The PuSh Festival is a performing arts festival that showcases local, Canadian and international artists at Vancouver theatres in January and February.
In 2026 the festival runs from January 22nd until February 8th.
Click PuSh Lineup or visit the Vancouver PuSh Festival‘s official website to see what shows are happening in 2026.
(The above photo by Sayna Ghaderi is of Gabrielle Martin.)
Below you’ll find information about the following topics:
Admission Rates | Festival Shows | Tips & Advice | Video Trailer | About the Festival | Other Information
PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
Celebrating its 21st season in 2026, the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival features around 24 original works at various venues between mid to late January and early February. There is also select programming available online.
The festival typically attracts over 20,000 attendees. It also includes free events in addition to its regular ticketed shows.
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival (PuSh) delivers ground-breaking, contemporary works of dance, theatre, multimedia and music by artists from Vancouver, across Canada and around the world.
Tickets for events are typically in the $40 to $60 range. Visit the pushfestival.ca website or call the PuSh Festival Audience Services info line at 604-449-6000 to purchase tickets.
PuSh Festival Dates
In 2026, the PuSh Festival starts on Thursday, January 22nd, and runs until Sunday, February 8th. There are multiple productions in action on any given day.
2026 Festival
In 2026 the festival features two dozen unique works from all around the world. Performances take place at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Scotiabank Dance Theatre, Chan Centre, Vancouver Playhouse and other venues, including a few on Granville Island.
As always, the festival lineup is dedicated to creative risk-taking and dynamic interdisciplinary collaboration. There is an emphasis on spotlighting Canadian artists. There are, however, works by British, American, Italian and other artists as well.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
Performance Admission Rates
Both individual single-performance tickets and multi-show passes are available at PuSh Festival productions most years.
Single Tickets
Single tickets are sold both online and through various box offices. In 2026 most shows ranged from about $30 to $70 per ticket. There are a few free events.
Visit the pushfestival.ca website or call 604-449-6000 to purchase tickets for the 2026 season.
PuSh Passes
PuSh Passes usually come in either four or six-show packages. A four-show pass in 2026 costs $120 to $130 and a six-show pass costs $165 to $186. That means you can save up to 25% when buying one of those passes. There’s a youth four-show pass available for just $20 for those ages 16 to 24, with a limited number available.
There are also multi-show packages such as the Dance Trio, Theatre Trio, and a couple of Double Feature options that give you tickets to select shows for a 25% to 30% discount.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
PuSh Festival Shows
The PuSh Performing Arts Festival features around two dozen productions of all kinds. Some events are free. Most, though, are ticketed. Many are Canadian productions, several are international, and some are from local Vancouver theatre companies.
Listed below are the details about the various performances in 2026. There are two kinds of tickets for most shows. The first is the standard admission, and the second is called a generous ticket. The generous ticket doesn’t offer anything extra, but supports the artists more.
(Note: Times, locations and other details were subject to change. See the official PuSh Festival website for the most up-to-date schedule of events.)
Opening Party
At the Birdhouse (January 23rd, 2026)
The Opening Party for the PuSh Festival in 2026 takes place on Friday, January 23rd, at the Birdhouse at 44 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver. Admission is free. The night features music ranging from Turkish funk to Bollywood disco, R&B house and Afro beats with DJ Khalil Albatran, composer Marie Delprat and Joshua Ongcol.
Click 2026 Opening Party to learn more about this event.
JEZEBEL (Netherlands/Belgium)
Cherish Menzo/Frascati Producties (January 22nd and 23rd, 2026)
Cherish Menzo provides a commentary on the fetishization and hyper-sexualization of the hip-hop industry. The performance asks “who gets to look and what do they get to see?”
The production takes place at the Scotiabank Dance Theatre at 677 David Street in Vancouver.
Click JEZEBEL to learn more about this event.
Eight Short Compositions on the Lives of Ukrainians for a Western Audience (Czech Republic)
Archa – Centre of Documentary Theatre (January 22nd and 23rd, 2026)
This performance stresses the breakdown of domestic monotony in the presence of war. Five performers demonstrate the persistent fear and responsibility of living through conflict in order to bring the shadow of war to the forefront of the audience’s mind.
The show takes place at Waterfront Theatre at 1412 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
Click Eight Short Compositions on the Lives of Ukrainians for a Western Audience for full details.
Le Beau Monde (France)
École Parallèle Imaginaire (January 24th and 25th, 2026)
This show is an examination of the loss and rediscovery of personal and communal discovery of relationships and comaraderie. It questions what we learn from our predecessors and what we discover on our own.
The performance takes place at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.
