5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (May 22-28)

Your weekly roundup of the top events in the city, including art exhibitions, local theatre, restaurant openings, concerts, film, markets and other to-dos we think you’ll love. If you have a Vancouver event you’d like to submit for consideration, send an email to kdonaldson@canadawide.com.

1. Get Up Close and Personal with Your Favourite Magazines at Issues Live

May 25

Print isn’t dead! In fact, it’s hanging out at a cool pop-up and wanted to know if you were going to come hang. Sure, perhaps I’m a touch biased. But if you’re as into magazines as I am, come join Issues Magazine Shop as they host “Issues Live: Vancouver,” featuring a fascinating conversation with the creators of Hamaka, Racewknd and Sad Mag. This isn’t your typical book club meeting, so forget the tea and crumpets (when was the last time anyone’s had a crumpet?) and prepare to dive deep into the world of west-coast publishing. Come get zany with the local ’zine scene from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.—it’s like a backstage pass to your favourite publications, minus the stage, plus way more paper. This event is sure to be a real page-turner, I’ll see you ’zinesters there!

When: May 25
Where: The Garden Strathcona
Cost: $20
More Info: www.eventbrite.ca

2. Get A Dose of Mind-Bending Theatre at Revolver Festival 2023

May 24-June 4

Get ready for Revolver Festival 2023, a whirlwind of inventive Canadian live theatre. With 10 mind-bending productions ranging from contemporary dance and drag to sketch comedy and performance art, this festival is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. This fest has everything: an off-site micro-performance, film screening and gathering; a satirical professional development webinar; an interactive website experience; a climate and housing workshop; and even an interactive livestream clown-drag karaoke extravaganza (pictured above)—taking bedroom singing à la ‘the opening scene of Britney Spear’s iconic film Crossroads’ to a whole new level!

When: May 24 – June 4
Where: The Cultch
Cost: From $15 (and pay what you want)
More Info: upintheairtheatre.com

3. Delight Your Tastebuds at the Asian Heritage Food & Wine Dinner

May 25

Unleash your inner Top Chef fan and step into the flavour frenzy of the Asian Heritage Food & Wine Dinner. Hosted by none other than charismatic Top Chef finalist, Dez Lo and the wine-whisperer herself, Anna Collard, this event is promising a five-course fiesta of Asian-inspired dishes. Think B.C. Spot Prawn Summer Rolls meeting Sweet Potato Poutine Dumplings in a culinary mash-up that even Gordon Ramsay would approve of. So, grab your chopsticks and your wine glass, and brace yourself for a boisterous, belly-filling bonanza. Still not convinced? Check out this write-up we did on it!

When: May 25
Where: Blue Hat Bakery & Bistro
Cost: $183.75
More Info: eventbrite.ca

4. Experience a Purrfect Night Out With Cats the Musical

May 23-28

Sure, the movie was weird. But let’s just blame James Corden for its shortcomings and acknowledge that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline-heavy musical fever dream was only ever meant to be experienced on the big stage. And lucky for you, you now can! Cats, one of the biggest hits in theatrical history, is coming to Vancouver as part of a multi-season North American tour. Now you can hear “Memory” belted out live, as god intended (instead of on some weird compilation CD your mom plays on road trips). Come get swept off your feet by the magical Jellicle Cats and enjoy a Broadway spectacle right here in our fair city.

When: May 23 – 28
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Cost: $41.50
More Info: vancouvercivictheatres.com

5. Have a Dino-Mite Time at Jurassic World Live

May 26-28

Are you a fan of Jurassic Park or the six subsequent Jurassic World movies? (I’ll admit, I’ve never watched any of the other films aside from the original, but I assume the moral of each one is: life finds a way. Or maybe, dinosaurs are little stinkers.) Whether you love the movies, are a fan of these prehistoric stinkers, or just enjoy some cool live animatronics—this could be the event for you! The Jurassic World Live Tour is coming to Vancouver this weekend and it sounds like it’s going to be like monster trucks but with dinosaurs! Expect to see more than 24 film-accurate, life-sized dinosaurs, including fan-fave Velociraptor Blue and a 40-foot-long T. rex. And yes, Bumpy, the friendly, food-motivated dino from the Netflix series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, will be there too (if you know, you know!) (I don’t know!) Get tickets now, and why not check out this piece we wrote about it while you’re at it?

When: May 26 – 28
Where: Pacific Coliseum
Cost: From $20
More Info: jurassicworldlivetour.com