an especially popular ride when the weather is hot.

TIP #2: For folks who don’t like spinning around and getting dizzy, some of the rides you’ll want to avoid include Breakdance, Gladiator, Scrambler and possibly even the Tea Cups.

TIP #3: If you’ve never been on a rollercoaster and want to test one out, go on the Kettle Creek Mine Coaster first. It’s fun and a little crazy, but nothing too extreme.

TIP #4: In our opinion, the ride most likely to give you a heart attack is the Hellevator, followed by the Wooden Roller Coaster. Rides most likely to make you queasy are the Enterprise, Revelation, Hell’s Gate and The Beast. Everyone is different, though, so actual results may vary!

TIP #5: If you have neck or back problems, stick to the tamest rides (like the Ferris Wheel) and don’t even think about going on the rollercoaster or even the bumper cars.

TIP #6: Proper footwear is required on some rides. For example, flip-flops and slip-on shoes are not allowed on the Beast or Hell’s Gate.

PNE Prize Home Lottery

Every summer the PNE has a lottery where ticket purchasers can win a dream home as well as other valuable prizes. The PNE Prize Home used to be built on the grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition and during the PNE Fair in the summer people could go inside and look around. After the fair ended and the lucky ticket was drawn, the house moved to a permanent location.

Since 2021, however, the house has been built at its permanent address from the beginning. The same is the case in 2026. Tours are available in Surrey, the site of the prize home, on select days in the summer. Despite that, there’s still a display on-site at the fair that you can visit for a taste of what the main prize home is like.

In addition to the house, other prizes in the lottery this year include cars, shopping sprees, and cash.

To learn more about the lottery, see our article about the PNE Prize Home Lottery.

Festival Food at the PNE

General Tips & Advice

Here are some more tips and suggestions on how to make the most of your experience at the PNE:

TIP #1: You don’t have to go on rides to enjoy the PNE – you can easily spend the whole day just taking in the sights and entertainment. If you just want the rides, then you can go to Playland when the PNE isn’t taking place. Go in May, June, July, early August or late September.

TIP #2: If you don’t like crowds, then the Pacific National Exhibition might not be the best place to go as it is such a popular place. Good times to avoid the masses, though, include rainy days and in the evenings from about 7:30 pm until 9:30 pm while everyone is at the concerts.

TIP #3: The PNE always has a big selection of food available for purchase. There is sometimes a “Taste of the Fair” menu with smaller items that cost under $10. For full details on all the food see the PNE Fair Food page.

PNE Video

For a look at some of the many great things to see and do at the Pacific National Exhibition, check out the video below.

PNE Christmas and Other Winter Events

The PNE is most famous for its end-of-summer Fair and Playland rides. The place hosts major events at other times of the year too, though, including at Christmas. A few years ago it was the host venue for the Aurora Winter Festival. It hosted the Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival before that. In 2021 the Pacific National Exhibition held the PNE WinterLights drive-through event.

In 2024 the venue hosted the PNE Winter Fair. The Christmas-themed event ran from December 6th to 8th, and from the 12th to the 23rd that year. At the event guests enjoyed holiday illuminations, festive food, an outdoor market, ice skating and live entertainment.

Admission to the PNE Winter Fair a couple years ago was between $7.50 and $35 depending on your age and when you bought your tickets. The event didn’t happen in 2025, and it’s unknown whether it will return.

To learn more, see our article about the PNE Winter Fair.

PNE Winter Fair

Other Information

In 2025, 612,404 people attended the PNE Fair in the summer. This compares with 637,920 people who attended in 2024 and 626,531 people in 2023. In 2019, the last year before the pandemic struck, attendance numbers reached 730,000 people.

The PNE is the largest employer of youth in British Columbia and the PNE Fair is the largest ticketed event of the year in the province.

To learn more about Playland and the PNE, check out the following: