Vancouver is home to many music venues, both small and large. Here are some of the best smaller ones in the city that you might haven’t had the chance to visit yet.
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The most recent venue I visited at the end of last month, was the Queen Elizabeth Theatre located at 630 Hamilton St, Vancouver. The venue opened in 1959, and the red wooden seats and carpet stairs throughout the venue, totally give you that 1950’s old theatre feel. The theatre seats 2765 people, as well as it is well-equipped with 16 accessible wheelchair spaces. I had the opportunity to attend a concert at this theatre recently for Tori Kelly’s Purple Skies Tour. On September 23rd, Tori Kelly took the stage at the “QE” as well as Maisy Kay, her opening act where she performed songs such as “Paper Hearts”, and “thing u do”. The concert was incredible, and for my first concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, I had a great time. It was definitely very different from any concert I have attended in the past at bigger venues like Rogers Arena, and BC Place. Being at a smaller venue felt a lot more intimate, and I noticed Kelly interacted with her fans in the audience a lot more than other artists who perform at bigger venues do. If you haven’t been to the Queen Elizabeth yet, you should totally check out some of the shows and concerts touring here coming up. Click here for more details.
Vogue Theatre
Located on 918 Granville Street is the iconic Vogue Theatre. This theatre is even older than the Queen Elizabeth, built in 1941, the Vogue is one of the last theatres that still stands on Vancouver’s famed Theatre Row. The theatre has a capacity of 1280 and has a lower and upper balcony. Some iconic artists have played at this venue including the “It’s ok I’m ok” Canadian popstar Tate McRae in 2022, and the “Mr Loverman” singer Ricky Montgomery stepped on the Vogue stage for his tour earlier this year. I have yet to see a concert at this venue, but I hope to see one in the upcoming year. Click here to see some performances happening soon at the Vogue Theatre.
Commodore Ballroom
And last but not least, one of the most historic and iconic venues, built in 1929, is the fabulous Commodore Ballroom. Located on 868 Granville Street, for over 90 years, this venue has seen some legendary musicians and musical groups such as Tina Turner, David Bowie, Blondie and many, many more. Although this venue is small, with a capacity of up to 1000, it has all you need for any show, party, or other major event. The 20,000-square-foot venue has hosted many events other than concerts such as fashion shows, award ceremonies, and other social gatherings and parties. My first time stepping into the Commodore was when I attended the Gimme Gimme Disco earlier this year, click here to learn more about that event 😀. There are lots of events coming up at the Commodore Ballroom that you will not want to miss! Click here to see what’s happening.
As you can see, Vancouver is home to many incredible venues, these are just a few of them! Next time you’re feeling like a concert night out, be sure to look and see who’s playing at some of the smaller venues in the city. I can guarantee you’ll always find something new!
