Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Announces 37th Season Productions
2026 Season Packs On Sale Now
Following an entertaining and engaging 2025 Season, the 2026 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will return to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park in Vancouver from June to September, 2026. The 2026 Season will include four dynamic productions including The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth, Goblin:Oedipus, and Antigone.
“On the heels of a season that saw multiple performances sell out, I am elated to share our programming for the 2026 Bard on the Beach Season,” said Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach Founding Artistic Director. “Next season we will have something for every level of theatre fan including those who are committed Shakespeare fans, those new to the theatre, and those looking for a unique theatrical experience. The incredible talent that audiences have come to expect at Bard on the Beach will be shared across our two stages, the BMO Mainstage and the Douglas Campbell Theatre. Our four productions next season are sure to bring audiences to their feet as they enjoy everything from lively comedy to intense tragedy to creative journeys.”
The 2026 Season offers a thrilling journey through comedy, tragedy, and myth, presenting bold new visions of timeless stories. Playing in repertory on the BMO Mainstage, The Merry Wives of Windsor sparkles with trickery and fun in a lively musical treatment, while the dark, relentless intensity of Macbeth provides a stark and bloody counterpoint. In the Douglas Campbell Theatre, the wildly successful Goblin:Oedipus, created by Rebecca Northan & Bruce Horak, with Ellis Lalonde, transforms one of Greek theatre’s darkest tales into a riotous, irreverent escapade. This production will play in repertory with Antigone, adapted by Kate Besworth, which brings a raw and urgent contemporary lens to a classic tragedy.
Adds Gaze, “We will once again be offering many of our special events in our Bard Village and our education programs continue to expand year over year.”
In 2025, the Festival shared its stages with nearly 200 children and teens through Bard Summer Camps. Additionally, throughout the year more than 2,500 students were served through subsidized Bard in the Classroom workshops and over 150 young people through the free Bard Youth Fest program. Learning isn’t limited to the young: Bard offered over 100 theatre professionals free Bard Studio workshops, highlighting the organization’s commitment to the arts community.
ON STAGE AT BARD IN 2026
The Merry Wives of Windsor—BMO Mainstage
Shakespeare’s laugh-out-loud comedy comes to life with a spirited musical treatment. This classic farce follows the roguish Sir John Falstaff, who sets out to fix his financial woes by wooing two married women so that he can steal their husbands’ fortunes—only for his targets, Mistresses Ford and Page, to come together and turn the tables on him. With lively musical numbers woven throughout, this production guarantees an evening of laughter, mischief, and merriment.
Macbeth—BMO Mainstage
“What’s done cannot be undone.” A thrilling exploration of ambition, desire, and downfall, Macbethtells the tragic tale of a victorious general who learns from a prophecy that he will become King. Spurred on by his own desires and the ruthless encouragement of his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the crown, before descending into paranoia and tyranny as he tries to hold onto his throne. Recognized as one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most popular tragedies, this production grounds the story in a harsh, dystopian world. Stark design and stylized visuals heighten themes of power, paranoia, and fate, drawing audiences deep into a world that is as haunting as it is unforgettable.
Goblin:Oedipus—Douglas Campbell Theatre
A riotous reinvention, Goblin:Oedipus is performed by the wildly popular Goblins—Wug, Kragva, and Moog—whose irreverent take on Macbeth delighted audiences at Bard on the Beach in 2023. This time, the trio takes on Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, adapted by John Murrell, bringing their chaotic curiosity and hilarious audience interaction to a fresh retelling of this tragic myth. Amid a deadly plague that grips Thebes, Oedipus vows to uncover the murderer of the previous king, only to set himself on a path of shocking self-discovery. Determined to delve deeper into the Dionysian degeneracy of the human race, three Goblins offer up a cautionary tale of patricide, incest, and eye-gouging comedy that you won’t forget.
Antigone—Douglas Campbell Theatre
This bold new adaptation by local playwright Kate Besworth presents Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy for a contemporary audience. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, defies King Creon’s decree by burying her rebel brother in the aftermath of a civil war, setting off a chain of events that pits family loyalty against political authority—leading to devastating consequences. 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.
Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the 2026 returning corporate sponsors and donors who support and sustain the Festival and its programs, including Mainstage Sponsor BMO and Production Sponsors Lawson Lundell and Polygon Homes.
2026 BARD SEASON PACKS OFFER THE BEST SAVINGS OF THE YEAR!
2026 Bard Premium and Regular Season Packs are now on sale and include one voucher for each production. Season Launch prices start at $204 and are available until October 4, 2025.
- Premium Season Packs include A+, A, B, and C seats for your choice of dates.
- Regular Season Packs include A, B, and C seats for your choice of dates.
Visit www.bardonthebeach.org for full details and to purchase online now.
About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, Bard’s mission is to create transformational experiences through exceptional theatre, training, and education opportunities that inspire, resonate, and promote the exchange of ideas. As well as its annual summer Festival, Bard offers year-round education and training programs for youth, adults, and theatre professionals in its administrative home at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village as well as in schools and community facilities throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.