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 2024 it ran from August 17th until September 2nd. The venue is also home to Playland, with its amusement rides from late spring until the end of the summer. From October 4th until the 31st, there are haunted houses and rides at Fright Nights.

To learn about what to expect at the PNE Fair at the end of the summer, see below or visit the pne.ca website.

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. 2024’s fair ran on most days between August 17th and September 2nd.

The PNE has all of Playland‘s usual midway and various amusement rides. What’s more, 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, Fright Nights and the PNE Winter Fair. 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 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 2024 was $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 cost $9. Admission was free for children ages 3 and under.

If you bought your general admission tickets to the PNE Fair online in advance, they cost $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and youth, and $7 for children on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you purchased your general admission tickets for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or the Holiday Monday, or on the day just before your visit, they cost $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and youth, or $9 for children.

Playland Fair Ride passes for all-day access to the amusement rides were about $55 for most folks in 2024. There’s also a secondary pass option at $44 for people shorter than 48 inches tall or those less interested in the bigger rides.

Ways to Save at the PNE

There are 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.

One of the biggest ways to save in 2024 was buying four tickets using the promo code VBP40 for any date prior to August 31st. If you did that you could get four tickets for just $40 (i.e., $10 each)! Those who took advantage of that deal clicked VBP’s $40 PNE Pack and used the promo code VBP40.

Other Ways to Save at the PNE

In 2024, admission tickets purchased online in advance were $2 to $10 cheaper than what they cost at the gate depending on your age and the date you went. Ride passes were $5 cheaper when purchased at least a day in advance.

There are other ways to save as well. Members of the BC Automobile Association (BCAA) typically receive a 30% discount on both general admission and ride passes. In addition, on Fridays in 2024, if you showed your Compass Card and visited the TransLink activation zone, you could get 2-for-1 admission!

On the first two days of the fair (so on the Saturday and Sunday of August 17th & 18th in 2024), if you buy your tickets online in advance they’ll cost you just just $7 (which is less than half price for adults)! Also, on Tuesdays to Thursdays in 2024, gate admission for adults was just $15 when purchased online. This compared to $20 if purchased online for other days of the week, or $25 if purchased at the gate on any date. Consequently, if you buy your tickets online in advance, and go on the first weekend or mid-week, you’ll save a few dollars.

As mentioned above, if you purchased four general admission tickets in advance online for dates up until August 30th, 2024, they cost just $40 for all four of them when using the promo code VBP40. To redeem the offer, click VBP’s 2024 PNE Deal (and don’t forget to use the code).

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

Chicago Band on Stage — Chicago 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.

In 2023 performers included TLC, Jason Derulo, Boyz II Men, and Billy Idol. 2024’s headliners included Ludacris, Barenaked Ladies, Flo Rida and Blue Rodeo.

Click PNE Summer Concerts for more details!

Nicolas Reyes from the Gypsy Kings at the PNE

PNE Summer Night Concerts in 2024 were held on the Chevrolet Stage in the Pacific Coliseum. They normally take place outdoors in the PNE Amphitheatre, but that venue is currently closed for construction.

The concerts start at 8:00 pm and run every night the fair is open. All concerts in the series are paid events. Concert tickets include general admission to the fair as well.

The lineup of PNE Summer Night Concerts in 2024 was as follows:

Saturday, August 17th, 2024 – Burton Cummings & Band with Colin James
Sunday, August 18th, 2024 – Amanda Marshall with Serena Ryder
Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 – Darryl Hall
Thursday, August 22nd, 2024 – John Fogerty
Friday, August 23rd, 2024 – Brad Paisley
Saturday, August 24th, 2024 – Gerry Dee
Sunday, August 25th, 2024 – Charlotte Cardin
Tuesday, August 27th, 2024 – The Commodores with The Pointer Sisters
Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 – Flo Rida
Thursday, August 29th, 2024 – Blue Rodeo
Friday, August 30th, 2024 – Ludacris
Saturday, August 31st, 2024 – Punjabi Virsa Night 2024
Sunday, September 1st, 2024 – Barenaked Ladies
Monday, September 2nd, 2024 – I Love the 90’s Tour featuring Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, All-4-One

Click PNE Summer Concerts for more details!

Superdogs Ninja Dog — SuperDogs at the PNE

Special PNE Features

In 2024 the PNE featured some of the fair’s traditional exhibits including its free SuperDogs shows, farm displays and the vendor marketplace.

PNE attractions for 2024 included the following:

Agriculture Displays – as always a small farm is put together, which gives people the chance to learn about the different animals and equipment in an interactive way.
Blue’s Dance Party – children can enjoy singing and dancing with Blue the Bear and his friends at the Toon City Stage.
Dinosaurs Around the World – an outdoor exhibit where you can learn about the geological history of the earth through the eyes of several large dinosaur models.
For the Love of Drag – various “queens” perform favourite Pop songs in full drag.
Marketplace – one of the traditional PNE features, there are 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 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm daily.

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

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 2024, all-day ride passes cost $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 for those who aren’t interested in the bigger rides, there’s also a “Fun Pass” that costs $44 and grants access to just 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, Teacups and the Super Slide. 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, although, with a few, 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 Alien Abduction, Kettle Creek Mine Coaster, Octopus, Scrambler and Tilt-A-Whirl. Unless you suffer from motion sickness, most of these 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 also 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 PNEs Wooden Roller Coaster

Serious PNE Rides

Some of the more serious rides at the PNE include the Atmosfear, Breakdance, the Crazy Beach Party, Gladiator and Music Express. They all rip around pretty fast! The Wooden Roller Coaster is also a serious ride when it is available.

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

The other two most extreme rides at the fair are the Drop Zone and Revelation, both of which cost extra. With the former, you are shot up into the air bungee-style, and with the other, you are spun around and around from ground level way up into the sky.

There’s also a new ride in 2024! It’s called ThunderVolt, and it’s the replacement for the old corkscrew coaster. This new coaster is the fastest electric coaster in the country and the most expensive ride Playland has to offer.

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

PNE Ride Tips

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

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 the Tilt-A-Whirl, Octopus, 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 in years when it’s available. Rides most likely to make you queasy are the Enterprise, Revelation, Hell’s Gate, Octopus and Crazy Beach Party. 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 was the case in 2024. Tours were available in Langley, the site of the prize home, on select weekends in the summer. Despite that, there is still usually 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 include cars, vacations and cash.

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

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 hosts the PNE Winter Fair. The Christmas-themed event runs from December 6th to 8th, and from the 12th to the 23rd this year. At the event guests enjoy holiday illuminations, festive food, an outdoor market, ice skating and live entertainment.

Admission to the PNE Winter Fair last year is between $7.50 and $35 depending on your age and when you buy your tickets.

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

Other Information

In 2024, 637,920 people attended the PNE Fair in the summer. This compares with 626,531 people who attended in 2023 and 529,772 people in 2022. 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: