November 25, 2025: For the Penthouse, the writing is on the sign

Hey there. How was your weekend? It was an all-timer if you’re a sports fan in Vancouver. The PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes won their home opener in dramatic fashion (and, vitally, the production crew worked in music from the James Bond GoldenEye 007 video game). 

And then the Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to the MLS Western Conference Final for the first time ever, also in dramatic fashion. 

And THEN… the Canucks lost to the Flames 5-2. OK, maybe that last one isn’t really out of the ordinary. Happy reading!

— Nathan
Editor-in-Chief

— FEATURE — 

Facing an uncertain future, the Penthouse looks back

The Penthouse has been a fixture of Vancouver’s nightlife scene for almost a century. With changing times and ballooning costs, the club’s ownership acknowledges that it won’t be around forever. For now though, the Penthouse’s doors are very much open. And its world-famous sign, now the subject of a new book by Ben Jackson and Aaron Chapman, continues to tell it like it is.

SPONSORED BY THE CULTCH

Chaotic Comedy at The Cultch!

Burnout Paradise brings a hilarious and chaotic spectacle to The Cultch’s Historic Theatre.

Created by Melbourne’s experimental collective Pony Cam, this unconventional comedy places four performers atop treadmills as they sprint, sweat, and attempt to complete the absurd demands of modern life. Through it all, they juggle cooking pasta, brushing their teeth, quoting Shakespeare, and even filling out a grant… all while running. 

Equal parts celebration and critique, the show is a delirious send-up of hustle culture, revealing how the daily grind can spin out of control. It’s wildly unpredictable, uproarious, and strangely freeing.

Catch it before it heads to NYC for an extended Off-Broadway run!

— MUSIC —

Toronto indie rockers PUP have that dog in them

Stefan Babcock seems chill. Yes, the lead singer of PUP, one of Canada’s foremost modern punk rock outfits—a band whose name is an acronym for “pathetic use of potential”, known for songs like “No Hope”, “Morbid Stuff”, and “See You at Your Funeral”—sounds perfectly at peace. “We feel really lucky to be doing this, playing the biggest headlining shows of our careers 12 years in,” he says.

• Local rocker Alex Little talks Tom Jones, Billy Talent, and the Ramones

• New Zealand band the Beths light up the Commodore

• ON NOW: The Improv Centre's festively fun 'Tis the Sitcom takes TV tropes and turns them into fully improvised laughs this holiday season.*

• Celebrate 10 years of laughs! Just For Laughs VANCOUVER returns February 12–22, 2026. Full lineup revealed, tickets on sale Friday, November 28.*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY VGH & UBC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

VGH+ Giving Tuesday

Give your gift a plus this Giving Tuesday!  

From today until Dec. 2, donations to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign will be matched up to $100,000. That’s twice the impact, twice the care, and twice the hope for patients across BC.  

Donate Today.

— FOOD & DRINK —

How the Culinary Commons helps Vancouver chefs gather

The Culinary Commons is a first-of-its-kind, not-for-profit hub for the province’s culinary and hospitality community. For famed Vancouver chef Robert Belcham, it represents the realization of a 15-year vision. “Now that we have this foundation, we can start attacking the fundamental problems of our industry,” Belcham says.

• Rain or Shine turns up the temperature with new flavours

• Straight, No Chaser: Good Thief’s Vysion Elter mixes it up

• Don't miss the iconic Andy Bell, frontman of legendary synth pop duo Erasure, playing the Vogue Theatre on December 3. Limited tickets remaining!*

*sponsored listing

— PERKS OF THE WEEK —

Our Insiders get access to exclusive giveaways and concert tickets all season long — and this week’s lineup is stacked.

Join the epic Queen sing-along with Choir! Choir! Choir! at the Orpheum on Oct 28, or catch Paula Cole & Sophie B. Hawkins at the Vancouver Playhouse on Oct 29. Looking ahead, groove with Poison Girl Friend (Nov 4, Rickshaw Theatre), Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (Nov 5, Commodore Ballroom), and Lady Wray (Nov 12, The Pearl). Families can also mark their calendars for Gabby’s Dollhouse Live at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Mar 15.

Plus, as always: enjoy 10 per cent off at Minami and Loam Bistro, a complimentary dessert at Desi Indian Lounge, a free appetizer at B House, and much more.

To unlock up to $100 worth of free stuff every month, become a Straight Insider for just $8.25/month on an annual plan.

— FOOD & DRINK —

The Vancouver International Black Film Festival returns

The hybrid festival will bring 35 films, industry panels, workshops, and community events to VIFF Vancity Theatre and to online audiences. This year’s opening night features Of Mud and Blood, directed by Jean-Gabriel Leynaud. Set in the Congolese village of Numbi, the film examines the realities of coltan mining and the toll it takes on those whose livelihoods depend on the mineral that powers much of today’s technology.

• Opera and hip-hop are melded together in IndieFest’s Inferno 

• Am Johal takes artistic helm of Indian Summer Festival

— ICYMI —

• 6 shows to see in Vancouver this holiday season

• Where to find the best local Black Friday deals

• Weirdos Holiday Market makes its return

• ’Tis the Sitcom creates a Kramer every night

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK —

THEATRE: Burnout Paradise asks if the chaos of modern life was designed for us. (To December 7 @ Historic Theatre)

COMEDY: Naughty vs. Nice is a tag team improv battle royale with a holiday twist. (To December 20 @ Tightrope Theatre)

FILM: Revisionist Western Alberta Number One makes its debut in hostile territory. (November 25 @ Rio THeatre)

BOOKS: Rick Westhead confronts hockey culture with a new book. (November 26 @ VPL Central Branch)

ART: Check out the offerings at the Emily Carr University student art sale (November 27-29 @ Emily Carr University) 

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

That’s it!

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