Vancouver’s PNE Summer Concerts | Vancouver’s Best Places Canada Reviews

The PNE Summer Night Concerts are one of the most popular attractions at Vancouver’s annual Pacific National Exhibition in late August and early September.

In 2026 the PNE Fair and Summer Night Concerts run from August 22nd until September 7th. When purchased online, tickets for each concert include general admission to the PNE. This year’s concerts are held at the PNE’s new Freedom Mobile Arch. Playland, meanwhile, runs from May 16th until July 21st.

See the official pne.ca website for tickets and full details about the concerts.

This article includes the following information about PNE Summer Night Concerts:

Admission | When and Where? | Summer Night Concerts | Other Concerts and Entertainment | Tips & Advice | Concerts in Recent Years | Other Information

The PNE Fair hosts a couple of series of concerts. In addition to the PNE Summer Night Concerts performances, other musicians play on the Festival Park stage most years. These artists are also great, but they tend to be locally based.

The big PNE Summer Night Concerts require tickets. The concerts at Festival Park, on the other hand, are free. When they happen, you can just show up and come and go for them.

See the PNE Fair‘s website for other information.

Night Concerts Admission

Paid tickets are required for all Summer Night Concerts. Each ticket purchased online also includes admission to the fair. Prices in 2026 start at $49 (plus taxes and fees) per person, with the most expensive tickets costing $129.

When and Where?

In 2026 the PNE Fair takes place from August 22nd to September 7th. The fair is open almost every day from 11:00 am until late evening, except for the first and second Mondays of the season when the place is closed. The one Monday when the PNE is open each year is Labour Day which is the first Monday in September.

The Pacific National Exhibition is located at 2901 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. It’s just a few blocks from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Night concerts at the PNE take place every evening that the event is open. Most are at 8:30 pm but a few are earlier than that. In 2026 they’ll be in the new Freedom Mobile Arch which is a beautiful, covered, outdoor facility that’s an upgrade on the previous PNE Ampitheatre.

2026 Night Concerts

All performances are ticketed events. Regular PNE Fair admission is included with each concert, but only if tickets are purchased online. The following is the PNE concert lineup for 2026.

• Saturday, August 22nd – Blue Rodeo
• Sunday, August 23rd – The Guess Who
• Tuesday, August 25th – The Beaches
• Wednesday, August 26th – Nelly
• Thursday, August 27th – Zedd
• Friday, August 28th – Mt. Joy
• Saturday, August 29th – Cynthia Erivo with the VSO
• Sunday, August 30th – Punjabi Virsa
• Tuesday, September 1st – Train
• Wednesday, September 2nd – Barenaked Ladies
• Thursday, September 3rd – “Weird Al” Yankovic
• Friday, September 4th – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Saturday, September 5th – Pierce The Veil
• Sunday, September 6th – Sarah McLachlan
• Monday, September 7th – Boy George & Culture Club

Other Concerts and Entertainment

In addition to the PNE Summer Night Concerts there is a lot of other free entertainment offered at the fair including the SuperDogs shows, Wizard of Oz on Ice, and plenty more.

Each year some great bands perform at various times as part of the Music in the Park series of concerts which are free with general admission.

See below for the 2026 lineup of free concerts on the BCAA Stage at Festival Park.

Music in the Park Performances (in 2026)

There are plenty of free shows to enjoy in the Music in the Park series. This year, during the day, there are Cultural Showcases at 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. They include dance, music and other entertainment of various styles. There’s also the nightly Remix Inferno musical pyrotechnic celebration at 9:45 pm. For those who love fireworks that is a must see!

There are concerts each evening at 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm as part of the Night Music series. Below is the schedule of shows for 2026.

• Saturday, August 22nd – Luisa Marshall as TINA TURNER
• Sunday, August 23rd – Bobby Bruce’s Nearly Neil & The Solitary Band
• Tuesday, August 25th – ODYSSEY
• Wednesday, August 26th – The Paperboys
• Thursday, August 27th – The Motown Show
• Friday, August 28th – TriloJay
• Saturday, August 29th – Julio Avila Cuban Band
• Sunday, August 30th – Phonix Dance Band
• Tuesday, September 1st – Coca Jafro
• Wednesday, September 2nd – Steelin’ In The Years: A Tribute to the Music of Steely Dan
• Thursday, September 3rd – Queer as Funk
• Sunday, September 6th – Moondance: The Van Morrison Songbook
• Monday, September 7th – Side One

Click Night Music for full details about the free shows.

Note: On the Friday and Saturday of September 4th and 5th, 2026, there is the Tatus Festival which celebrates Indigenous music, art, culture and food at the PNE Fair. On those two days, Festival Park is home to Indigenous artists who are able to showcase their talents and culture.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions and information to help you make the most of your concert experience at the PNE.

TIP #1: For the really popular groups, consider reserving your seat well in advance. There’s no need to worry about rain if the concert is happening under the new arch!

TIP #2: Don’t just go to the concerts. There are so many other things to do at the Fair as well. Remember, admission to the Fair is included with concert tickets. Go early and enjoy all the other activities too.

Concerts in Recent Years

Every year there are some great bands. In 2018, concerts included performances by favourite oldies like Boyz II Men, Air Supply, Kool & the Gang, Jann Arden, Burton Cummings, Chicago, the Village People and Cyndi Lauper.

The 2019 lineup of music at the PNE included concerts by Blue Rodeo, Cheap Trick, UB40, Colin James, Vanilla Ice, the Beach Boys, Burton Cummings, MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and others. Of these, Blue Rodeo, the Beach Boys and Burton Cummings were back in 2022.

The 2023 lineup of performers included Jason Derulo, TLC, Billy Talent, Billy Idol, Blue Rodeo and lots of other artists. In 2024 there were performances by Blue Rodeo, Ludacris, Flo Rida, Barenaked Ladies, The Commodores and more. 2025 featured shows with Sean Paul, Tom Cochrane, Meghan Trainor, Atif Aslam, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and other bands.

Click Pacific National Exhibition for more information about the PNE in general.

Other Information

See the PNE’s Official Website for more information about the concerts.

See our article about the Pacific National Exhibition to learn more about the fair.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

Another website you might also find of interest is VancouverMusicFestivals.ca.

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