If you look out onto the waters of False Creek, you might be able to spot a dragon. Well, not a real dragon– a dragon boat. This June, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is returning to bring the competition to our Vancouver waterways.
For their 37th anniversary, expect big celebrations and big entertainment!
CONCORD PACIFIC DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is actually North America’s biggest Dragon Boat celebration. This year, more than 200,000 guests and racers are slated to celebrate the dragon boat in Vancouver.
With races, markets, food trucks, and concerts, this year’s Dragon Boat Festival is shaping up to be one of the best.
As for the races, they will feature over 200 teams from all around the world. They’ll be competing every 10 minutes, beginning at 8:00am on Saturday and lasting until Sunday at 8:00pm. The final day will be award day, the races being cut off at 12:30pm to hand out medals.
THE HEADLINERS
The TD Main Stage at Concord Pacific Place will be where the live concerts take place. The Dragon Boat Festival website states that they are “locally focused, but globally oriented. Proudly Vancouver, but standing amongst the biggest and best in the world.”
You’ll be able to see tons of emerging and established talent, all with a spotlight on diverse artists.
Headlining the TD Main Stage will be the Canadian artist Lights. She’s an electro-pop powerhouse whose tracks have hit the millions in streams with ease. You might also know her as a four-time JUNO Award winner. Her tours have sold out on multiple continents, she’s made headlines from Coachella and Comic-Con, and has collaborated with tons of music industry giants like deadmau5 and Steve Aoki.
The other headliner will be Felix Cartal. He’s a Vancouver-based DJ, producer, and dance-party thrower. With a JUNO Award win under his belt, his “club-ready dance tracks” are sure to make you want to groove along with him. His single “Mine” has also gone platinum in Canada, and his other single “Love Me” (featuring Lights) got him that JUNO Award for Best Dance Recording in 2020.
View this post on Instagram
The other performers joining Lights and Cartal on the TD Mainstage are listed below.
- The Kuyas
- Coastal Wolf Pack
- LEAN
- Eagle Song Dancers
- NIKKAELA
- Tiger Really
- Cindy Yang Dance Academy
- Toddy
- Royal Oak
- B.C. Chinese Music Ensemble
- Ricecake Summer Solstice dance party
The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is completely free for guests! You can attend from June 20 to June 22, 2025 with varied times for performances and races. It will all be taking place at Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver.
