Queer Arts Festival
Jun 5 – 30, 2026
SUM gallery, On Main Gallery, The Birdhouse,
Malaspina Printmakers, Ocean Artworks,
Firehall Arts Centre, Or Gallery
Festival 2026 Theme: On the Edge
Queer Arts Festival 2026 embraces the precipice as both danger and possibility. Around the world, queer and trans communities are being pushed to the brink: rights stripped away, identities erased, futures uncertain. Yet edges are also where transformation begins, where risk and reinvention thrive. On the Edge asks what happens when we refuse to fall, when we linger in tension, desire, and anticipation — holding that charged space just a little longer before what comes next.
2026 Festival Schedule
ArtParty 2026
ArtParty! Festival Opening Night Jun 5 | 7 - 10pm | 4th Floor, Sun Wah Centre Take the edge off (or lean right into it) at our opening ArtParty! Taking over the 4th floor of the Sun Wah Centre, we celebrate the opening of our QAF Community Art Show at SUM gallery and Varied Editions right next door at On Main Gallery. Free ice cream, cash bar, tarot readings, and the incredible...
Varied Editions
Jun 5 - 27 | Tues - Sat | 12pm – 6pm | Queer Printmakers Exhibition | On Main Gallery | Free Now in its fourth year, Varied Editions takes its name from the printmaking technique in which artists alter individual prints within an edition to create a series of related yet distinct works—a fitting metaphor for queerness as a shared experience expressed in unique ways. Co-curated by Cheryl Hamilton and...
QAF Community Art Show
Jun 5 - 27 | Tues - Sat | 12pm – 6pm | SUM Gallery | Free The name has changed, the location has changed, but the QAF Community Art Show remains the heart and soul of our festival, 18 years on. Showcasing the outstanding work of our local 2SLGBTQIA+ artistic communities, this annual exhibition honours the legacy of Pride in Art founder, activist, and Two-Spirit artist Robbie Hong. Come down to...
A Night of Storytelling
A Night of Story Telling: Rebirth | Jun 6 | 7pm | Studio 001 | LG Floor of Sun Wah Centre | $0 - $25, sliding scale After a quiet absence, The Night of Storytelling rises again. The series returns from its own slumber with its signature edge: an invitation for writers to take the stage and perform original pieces shaped around this year’s theme, Rebirth. Think of Jesus on...
Papermaking Workshop
| Jun 7 | 10am - 2pm | Malaspina Printmakers (Granville Island) | $10 An introduction to papermaking using tree-fibre pulp to create paper suitable for printmaking, drawing, dyeing, and painting. Led by Varied Editions co-curator Edward Fu-Chen Juan with assistance from Veronica Yang, this hands-on workshop guides participants through a condensed version of the ancient process of making washi paper, including pulp preparation, sheet formation (couching), and opportunities for...
Trans Boxing Intro Series
QAF Edition | Jun 9, 16, 23, 30| 7:30 - 9pm | Witness the Fitness (Sun Wah Centre, 4th Floor) | $90 – $150, sliding scale Taking place on the 4th floor of the Sun Wah Centre, Trans Boxing Vancouver is a 4-week intro to boxing geared towards first timers and beginners. Learn boxing fundamentals including stance, punches, footwork, and defence in a small group setting with a gentle increase...
Silkscreen Workshop
| Jun 13 | 11am - 3pm | Malaspina Printmakers (Granville Island) | $10 Learn the fundamentals in this hands-on Silkscreen Workshop led by Varied Editions co-curator Cheryl Hamilton. Hosted at Malaspina Printmakers Society, this in-person session will guide you through designing, creating a stencil, and printing your very own one-colour design on paper. Whether you're new to printmaking or looking to sharpen your skills, this workshop offers a welcoming...
Zine Workshop
| Jun 14 | 11am - 3pm | Sun Wah Centre 4th Floor | $10 Fold, staple, photocopy, repeat! Join artists Cheryl Hamilton and Emilie McKnight for a hands-on introduction to the DIY world of zine making, presented as part of Varied Editions at Sun Wah Centre. This workshop explores zines as tools for storytelling, self-publishing, activism, and queer creative expression. Participants will experiment with layout, text, image, sequencing, and...
