10 amazing Vancouver arts events to check out in December

Enjoy Vancouver’s arts and culture scene with our list of 10 great arts shows happening in December!

This month features The Nutcracker, Elf: The Musical, and more shows on stages all around the city.

And for more fun things happening around town be sure to visit our Listed section.

Goh Ballet Presents The Nutcracker

Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker/Submitted

What: Goh Ballet, an internationally renowned and locally owned organization, is celebrating its 14th anniversary of The Nutcracker this holiday season.

There are five performances to catch in December, each featuring live music by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and a diverse cast of over 250 dancers aged 7 to 67.

When: December 14 to 17, 2023
Time: 7:30 pm (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), 2 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre — 630 Hamilton Street
Tickets: Various prices, purchase at GohNutcracker.com

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Reflections on Crooked Walking

What: The Firehall Arts Centre presents the Juno Award-nominated family musical about four people who find themselves surrounded by sleeping townspeople, the only ones left awake. Reflections on Crooked Walking follows the quartet on an introspective journey in search of a cure for the strange sleeping sickness.

When: Tuesday to Sunday from December 14 to 24, 2023
Time: Various showtimes
Where: Firehall Arts Centre – 280 East Cordova Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online.

17th annual Vancouver Story Slam Storytelling Championship Finals

What: The 17th annual Vancouver Story Slam Storytelling Championship is the grand finale of the 2023 Vancouver Story Slam season. Ten storytellers bring their best stories to the stage. The winner, selected by an anonymous audience ballot, will receive prizes and the title of the year’s Vancouver Story Slam Champion.

When: December 14, 2023
Time: 8 pm
Where: The Rio Theatre – 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver
Tickets: $20 in advance, $22 at the door. Purchase online

Elf: The Musical

Elf: The Musical/Arts Club

What: Arts Club Theatre presents the classic film Elf in a magical musical for the holiday season. All ages will love following along with Buddy the Elf from the North Pole to New York City as he tries to win over his new family with Christmas cheer and syrupy spaghetti. But what can he do when his dad’s on the naughty list, and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Jolly Old St. Nick himself?

When: Now until December 31, 2023
Time: Various times
Where: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage – 2750 Granville Street, Vancouver
Cost: Starting from $39, purchase online

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

What: The Tony Award Broadway Musical comes to Gateway Theatre for the holiday season. With the assistance of the fairy godmother, an enchanting pumpkin carriage transformation, and a splash of humour, Cinderella Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the perfect way for the whole family to have a ball.

When: Various dates from December 14 to 31, 2023
Time: Various times
Where: Gateway Theatre – 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond
Cost: Various prices, purchase online

KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil

What: Cirque du Soleil’s internationally acclaimed production of Kooza is back in Vancouver this fall.

Kooza follows the self-discovery adventures of the Innocent, who is magically transported to an exotic and bizarre kingdom. The 125-minute show is packed full of different visual spectacles, including silk ribbon performances, a double highwire, a skeleton dance, and the Wheel of Death.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Cirque show without whimsical characters, playful clowns, stunning costuming and sets, and a moving live score.

When: Now until December 31, 2023
Time: Performance times will vary based on the date
Where: Concord Pacific Place — 88 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online

East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast

East Van Panto/The Cultch

What: East Van Panto’s Beauty and the Beast introduces audiences to bright and business-minded Belle, who becomes imprisoned in an enchanted specialty grocery store run by a stuck-in-his-ways Beast. She must use her smarts with the help of her new friends Miso Potts, little Tofu, and their Bento Buds to change Beast’s perspective and break the curse before time runs out.

When: Now until January 7, 2024
Time: Various times
Where: In-person at York Theatre – 639 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, plus online on-demand
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online

Ballet BC presents Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker

What: The holiday season has arrived, and we’re excited that the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is bringing its distinctly Canadian retelling of Nutcracker to Vancouver’s Centre for the Performing Arts from December 7 to 10.

With 40 dancers, 250 costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score to be wowed by during the performance, it truly is a masterful, opulent holiday display.

When: December 7 to 10, 2023
Time: 6:30 pm (plus 1 pm on Saturday and 4:30 pm on Sunday)
Where: The Centre for the Performing Arts — 777 Homer Street, Vancouver
Cost: From $35, available online

Back to the Holidays at The Improv Centre

What: The Improv Centre presents Back to the Holidays, a festive, family-friendly homage to Back to the Future and A Christmas Carol that is filled with holiday laughs.

Discover the holidays of the past, present, and future through the point of view of an eccentric scientist tasked with helping the hero learn the true meaning of the season and save the town from ruin.

When: Thursday to Saturday until December 23, plus a matinee on December 17 and 24, 2023
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: The Improv Centre — 1502 Duranleau Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online