Click Le Beau Monde for more details.
Khalil Khalil (Palestine)
Khalil Albatran / Bilal Alkhatib (January 24th and 25th, 2026)
This is a performance about Khalil Albatran’s life. He was named for his late brother, and illustrates his experience as a “continuation and echo” of the life lost before him.
The show takes place at the Nest at 1398 Cartwright Street in Vancouver.
Click Khalil Khalil to learn more about this event.
Wail (Canada)
Action at a Distance / Vanessa Goodman (January 26th and 27th, 2026)
A dance performance themed around the natural world and the fragile balance of the ecosystems within it. It is meant to speak about coexistence with the world and the dangers that threaten our way of life.
The production takes place at the Scotiabank Dance Theatre at 677 David Street in Vancouver.
Click Wail for full details.
Kamwe Kamwe (Zimbabwe)
Jerahuni Movement Factory (January 27th and 28th, 2026)
Named “One by one,” this performance reminisces on the features and pieces of Zimbabwean culture lost to colonization. It is a reminder that no one can rise from the ashes of culture on their own, and everyone needs to do it together.
The show takes place at Performance Works at 1218 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
Click Kamwe Kamwe to learn more about this event.
Remember That Time We Met in the Future? (Turtle Island / Canada)
Lara Kramer (January 28th and 29th, 2026)
This is a four-person Indigenous performance to express the spiritual heritage and memory that their people carry. With this history, they speculate on possible futures that may yet come to pass.
This show takes place at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at 149 West Hastings Street in Vancouver.
Click Remember That Time We Met in the Future? for full details.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
Kiuryaq (Canada / Kalaalit Nunaat / Greenland / Sápmi / Norway)
Akpik Theatre / Theaturtle (January 28th, 2026)
This performance discovers ancestral destiny and examines Indigenous connections to the Aurora Borealis. It comments on life in the circumpolar regions of the world through the lives of two siblings.
This performance is at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 6265 Crescent Road in Vancouver.
Click Kiuryaq to learn more about this event.
Everything Has Disappeared (Canada)
UNIT Productions & Mammalian Diving Reflex / The Chop (January 29th to Feb 1st, 2026)
Everything Has Disappeared examines the hidden Filipino workers that help the world go ’round. Essential workers specialized in trades, healthcare and everywhere else, this show demonstrates the hidden heroes from overseas and the roles that they perform to keep our world running.
This performance is at York Theatre at 639 Commercial Drive in Vancouver.
Click Everything Has Disappeared to learn more about this event.
askîwan ᐊᐢᑮᐊᐧᐣ (Treaty 6 Territory)
Tyson Houseman (January 29th and 30th, 2026)
This is a multimedia performance that uses projections and electric sounds to create mountainscapes and evoke Indigenous memories.
The performance takes place at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.
Click askîwan ᐊᐢᑮᐊᐧᐣ for full details.
SLUGS (Canada)
Creepy Boys / So.Glad Arts (January 29th to 31st, 2026)
A nonsensical fever dream on the surface, but secretly a commentary on freedom and beautifully stupid fun. Creepy Boys are an award-winning duo bound to delight.
The show takes place at the Nest at 1398 Cartwright Street in Vancouver.
Click Slugs for full details.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
Catching Up to the Future of Our Past (Unceded Coast Salish Territories)
Plastic Orchid Factory / James Gnam (January 30th and 31st, 2026)
This performance reinvents midlife as an exchange where “nostalgia and anticipation coexist.” A place where the past, present and future all come together to create something beautiful.
The production takes place at the Scotiabank Dance Theatre at 677 David Street in Vancouver.
Click Catching Up to the Future of Our Past to learn more about this event.
Orpheus (Canada)
Alan Lake Factori(e) (January 30th and 31st, 2026)
This spectacle is a modern reimagining of story of Orpheus and Euridice. It focuses on the great divides between cultures in the modern world to retell the classic tale.
The performances are at the Vancouver Playhouse at 600 Hamilton Street.
Click Orpheus for full details.
La Utopía de la Mariposa / TIERRA (Mexico)
Lukas Avendaño (February 2nd and 3rd, 2026)
These are a pair of short films that explore contemporary Mexican society and the discrimination therein. The first covers the systemic violence that led to the loss of the lead character’s brother and the second is a modern cosmological evolution of feminism and eco-activism.
The shows takes place at Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown.
Click La utopía de la mariposa / TIERRA to learn more about this event.
Bardaje (Mexico)
Lukas Avendaño (February 2nd and 3rd, 2026)
This is a multiethnic examination of identity and liberty. It describes a third gender that exists beyond linguistic translation through metaphors of scorched earth and rebirth.
