January 22, 2026: Vancouver’s late nights get later

Hey there. Are you ready to party till the cows come home, assuming cows come home at 4 a.m.? 

Thanks to a bylaw change, downtown liquor-primary venues can stay open till 4 a.m. on weekends. Across the rest of the city, bars and clubs can stay open till 3 a.m., and restaurants can serve booze till 2 a.m. if they have the right permit. I wish everyone who can keep their eyes open till 4 a.m. a very merry night of celebration.

— V.
Senior editor

— FEATURE — 

Mount Pleasant eateries welcome 3 a.m. last call

David Duprey, head of Narrow Group, knows more than most people about Vancouver’s byzantine regulations that seem designed to stifle anything fun. But one thing the city has done is extend bar and restaurant closing hours—which, Duprey hopes, will have a real-world impact when his Mount Pleasant bar becomes eligible to stay open until 3 a.m. this weekend. “Anything that makes liquor rules and laws better, I’m for,” he tells the Straight. “Even though it isn’t going to help 90 percent of businesses, the fact that it’s a change is a positive.”

— PERKS OF THE WEEK —

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SPONSORED BY THE CULTCH

Everything Has Disappeared – Interactive Theatre Magic!

Everything Has Disappeared explores and celebrates a globalized system involving the labour, care, and migration of Filipino workers. From seafaring to staffing healthcare to singing, Filipinos are central to the running of our interconnected societies. But their work often goes unnoticed.

Magic, mentalism, and more combine in this special, interactive performance. Everything Has Disappeared invites us to contemplate how intricately necessary each and every one of us is, in order for the whole to fully exist. If Filipinos disappear, everything disappears.

Starring Hazel Venzon, Everything Has Disappeared is a one-woman tour de force not to be missed! Co-presented by The Cultch, PuSh Festival, and LIVE Biennale, this show is at the York Theatre for an exclusive run — January 29 to February 1, 2026.

— LIVING —

Vancouver Canucks Trade Grades: Kiefer Sherwood to the Sharks for draft picks

The Canucks seem to have their own ins and outs this season. Out so far are Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood, and winning. But maybe they’ll get some ins in return? Nathan Caddell ponders what’s ahead for our bedraggled NHL team.

• This map shows every Dine Out Vancouver spot in the city

• The Brutal Joy by Justine A. Chambers unfurls Black vernacular line dancing and sartorial gesture. Presented by The Dance Centre and PuSh Festival February 5-6.*

• Royal Winnipeg Ballet returns to the West Coast with a striking double bill. Catch them February 9-10 at The Centre in Vancouver.*

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— ARTS —

Love Was Taught Last Friday brings generations together

Young-jun Tak creates choreographed film art that traces the many ways movement equates to love. His latest film has its North America premiere at the Polygon Gallery today, and guest curator Ann Webb was eager to tell us more. “The films are very tactile and textured,” she says. “[Tak] is really talking about how we address binaries in life.”

• A lost father glitches out in 2021

• English examines the untranslatable immigrant experience

• Review: Broadway Across Canada’s Moulin Rouge! feeds on aughts nostalgia

• PuSh Festival is Jan 22–Feb 8! 25 contemporary works of music, film, dance, theatre, and interdisciplinary arts from around the globe, for the culturally fearless.*

• The legendary Canadian comedian Tom Green brings his first live music and comedy tour to the Vogue Theatre on Friday, January 23! Limited tickets remain.*

*sponsored listing

— FOOD & DRINK —

Despite the accolades, AnnaLena is content staying small

Despite 11 years of success, the team behind AnnaLena is not content to rest on its laurels. The lauded eatery is “kind of always unfinished”, according to chef and co-owner Michael Robbins: the shifting is the point.

• DD Mau’s Feast & Friends is back in action

— ICYMI —

• Can you finish the Straight’s latest crossword?

• East Van boutique Rosemere goes its own way

• David Letterman and Zach Galifianakis join JFL Vancouver

• Here are all 450 restaurants in Dine Out Vancouver

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND —

PERFORMING ARTS: Murder is a Drag: Killer Birthday combines dinner and a show, if the show is a murder mystery you have to solve. (January 22 to February 8 @ Woodward’s Building)

THEATRE: The Golden Anniversaries follows a long-wedded couple suddenly dealing with their differences. (January 22 to February 15 @ Granville Island Stage)

VISUAL ARTS: In Flux embraces the rhythms of life. (January 22 to February 26 @ Lipont Gallery, Richmond)

MUSIC: Violinist Meredith Bates fills the library with music. (January 23 @ VPL Central Branch)

FILM: The Border, a documentary about Peace Arc Park, has its world premiere. (January 24 @ The Cinemateque) 

FILM: Trumpeter Vince Mai plays hits from composer Henry Mancini, followed by a screening of A Shot in the Dark. (January 25 @ VIFF Centre)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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