The 2026 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival returns to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park in Vancouver and is on now until September 19, 2026.
The Festival’s 37th Season features a blend of Shakespearean comedy and tragedy with two unique adaptations of Greek classics.
Bard on the Beach 2026
“We are thrilled to bring together the work of Shakespeare and Sophocles for an unforgettable season at Bard on the Beach,” said Founding Artistic Director Christopher Gaze. “Each of our productions bring something uniquely different this season, whether you’re a committed Shakespeare fan or a first-time visitor.
On the BMO Mainstage, our hilarious production of The Merry Wives of Windsor captures the excitement around soccer in Vancouver this summer and the tragedy of Macbeth receives a haunting reimagining.”
Adds Gaze, “In our Douglas Campbell Theatre, two Greek plays are retold in clever new ways with a powerful adaptation of Antigone along with an irreverent staging of Sophocles’ tragic myth in Goblin:Oedipus. It’s a season where audiences can watch marvellous Canadian theatre talent against one of the most beautiful settings in Vancouver.”
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BMO Mainstage
On the BMO Mainstage it’s a laugh-out-loud, music-filled production of The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Rebecca Northan and adapted by Bruce Horak with Rebecca Northan.
Set in and around the community athletic centre of a (fictional) Vancouver suburb seriously obsessed with soccer. This production guarantees laughter, mischief, and merriment as the roguish John Falstaff sets out to woo two married women in hopes of stealing their fortunes.
It will play in repertory with the tragic tale of Macbeth. Adapted and directed by Stephen Drover, this thrilling exploration of fate, desire, and downfall will use stark design and stylized visuals to heighten themes of power and paranoia drawing audiences deep into a world that is as haunting as it is unforgettable.
BMO Mainstage productions run from June 9 to September 19.
Douglas Campbell Theatre
The Douglas Campbell Theatre will host two unique adaptations of classical Greek works. Directed by Ming Hudson, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy Antigone is reimagined in a bold new adaptation by local playwright Kate Besworth created for a contemporary audience.
Exploring themes of resistance, voice, and generational reckoning, Antigone is raw, timely, and emotionally potent, offering a story as relevant now as it was in ancient Greece.
The Goblins return to Bard on the Beach for the first time since 2023’s wildly popular Goblin:Macbeth with their riotous reinvention, Goblin:Oedipus. WUG, KRAGVA, and MOOG bring their chaotic curiosity and hilarious audience interaction to a fresh retelling of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, adapted by John Murrell.
Douglas Campbell Theatre productions run from June 30 to September 19.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
- *NEW* Bard After Dark is a spontaneous cabaret with drinks, laughs, and improv in the Douglas Campbell Theatre. It features a rotating cast of some of Canada’s best improvisors.
- It happens every Friday night in August at 10pm. Additional ticket required.
- Bard Club: Celebrate your love of all things Shakespeare and make new friends at Bard Club. Come early to select matinee performances and join like-minded people for a pre-show talk and lively discussion at intermission.
- Patrons can RSVP for free by adding Bard Club to their ticket on July 15, August 5, and August 26.
- Wine Wednesdays: Wine enthusiasts can enjoy an upgraded show experience with the addition of Wine Wednesdays before one of three performances throughout the season.
- Join us on August 12, or September 2 for the exclusive wine tastings before the show.
- Bard Pride Night: Join us for our Bard Pride Night where celebrations begin before the show with activities and special guests on July 31.
- Three matinee performances are designated as Family Days that welcome infants and children under 6, encouraging a new generation of young theatre patrons to discover Shakespeare and the Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park Festival experience.
- Special pricing and kids’ activities are in effect for the August 16, and September 6 2pm performances with the Bard Village opening earlier.
- Bard Explored: Those seeking a deeper dive into the world of Shakespeare can attend a Bard Explored talk with acclaimed scholars on August 8, August 15, September 5, and September 12 on the BMO Mainstage.
- Talkback Tuesdays: Discover more about Bard’s plays from the cast during Talkback Tuesdays in July and August, where performers will take part in free post-show discussions.
- In A Nutshell: Every performance, audiences are invited to In A Nutshell, free pre-show talks providing short, informal introductions to the plays’ stories and characters.
The full 2026 Season schedule is on the Bard on the Beach website.
Tickets start at $30 and are available from https://bardonthebeach.org/ or from Bard’s Box Office at 604-739-0559.
EVENT DETAILS:
📅 Date: June 9 to September 19, 2026
📍 Location: Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park
🎟️ More Info: Bard on the Beach
