Hey there. 

We've got a new series starting on our Instagram this week. Give It To Me Straight is collecting hot takes from Straight staff, contributors, people we interview, and maybe one day random Vancouverites. 

First up is, unfortunately, me. My hot take is that we should end the tyranny of letting drivers turn right on red lights, because I'm sick of nearly being run over outside my apartment. Agree? Disagree? Get in the comments!

— V.
Senior editor

What do Chez Céline, Earnest Ice Cream, Nammos Estiatorio, and Between 2 Buns all have in common? It's not just serving award-winning food; it's also their location, clustered between 24th and 29th avenues on Fraser Street. “The people are so friendly and so nice here,” says Margaux Herder, chef at Vancouver's hottest new restaurant Chez Céline. “Our neighbours are amazing. It really feels like community."

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival's 37th Season is on now! Enjoy an evening or matinee performance in modern theatre tents with a glass of your beverage of choice, and take in outstanding theatre with a spectacular ocean backdrop in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park.

On the BMO Mainstage, The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Rebecca Northan, is a lively music-filled comedy set in a soccer-obsessed community centre, while a haunting dystopian Macbeth, directed by Stephen Drover, provides a stark and bloody counterpoint.

The Douglas Campbell Theatre features the riotous 18+ escapade of Goblin:Oedipus, created by Spontaneous Theatre that plays alongside a contemporary take on the tragedy of Antigone.  

Let's be real: most of the residents of Vancouver are not going to be shelling out thousands of dollars to watch matches in the flesh at BC Place. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the festivities. William Johnson has put together a list of everywhere offering World Cup specials during the tournament and will be updating it as more information comes in. Check out all the sporty spots here.

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What do you get when circus, comedy, and cabaret come together? A party. The show is now a veritable globe-trotting phenomenon that's playing at the York Theatre this week, but it grew out of a very DIY beginning in London, England. "We had no budget," co-creator Katharine Arnold says of the very first show. "We bought some stuff ourselves; we did it for 200 quid.”

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MY HOUSE is a bold new work by the award-winning queer choreographer Ralph Escamillan (aka Kiki Legend OA Mother Posh Gvasalia and Canadian Mother Posh Basquiat) which celebrates Ballroom culture - and the liberating truth of being fully oneself on the floor.

Presented by The Dance Centre: get tickets here.

If you're not into sports, good news: the FIFA Fan Festival is also playing host to a dizzying array of musical artists. We scoured the lineup to find the days when it'll be most worth schlepping down to the PNE and getting sunburnt in the name of entertaining your ears.

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Your perfect summer getaway starts at the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival, July 23 - 26! Grab a Full Festival Pass or single tickets for Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra, Amy Winehouse tribute, Laila Biali, and the Cool Blues Show. Plus, enjoy two days of free jazz throughout the Village.

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