An artsy summer festival is back for the wintertime.
The Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF) will be transforming downtown Vancouver into an interactive open-air gallery early next year for its free winter festival.
VMF Winter Arts festival will return for a third year on Feb. 16-26, 2023, with art and entertainment including music, tours, talks, dance parties, food and drink, which can be found along the festival route via Burrard Street from the Vancouver Art Gallery to Canada Place.
A Winter Arts Hub will be set up at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square, formerly the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza. The hub will serve as the festival's central live celebration site and as a family-friendly outdoor space with a licensed bar, food trucks, interactive art, and festival stage for daily performances.
The Bentall Centre will also be transformed for the festival. Dubbed the Bentall Centre Gallery, the newly-converted creative space will host an all-ages NFT Gallery and Lounge by day and an adult-only (ages 19 and older) event space, VMF After Dark, on weekend nights where festival goers can continue dancing after hours.
Vancouverites can expect all sorts of public art, including laser light animation, augmented reality, sculptures, and more. Other experiences include daily Guided Art Tours across downtown and a Curator Talk.
Over the summer, the Vancouver Mural Festival added 50 new murals to Vancouver's cityscape.
