Nanaimo Entertainment
Nanaimo entertainment venues provide a great setting for celebrations, relaxation, and an evening of fun. Dozens of lively nightspots and performance spaces throughout the city offer a good time whether you're here for a weekend party, or just checking out a band for the evening. Many live music acts perform at downtown Nanaimo bars in the Commercial Street/Victoria Crescent area, but there's always a hall show going on somewhere, and the courtyard between the Port Theatre and the library is often used for street performances. A good place to check for upcoming Nanaimo entertainment bills is on the post above the China Steps, where Victoria Crescent, Albert Street, and Wallace Street meet.
Live Theatre in Nanaimo
The performing arts offer a rich source of cultural entertainment in Nanaimo. The Port Theatre is an 800-seat complex that was built in 1998. Located downtown overlooking the waterfront, the Port Theatre is the perfect venue to relax and enjoy a variety of performances. Ballet, improvisation, drama, and concerts featuring world-class musicians, are just some of the spectacular entertainment that you can find here.
The Harbour City also is home to a professional theatre company, as well as a community theatre group. These companies offer drama, comedy improv, children's theatre, and fringe flicks. Nanaimo theatre companies have something for everyone, and help to promote a love for the performing arts in adults and children, alike.
Nanaimo Events & Festivals
In addition to daily entertainment opportunities, there are also a number of festivals and events in Nanaimo that take place all throughout the year. Popular events bring a variety of exciting activities, contests, and shows. Local Battle of the Bands contests aim to encourage healthy competition among entertainment venues, as well as to promote the thriving Nanaimo music scene. Be sure to check out our Nanaimo Events Calendar to find out what's happening during your stay in Nanaimo.
The International Bathtub Race, an annual event since 1967, is Nanaimo's best-known event. It sees dozens of high-speed 'bathtubs' take to the water on the fourth Sunday of July for a challenging race through local waters, and around the Winchelsea Islands. In earlier years the race went all the way across the Strait of Georgia and finished in Vancouver, but a Nanaimo-to-Nanaimo route is now the norm. A weeklong Marine Festival, packed with activities for the whole family, also precedes the Bathtub Race.
In late summer, Nanaimo hosts the Vancouver Island Exhibition (VIEX) on the fair grounds at Beban Park. The VIEX promises a delightful country fair weekend, with agriculture and horticultural displays, livestock competitions, a petting zoo, and live performances from some of Canada's biggest names in Country music.
Featured Attractions & Events in the Harbour City
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Attractions & Events in the Harbour City
- WildPlay Element Parks
- For ages 7 and up, this 17-acre park offers four outdoor activities: aerial adventure courses; bungy jumping; the King Swing; and zip lines! Age, heig...
- Island Haunt Productions
- Around every corner, behind every door, face your most chilling fears at this year's haunted attraction called "Nightmares". Event runs October 19th-...
- Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Soc.
- Four days of summertime FUN...something for EVERYONE in the family Live entertainment stage, Sail Past Parade, Display Booths, Kiddies Karnival, Art ...