Vancouver International Dance Festival

The Vancouver International Dance Festival, or VIDF, is an annual festival that celebrates the art of contemporary dance.

In 2026 the festival runs from March 4th to 14th.

Other events happening around the same time include the Festival du Bois francophone festival and Coastal First Nations Dance Festival. In March there are also usually shows with First Impressions Theatre and Presentation House Theatre on the North Shore. Chor Leoni and the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir put on concerts and there’s normally a play with Metro Theatre in Vancouver too.

To learn about other great things to see this month, check out our March Calendar of Events or article about Shows & Entertainment. To learn about the Vancouver International Dance Festival, continue reading.

This article contains the following information about the festival:

About the VIDF | Where and When | Other Dance Events | Other Information

Vancouver’s Annual Dance Festival

The Vancouver International Dance Festival celebrates its 26th year in 2026. The event features both local and internationally-known dance artists, and usually takes place over a few weeks in February and/or March.

Highlights of the festival most years include the dance performances themselves, and also workshops and other dance-related activities.

About the VIDF

The Kokoro Dance company started the Vancouver International Butoh Festival in 1998. Two years later the festival was renamed the Vancouver International Dance Festival and it has been running ever since.

The VIDF celebrates contemporary dance artists from across the world. 2026 offers 14 in-person shows at various locations in Metro Vancouver.

Where and When

The 2026 VIDF runs from March 4th to 14th. The main productions happen between these dates, but there are also other “offsite” events happening from February 28th to March 15th this year.

Locations include the Annex, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, the Fishbowl, 312 Main and also the Scotiabank Dance Centre. This year’s lineup features Charles Koroneho, Jeanette Kotowich, Zab Moboungou and many more.

Ticket prices for performances in 2026 vary depending on the show and also the day you pick. You can purchase a Festival Pass for $200 which includes access to every show, a 4-Show Pass for $75, or a Day Pass for $55 (on days when there are multiple shows happening).

Click VIDF 2026 for more details about this year’s shows.

Other Vancouver Dance Events

A few other dance-related events take place in the Lower Mainland each year. Carnaval del Sol, for example, is a Latin festival in the summer that showcases different kinds of performances and activities including Latin dancing.

Just a few of the many other Lower Mainland festivals that feature a fair amount of dancing include the Vancouver Street Dance Festival, the Chutzpah Festival, and Hoobiyee (a Nisga’a First Nation event) in Vancouver.

There’s also the 5X Festival (formerly called the City of Bhangra Festival) in both Vancouver and Surrey, the North Vancouver Polish Festival, the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival in New Westminster, and ScotFestBC in Coquitlam.

In addition to the above, free Salsa dance lessons also often take place in Vancouver at Robson Square in the summer.