Tickets on Sale April 8 for the 37th Season of
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Four productions and Special Events
coming to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park this Summer
The 2026 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival returns to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park in Vancouver from June 9 to September 19, 2026 with single tickets available for purchase on April 8. The Festival’s 37th Season features a blend of Shakespearean comedy and tragedy with two unique adaptations of Greek classics.
“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.”
THE PLAYS:
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.
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, 2026.
Adds Gaze, “We are delighted to once again provide audiences with a wide array of special events at Bard on the Beach. These events have been designed to give everyone an opportunity to experience the Festival and to enhance the experience of Bard on the Beach.”
BARD ON THE BEACH 2026 SPECIAL EVENTS:
- NEW this year: 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.
- 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 enthusiasts can enjoy an upgraded show experience with the addition of Wine Wednesdays before one of three performances throughout the season. Join us on July 8, August 12, or September 2 for the exclusive wine tastings before the show.
- 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 July 11, August 16, and September 6 2pm performances with the Bard Village opening earlier.
- Patrons seeking a more casual experience are invited to join us for a Relaxed Performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor, July 5 at 2pm. This performance is also “Pay-What-You-Will”.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 go on sale April 8, 2026 on the Bard website or from Bard’s Box Office at 604-739-0559.
Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the corporate sponsors and donors who support and sustain the Festival and its programs. Sponsors include BMO (BMO Mainstage), Nicola Wealth (Season Sponsor) and Production Sponsors Lawson Lundell, Odlum Brown, Polygon Homes, and The Spotlight Circle. Season Media Sponsors include the Vancouver Sun and Global BC, as well as many other valued sponsors and partners. Bard also thanks the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Department, the Vancouver Park Board, the Province of British Columbia, the BC Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continuing support.
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.