Hey there. It will officially be spring this weekend, no matter what the four-degree nighttime lows and persistent rain might tell you. 

Embrace the changes, and remember to keep your umbrella on hand… just in case.

— V.
Senior editor

Sam Lynch and Haley Blais are both celebrated indie artists on their own merits, but what happens when the two join forces? They make magic. True Mountain Laurel might have only played a handful of shows, but the project is giving both musicians a new sense of accomplishment. “Having this outlet to just push myself,” Blais reflects, “the point wasn’t perfection, it was doing it together.”

This week’s Straight Insider perks 🎟️

We’ve got free tickets (first come, first served) to a stacked lineup of live shows at The Hollywood Theatre—from metal and punk to burlesque, drag, and cult-classic film screenings.

What’s up for grabs:

If you’re an Insider, jump on it—once tickets are gone, they’re gone.

Join the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival (VIBF) from March 31-April 5 for five days of sparkles, spectacle, and striptease. 

This year's festival features an illustrious, award-winning headliner and feature line-up: local neo-burlesque icon Cherry OnTop (Squamish, BC), co-founder of the VIBF and multi-time Burlesque Hall of Fame Large Group category winner; Aquarius Moon (Washington, DC), reigning 2025 Sin City Queen of Burlesque and Monarch of Imperial Burlesque Canada; Luna Yen (Victoria, BC) inaugural Monarch of the Shade Burlesque Festival; and Nami Flare (Miami, FL), winner of "Grand Master Funk" at the 2025 What The Funk?! Festival. 

The festival’s two-night showcase at the Vancouver Playhouse includes The Glamorama Gala on April 3 and The Showpony Soiree on April 4. Tickets available here.

At the end of February, the Vancouver FIFA World Cup host committee published the first draft of its human rights plan. But the plan seems light on specific details, and advocates worry that the mass displacements of the 2010 Olympics will be repeated. “The city has stated many times that they are not planning on displacing people due to FIFA, says Chantelle Spicer, co-director of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, “but there is very, very little trust in that happening.”

RCMT presents Shrek the Musical, on stage Apr 17-May 3 at Massey Theatre in New Westminster. Bursting with family-friendly fun, it follows a cast of fairy tale misfits on a heartwarming journey of self-acceptance and inclusivity in this visually spectacular musical packed with hilarious adventure, dazzling costumes, and larger-than-life characters.

Deja Voodoo were the progenitors of sludgeabilly—a garage-punk-rockabilly fusion that led the Montreal band to some success before splitting in 1990. The band might be gone, but Gerard Van Hark is still rocking—and gearing up to play his first Vancouver gig since 1989. Allan MacInnis has more.

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Running a restaurant in Vancouver seems to only ever be getting harder, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Eight industry professionals give their thoughts on actionable solutions—from lowering patio permit fees to changing liquor laws to rethinking labour needs.

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TALKS: SFU’s 2026 Audain visual artist in residence Janice Kerbel hosts a free talk about her work and creativity. (March 19 @ Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre)

VISUAL ARTS: Kinship spotlights six trans and gender-diverse ceramic artists, exploring bonds through clay. (March 19 to April 24 @ SUM Gallery)

THEATRE: Network follows a new anchor’s public breakdown and subsequent populist turn. (March 20 to April 2 @ Jericho Arts Centre)

LIVING: The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Food Festival is curating sakura flavours. (March 20 to May 3 @ various locations)

THEATRE: A tale of obsession and glamour, Harm gets its North American premiere. (March 20-29 @ Studio 16)

ARTS: StrideFest sees Burnaby’s creative community transform the city. (March 21-28 @ various locations, Burnaby)

COMEDY: Annie Rawerda hosts a live version of the viral Depths of Wikipedia, based on the website’s weirdest rabbit holes. (March 22 @ Rio Theatre)

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

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