Skátne (All Together):
Queer Indigenous Films From Turtle Island and Beyond | Jun 18 | 7pm | The Birdhouse | $0 - $25, sliding scale Join us for a night celebrating Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer excellence, with a screening of short films and music videos made by Indigenous artists from around the world! Featuring “Four Spirits Walk As One” by Olly King (Cree) “Taha, Ua” by Ngaire Lyden-Elleray (Tongan/Mi’kmaq) “Terror/Forming” by Rylan Friday (Saulteaux Ojibway/Plains...
QAF Clothing Swap
| Jun 20 | 3 - 5pm | Community Event | 4th floor, 268 Keefer St. | Free Do you have under-utilized clothes and accessories? Are you on the hunt for some free, fab looks? Get those old clothes out of the closet and down to the Roundhouse on June 20 for our annual QAF Clothing Swap! We're looking for clothes that are clean, gently worn, and unscented. Clothes can...
My House
by FakeKnot | Jun 19 & 20 | TBA | The Dance Centre | $38/$29 + service fees* MY HOUSE is a bold new work by the award-winning queer, Canadian-Filipinx choreographer Ralph Escamillan (aka Kiki Legend OA Mother Posh Gvasalia and Canadian Mother Posh Basquiat). This fabulous performance celebrates Ballroom Culture, and the familial bonds embedded within the structure of a HOUSE. Bringing the BALL from the runway to...
Queer Weight Lifting 101
| Jun 21, 2-3:30pm | Jun 24, 6-7:30pm | Sun Wah Centre | $15 – $30 sliding scale Ready to build strength in a supportive, queer‐centered space? We’re partnering with our friends at Witness the Fitness for two strength workshops! These sessions are designed for all levels; whether you’re brand new to lifting or looking to sharpen your technique. You’ll learn the fundamentals of Deadlift, Squat, and Bench Press with hands‐on coaching...
Jazz Festival Co-Production Tomoki Sanders
Jazz Festival Co-Production Tomoki Sanders | Jun 25 | 8pm | The Birdhouse | $38 + fees Tomoki Sanders is a free electron who greedily explores Great Black Music, urban music, electronic, and the avant-garde. Child of the legendary Pharoah Sanders, Tomoki has been making their mark for the past five years with Kassa Overall‘s supergroup, and as an active member of the new generation of New York musicians that...
Fin’Amor
Songs from a Former Criminal | Jun 26 | 7pm | Firehall Arts Centre | $0 - $25 sliding scale | Fin’ Amor (Songs from a Former Criminal) is a 50-minute song cycle for tenor and hurdy gurdy performed by Bud Roach, with music by Jeffrey Ryan and libretto/direction by James Fagan Tait. A contemporary reflection on Medieval chivalric love poetry, the work commemorates the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization...
ManUp
| Jun 27 | 9:30pm - 2am | The Birdhouse | $14 - $26 Trust your instincts, close your eyes, and leap ~ It's Man Up's annual MUSICALS DRAG SHOW! We're packing up our cats, our rent, and all our angry inches, and heading straight to the Birdhouse ~ Skip with us along the yellow brick west 4th road, and all that jazz! Man Up MUSICALS is happening Saturday June 27th...
Jazz Festival Co-Production with Wallgrin & DEVOURS
Jazz Festival Co-Production with Wallgrin & DEVOURS | Jun 28 | 8:30pm | Ocean Artworks (Granville Island) | $15 at the door Wallgrin is the experimental art-pop project of Toronto composer, vocalist, and violinist Tegan Wahlgren. Blending lush strings, beat-driven pop, and ornate vocal arrangements, their music draws on mythological and fantastical imagery while channeling influences ranging from Celtic fiddle to avant-pop. Described as a songwriter who “measures up to standards...