The shows takes place at Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre.
Click Bardaje for more details.
Skin (Germany / Australia)
Renae Shadler & Collaborations / Roland Walter (February 4th, 5th and 6th, 2026)
A performance about transformations between species, with inspiration from several aquatic species and performed by a dancer with full-body spastic paralysis.
This performance is at the ANNEX Theatre at 823 Seymour Street in Vancouver.
Click Skin for full details.
Rainbow Chan Live at the Dream Factory (Australia / Hong Kong / Weitou)
Rainbow Chan (February 4th, 2026)
A blend of music and storytelling, this performance blends traditional and contemporary Chinese music. There is then an open mic with the performer.
This performance is at the Chinese Canadian Museum at 51 East Pender Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Click Rainbow Chan Live at the Dream Factory to learn more about this event.
The Brutal Joy (Canada)
Justine A. Chambers (February 5th and 6th, 2026)
This is a light and shadow-based dance performance with roots in black line dances and gesture. It speaks on individuality and freedom.
The production takes place at the Scotiabank Dance Theatre at 677 David Street in Vancouver.
Click The Brutal Joy for full details.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
Split Tooth: Saputjiji (Canada)
Tanya Tagaq (February 5th, 2026)
This is an audio performance featuring vocals from Saputjiji to assimilate landscapes and imagery from her book, Split Tooth. It explores recognition of the past and the way forward.
This performance is at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 6265 Crescent Road at UBC in Vancouver.
Click Split Tooth: Saputjiji to learn more about this event.
Wayqeycuna (Argentina)
Tiziano Cruz (February 6th and 7th, 2026)
A testimonial performance that traces Tiziano Cruz’ path through the Andean North. It is a memorable recounting of his struggles against political and racial conflict.
The shows takes place at Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre.
Click Wayqeycuna for full details.
The Motha’ Kiki Ball (Canada)
BlackOUT Collective (February 7th, 2026)
This is a runway and modelling-style performance with focus on motherhood and blackness near the beginning of Black-History Month.
It takes place at the Birdhouse at 44 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver.
Click The Motha’ Kiki Ball to learn more details about this event.
Trouble Score (Belgium / Brazil)
Luanda Casella / Pablo Casella / ntgent (February 7th, 2026)
In the style of a pop concert, this performance touches on criminality, childhood innocence and political violence. The Casellas use humor to examine the intricacies of decidedly not-funny topics.
The performances are at the Vancouver Playhouse at 600 Hamilton Street.
Click Trouble Score for full details.
TESTO (United Kingdom)
Wet Mess (February 7th and 8th, 2026)
This is a chaotic presentation on masculinity and sexuality. This show uses humor and the absurdity of everyday occurences to express the disarming honesty and freedom of being oneself.
The show takes place at Performance Works at 1218 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
Click TESTO for full details.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the performances.
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your experience at the PuSh Festival.
TIP #1: Book your PuSh Pass early, before they sell out.
TIP #2: Arrive at your show well before start time. In all but a few cases, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
TIP #3: The Dine Out Vancouver Festival conveniently runs during similar dates as the PuSh Festival most years. Combine your night out for a show with a fabulous and affordably-priced three-course dinner. Click Downtown Dine Out Venues for a list of some of the best festival restaurants in Vancouver’s downtown core, or Dine Out Vancouver for a list of some of the top participating restaurants in the Lower Mainland.
See the official PuSh Festival website for tickets and full details about the various shows.
2026 PuSh Festival Trailer Video
To give you a rough idea of what to expect at the festival, check out the following 2026 trailer video.
About the PuSh Festival
The PuSh Festival has grown to become a signature performing arts festival in Vancouver since its humble beginnings in 2003.
Today the mission of the organization is to “engage and enrich audiences with adventurous contemporary works in a spirit of innovation and dialogue.” The festival showcases local, Canadian and international contemporary artists and performances, and it works in partnership with other organizations to develop new and ground-breaking artistic work.
According to the festival’s website, the organization values “transformative experiences, risk-taking, respectful collaboration and dialogue, … inspiration, innovation, and diversity in arts and peoples.” Consequently, you can expect shows that are amazing, unique, cross-cultural and both traditional and different.
Other Information
See the PuSh Festival website to learn about the series of performances.
Click Vancouver Festivals & Events Calendar for a list of other major Lower Mainland festivals throughout the year.
Check out any of the following for ideas on other things to do this time of year:
- January Calendar of Events
- February Calendar of Events
- Vancouver Winter Activities
- Lower Mainland Rainy Day Activities
- Vancouver Shows & Entertainment
